KFC planned for ‘eyesore’ former Pizza Hut in Palatine

A long-vacant former Pizza Hut building seen as an eyesore soon will be torn down to make way for a new KFC with a drive-through near Rand and Dundee roads in Palatine.

The Palatine village council recently approved a special use permit that will allow the franchise restaurant to open at 1597 N. Rand Road.

The property is part of a triangular area that includes Einstein Bros. Bagels and Denny’s. The latter two properties are owned by Dawn Lafreeda, who also owns and operates Den-Tex Central Inc., which manages the Denny’s, according to village documents.

The KFC property will be owned and operated by KBP Brands.

In addition to approving the special use, the council voted in favor of consolidating the lots on the 2.2-acre property from five to three.

KBP plans to raze the building down to the slab — everything vertical will be new.

“The existing building has been there for quite a while. We know it’s an eyesore,” KBP representative Alan Okon told Palatine’s planning and zoning commission. “We’re not here to renovate it. We’re here to knock it down and build something brand new.”

Okon said KBP owns about 55 KFCs in the Chicago area.

The commission unanimously recommended village council approval for the plan.

“It has been underutilized for many years,” Palatine Director of Planning and Zoning Ben Vyverberg said of the site, adding that the last time it was occupied was around 2020. “It’s been waiting to be redeveloped.”