‘We built a community here’: Dave’s Specialty Foods goes out on top after nearly 24 years

Dave’s Specialty Foods has reached the end of its nearly 24-year ride.

But along the way, it left a trail of happy customers who enjoyed its food, took cooking classes, had events catered, and held private functions at 105 W. Prospect Ave. in Mount Prospect.

Dave’s Specialty Foods closed its last chapter on Jan. 11, when the store held a “garage sale” of its goods.

The business’ odyssey began shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, at its previous location at 512 W. Northwest Highway. It moved to Prospect Avenue nearly 20 years ago.

Dave Esau, who has been running the operation along with daughter Maggie Sinz, says he began the venture with no money but a lot of guts.

He said he had no idea how to work a computer or operate a cash register, but he knew how to cook and share his joie de vivre with his clientele. He also knew how to work hard.

Esau had been hinting for months about the closing and even announced the business was up for sale.

“The timing is right,” he said. “It’s a hard business. I could probably count on two hands the amount of weekends I’ve had off in, like, 45 years.”

That’s including the years he spent busing tables.

Esau, 59, who lives in Arlington Heights with his wife, Julie, said the bills are paid — there is no car payment or house payment.

Now, like Michael Jordan, he can go out on top, he said.

“You want to be still able to slam dunk 10 feet in the air, and everybody’s wondering why you’re leaving. That’s the time to leave,” he said.

Of course, Esau still will be indulging in some gourmet home cooking. In a way, Dave’s Specialty Foods still is open. He has just taken it to his house.

The business still is for sale — there have been interviews but no deal — and offers several advantages, including new equipment, he said.

The garage sale was a chance for longtime customers to say goodbye and share final hugs, as well as for shoppers to sort through such items as pots, pans, mixers, bowls and a chafer. Esau also sold a Cuisinart that can make two quarts of pesto.

The menu on the wall served as a remembrance of past meals — a chicken breast sandwich with lingonberries, goat cheese and spinach served on home-made semolina bread; a spinach salad with apples, candied walnuts, goat cheese, croutons and Dijon dressing; and soups by the bowl or the quart.

Arlington Heights residents Bill and Sheila Zerwer were among the customers who stopped by to pay homage, say goodbye and wish Esau well.

Sheila Zerwer had Dave’s cater many business lunches at her workplace. She especially appreciated the specials Dave’s offered to take home during the COVID pandemic.

“He’d be out grilling,” she said. “It might be a burger or salmon one week. It was fun to try different things.”

Bill Zerwer said Dave’s meant good lunches and good and friendly people.

As she milled about the shop greeting old friends and customers during the sale, Sinz said the feeling is bittersweet.

“We’ll still be in the neighborhood,” she said. “We’re talking about doing some stuff in the neighborhood.”

Esau said he used to feed off ideas brought to him by customers, including the idea for parties at the shop.

“We have had two or three weddings at my shop,” said Esau adding, a wedding party from Maryland came “because they heard about the shop.”

“We built a community here,” Esau said. “People would come into the shop and cry after they bit into some food that we made. We just happened to make food that you can’t find anywhere else.”