Schaumburg: Yes to restaurants, no to drive-through

Schaumburg trustees Tuesday gave the nod to three very different new restaurants but rejected a controversial proposal for the first drive-through at a Panera Bread in the Northwest suburbs.

The three restaurants are a Kobe Japanese Restaurant at Algonquin and Meacham roads, a unique concept eatery called Mynt Fusion Bites in the former Quizno’s site in Town Square at Schaumburg and Roselle roads, and a Subway in Market Square at Schaumburg and Plum Grove roads.

John Chee, a representative of Kobe Japanese Restaurant, said it will be a second location for the family that has run one at Rand Road and Route 22 in Lake Zurich for the past 10 years.

The restaurant expected to open in the late summer or early fall will be a hibachi steakhouse and a sushi bar — with a difference.

“Our chefs are a little better trained, and we insist on using the very best ingredients. It’s much higher quality than what most restaurants use,” Chee said.

While such a proposal might seem daunting in today’s economy, Chee said economic woes have barely had an effect on the popularity of the Lake Zurich location.

Mynt Fusion Bites will specialize in pizzas and crepes, with soups and sandwiches on the menu as well.

Mynt is a spice, and the owner of the new business told the village the word Fusion is to let the public know that a blend of Indian-inspired spices are used in the dishes, Schaumburg’s Community Development Director Julie Fitzgerald said.

The proposal for a drive-through at the Panera Bread at Schaumburg Road and Pembroke Drive failed after a 3-3 vote by trustees. Overcoming the zoning board’s recommendation of denial would have required a two-thirds majority even if the out-of-town Mayor Al Larson had been present to break the tie.

Some neighbors, the zoning board and half the trustees felt the drive-through added congestion to an already tight parking lot. Village staff members, some patrons and the other trustees thought it could be a boon for pedestrian safety in the lot.

The nearest Panera Bread with a drive-through is in Naperville, Fitzgerald said.