Coffee, tacos, doughnuts: Downtown Wheaton's getting some new eats
In simple, bold font, the window sign beckons: COFFEE.
It's a no-fuss introduction to a cozy Wheaton coffeehouse in the midst of an expansion.
Like the drip of a pour-over, Five & Hoek Coffee Co. is building anticipation around the project by slowing teasing pictures of the renovations to a robust social media following.
As Five & Hoek adds more space, several new dining spots are slated to join the downtown's growing restaurant scene this summer amid a surge of leasing activity, Downtown Wheaton Association Executive Director Paula Barrington said.
Here's a rundown of those developments around the downtown:
Five & Hoek
Where: The popular coffeehouse for Wheaton College students and professionals working outside of the office will gain a larger footprint by expanding into the former Autumn Woods Cabinetry space at 112 N. Main St.
Building plans: Pictures of the project are almost as visually stunning as Five & Hoek's latte art. From what we can tell, the new space will have exposed brick walls, tin ceilings and stained glass.
With the expansion, Five & Hoek will add more seating and a commercial kitchen to boost its menu offerings, Barrington said. Also expect regular coffee cuppings, or tastings, of fresh-roasted coffee.
"They definitely needed more seating for customers," Barrington said.
Sogno Ristorante
Where: The second-floor Italian restaurant known for its rooftop seating overlooking downtown Wheaton is one of the fixtures on an emerging restaurant row along Hale Street.
Building plans: Sogno is making a foray into higher-caliber takeout with The Streets of Naples next to the ground-floor entrance of the original restaurant at 100 N. Hale St. The Streets of Naples will fill a first-floor retail storefront that briefly housed a bookstore around the holiday season.
"Their food is outstanding," Barrington said. "They're really known for great Italian cuisine."
Altiro of Wheaton
Where: Brothers-in-law Miguel Villanueva, Roberto Avila and Jose Trejo opened the flagship Altiro Latin Fusion restaurant in Geneva about six years ago and later added locations in Chicago's Roscoe Village and La Grange.
At Al Chulo in West Chicago, the longtime restaurateurs draw from their roots in Mexico City to curate an impressive collection of tequilas and a tapas-style menu with Mexican street food.
They're now bringing the Altiro concept - with influences from Mexico, Spain, South America and Italy - to downtown Wheaton.
Building plans: Altiro will replace The Cellar Bistro, a corner restaurant that closed last fall after 11 years in business at 132 N. Hale St. Barrington said the opening date is expected sometime in late spring or early summer after interior renovations.
"Their interiors are very contemporary, eclectic," said Barrington, who has dined at West Chicago's Al Chulo. "And I think they'll do a great job with that corner location here in downtown Wheaton."
302 Wheaton
Where: The former Bell Transmissions auto-repair shop is undergoing a major transformation to convert the 11,417-square-foot lot into a burger restaurant and taphouse. New owners purchased the corner property last year at 302 W. Front St.
Building plans: The restaurant will provide outdoor and indoor dining along a block of Front Street that has wider sidewalks, new streetscape and infrastructure through an ongoing downtown revitalization now entering its second phase.
One of the owners, Eric Schlickman envisions 302 Wheaton as a family-friendly gathering space with a large outdoor patio, picnic tables, an outdoor fireplace, pergola and lawn games. He also hopes to show outdoor movies - even Cubs and Bear games - along the massive brick exterior of Carlson Glass & Mirror.
"It's a closer-knit community," said Schlickman, who grew up in town and lives a couple blocks away. "And that's what I hope to kind of create at 302. It's more than just a restaurant."
Schlickman and his close friends have preserved the community feel at Shane's Deli after rallying about a year ago to save the downtown staple. At 302, he's aiming for an early summer opening for the taphouse, focused on burgers, fries, shakes and craft beer.
Fearless Donuts and Pacific Tacos
Where: A doughnut shop and Mexican taco restaurant are opening this summer in a brick building at 216 W. Front Street, replacing three established businesses that maintained a presence there for decades. One of the partners on the project is Nick Roberge, a restaurateur who runs bistro and whiskey bar Barrel+Rye and The Burger Local in Geneva.
Elsewhere
A dramatic facade renovation is taking shape at a two-story, 4,356-square-foot office building next to Wheaton Drama at 109 N. Hale St.
Wheaton Planning and Economic Development Director Jim Kozik said in an email it's his understanding that a "furniture/home accessories store" has signed a letter of intent for the ground-floor retail space.
Barrington said prospective tenants also have signed letters of intent for three other downtown spaces: the former Bella Roba boutique clothing store at 104 N. Hale St.; the former Serene Teaz storefront at 221 W. Front St.; and the former Bank of America at 225 W. Front St.
The letters of intent are not finalized leases, but the documents indicate that prospective businesses are "very serious about moving forward with lease negotiations," Barrington said.