Guzman y Gomez quick-serve restaurant chain continues expansion with proposed Vernon Hills location
A growing Mexican restaurant chain founded in Australia continues its advance in the Chicago area with a proposed drive-through in Vernon Hills.
Named by its founder for two childhood friends, Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen has received a nonbinding favorable reception from village leaders to pursue a plan to demolish an existing building on an outlot in the Rivertree Court shopping center.
Most of the 240 Guzman y Gomez restaurants are in Australia but also in Tokyo and Singapore. The chain was founded in 2006 by two New Yorkers who had moved to Australia and missed the authentic taste of high-quality Mexican food they grew up eating, according to a company overview.
The fifth Guzman y Gomez in the Chicago area recently opened in Deerfield with a sixth coming to Evanston in March. The publicly traded company debuted in Naperville in early 2020 and followed with locations in Schaumburg, Crystal Lake and Buffalo Grove.
In Vernon Hills, a special use permit and variations are being sought to replace the Top Fitness store building at 701 N. Milwaukee Ave.
“It will probably be more of our 11th or 12th store at the end of the day,” Jason Trombley, head of U.S. Development for Guzman y Gomez, recently told the village board. “The goal is to have 15 to 20 stores in Chicago.”
So far, all the U.S. locations are in Illinois and corporately owned. The plan is to build the brand and make it attractive to be franchised elsewhere, he added.
As a Lake Bluff resident with four kids, Trombley said the family is often in Vernon Hills for other activities at Rivertree Court and considers it “almost a personal mission” to expand the limited drive-through selections in that area.
Besides that familiarity, restaurant sales data from a variety of sources shows Vernon Hills as one of the top places to be, he added.
“The concept is all about food first, people second and community and culture third,” he said. “It’s high-quality, restaurant quality food just made fast.”
He described Guzman y Gomez as being like Chipotle but with a different energy and atmosphere.
In fact, the chain four years ago wanted to build a drive-through across the street at the former Denny's on the Hawthorn shopping center property but it didn’t materialize, according to Trombley.
Projected sales at Rivertree Court would be $2.5 million to $3 million a year with a target of having half the business as drive-through customers.
Village officials are receptive to the Rivertree Court plan, but tweaks will be needed to avoid potential drive-through traffic conflicts in the shopping center and to have enough space for an escape lane in case of emergency.
As proposed, the drive-through would have two lanes that converge to a single lane after the menu boards. To do that and accommodate parking, the developer is seeking to reduce the required setback for the front of the building, which faces Route 60.
Village trustees said they prefer the variation be requested for parking rather than the setback by changing the building location on the lot.
“The more important part I think is moving the building south 13 feet,” said Trustee Thom Koch, Jr. “I'd like to see this get done. I think it would be a good addition” to the village's already extensive restaurant selection, he added.
“We have ultimate flexibility to work with you and modify as needed,” Trombley said.
The proposal goes to a detailed staff review and eventual public hearing before the advisory planning and zoning commission before returning to the village board for a final decision.