Sugar Bowl bar, former pool hall return in Des Plaines

The bar adjoining the iconic Sugar Bowl in downtown Des Plaines and a vacant pool hall in another part of town being transformed into a sports bar will reopen in coming weeks.

The Des Plaines city council this week approved 2 a.m. liquor licenses for the Miner Street Tavern, 1492 Miner St. next to the newly reopened Sugar Bowl, and for Lee Street Games & Sports Bar, formerly Chris' Billiards, at 1122 Lee St., a half-block north of Algonquin Road.

The Miner Street Tavern, previously known as the Cypress Inn and later renamed Cocktails by owner Ted Vlahopoulos of Mount Prospect, is presently being renovated. The bar is now owned by Vlahopoulos' son-in-law John Grammatis, 36, of Arlington Heights, and his two partners.

Grammatis, who grew up in Des Plaines, told the city council he wanted to revive the one-time popular neighborhood bar.

"I want to bring back the good times," he said.

Though the council approved Grammatis taking over the bar's operation, it denied his request to keep it open until 4 a.m. upon Police Chief Jim Prandini's request.

"There's no compelling reason to extend the hours of drinking in this community to 4 a.m.," Prandini said arguing it would become a problem for the police department. "I just don't believe we need another 4 a.m. license in town."

The city has granted five 4 a.m. liquor licenses for businesses in town.

The tavern will have 12 beer taps, new plasma TVs, a new sound system, a shuffleboard game, and retain its pool table and dart board. Pictures of the historic Sugar Bowl also will be showcased on its walls. The bar is expected to reopen next week.

The Lee Street sports bar will open July 1, new owner Bill Ryan said.

Ryan of Des Plaines previously managed the pool hall, which has operated in that location for more than 15 years but was closed for nearly a year. At one time, it housed 23 pool tables and served hot dogs and hamburgers, but no alcohol, he said.

"I would not even consider buying or opening up a pool hall with this economy without liquor," Ryan said. "Liquor has to be there to survive nowadays."

Ryan is leasing roughly 2,400 square feet or half the existing building, which he plans to remodel to house six 7-foot pool tables and two 9-foot pool tables, a bar, TVs and dart boards.