Plans for Wild Fork in Buffalo Grove back on

The on-again, off-again saga of the Buffalo Grove Wild Fork is back firmly in on mode.

The specialty food retailer could open by February at 41 McHenry Road, near the intersection at Lake-Cook Road.

It’s a 180-degree turn from December 2023, when Deputy Village Manager Christopher Stilling said Wild Fork was no longer planning to proceed with a location in Buffalo Grove.

But Mitch Goltz of GW Properties said things got back on track a few months ago.

“It’s all good,” he said. “All that matters is they are opening for business.”

Wild Fork, which has other suburban locations in Mount Prospect and Glenview, aims to “transform the way we shop for and consume meat,” according to its website. Its offerings include cooked octopus flower, elk medallions and alligator tenderloins.

For Buffalo Grove, it promises to be a welcome addition to an intersection that is seeing rapid redevelopment. That includes The Clove mixed-use redevelopment of the Town Center shopping center, and a Lazy Dog restaurant moving into a former IHOP location.

“We’re thrilled to see Wild Fork begin construction on their Buffalo Grove location, a site identified in the Lake Cook Corridor Plan as another key development opportunity,” Stilling said. “Wild Fork will bring a truly unique shopping experience to our residents and the surrounding communities with its high-quality, expertly curated frozen foods. This is yet another example of how the plan is enhancing Buffalo Grove as a destination for diverse retail and dining options.”