Bartlett gives incentives to restaurant

A train-themed restaurant called 2 Toots will receive financial incentives to the tune of $93,000 despite objections from Bartlett residents who said it is unfair to give taxpayer money to the restaurant.

Under the agreement, 2 Toots will receive a portion of the build-out expenses to locate the restaurant’s 2,200-square-foot space in the Bartlett Town Center facing the Metra station. The $3,500 building permit fees for the build-out will also be waived.

The conditions of the agreement state the owners must operate the restaurant for at least three years, and if it closes within that time, they must repay the village the full incentive at a rate of $31,000 per year.

“I don’t view this as a sound economic decision,” resident Richard Francke told the board at Tuesday’s meeting, noting that the amount given to the restaurant comes out to about $3 per resident.

Two other residents spoke out against the incentives at the April 5 board meeting. Resident Richard Frankie said he agreed with bringing a sound business into town but said giving the restaurant the incentive gives the business an unfair advantage.

Bartlett Vision Center owner Kristina Gabrenya also spoke out against the incentive, saying that although she is a fan of the restaurant, the incentive is not a good investment for the village. She said for the village to make its money back, the restaurant would have to bring in $1,377,777 a year, or 377 patrons a day spending $10.

City employees noted that the village previous provided incentives to Dominick’s grocery store, the Home Depot, Welch Brothers Concrete, Ace Hardware and more.

“I see both sides of this issue,” Trustee John Kavouris said. “Home Depot was very important. Dominick’s was very important. There’s a good argument on both sides.”

Kavouris noted that the incentive is aligned with the village’s strategic plan objective to continue to develop the downtown.