Durty Nellie's moving closer to reopening after fire
Downtown Palatine landmark Durty Nellie's is inching closer to reopening, at least partially, two weeks after fire broke out in the popular bar and music venue.
And, perhaps just as importantly for fans of the village's big St. Patrick's Day parade and celebration set for March 16, the business — a founding and presenting sponsor — says the event will go on as planned, with a few minor changes that will be announced soon on its website and Facebook page.
“The St. Paddy's celebration is going to be as big and as great as ever,” said co-owner James Dolezal.
But first things first, and that means reopening the bar that's been shuttered since a Jan. 25 blaze left fire, smoke and water damage throughout the downtown building, most significantly its kitchen.
Owners are set to appear before the Palatine village council on Monday to discuss their plans, which include partnering with other downtown establishments to offer patrons food. Village code requires all businesses with a liquor license to provide food service, and with Durty Nellie's kitchen out of commission for the foreseeable future, teaming with other downtown eateries is the quickest way to get the business open again.
In the meantime, Durty Nellie's reps say they're addressing a punch list of damages caused by the fire. The work includes total replacement of the wood floor due to water damage and the replacement of all 18 televisions. A property restoration company is vacuuming and cleaning all surfaces due to smoke damage, and ensuring there is no additional water damage in the subfloors and walls, they say.
The owners aim to have the majority of Durty Nellie's operations up and running this month, and are reaching out to groups who have events scheduled there over the next month to update them on their status. Anyone with questions can email events@durtynellies.com.
“Despite the work ahead of us, we remain optimistic and thankful for the outpouring of support we have received,” Dolezal said. “We have been working very closely with village staff who are helping us to address what we need to — to get back to business as soon as we can.”