CravePizza in Mt. Prospect adds sports bar, more renovations
CravePizza in downtown Mount Prospect will show off its new addition - one that more than doubles the space - at a grand opening event on Tuesday.
Owner Rafael Manjarres said he added 1,500 square feet by taking over what was once a hair salon and revamping it into a modern sports bar with high-top tables and chairs, 11 flat-screen TVs, a state-of-the-art sound system and a new draft beer system with 12 taps.
The restaurant is at 106 W. Northwest Hwy.
"It was a complete gut-out for (the salon)," Manjarres said. "We put in new plumbing, repainted, changed the lighting, everything."
Manjarres said they also did some work on the original restaurant, which is 1,200 square feet. In all the renovations cost the company more than $300,000.
He said there will be two signs outside the restaurant - one for the original entrance that says "Crave Pizza" and one for the new expansion that says "Crave Sports Bar." Manjarres said once patrons enter, they can move between both sections freely.
He said they opened the new expansion for a soft launch earlier in the month and the response has been positive.
"Craft beer is the new big thing in bars, so we are trying different artisanal beers and local breweries," Manjarres said. "We are also going to redo our bar menu, we are going to have a lot of finger foods beyond just fried stuff."
The grand opening event begins at 4 p.m. on Aug. 4.