Coffee shop coming to Des Plaines will get city grant

A coffee shop is coming to a long-vacant storefront in Des Plaines.

Alibi Coffee House is planned for 749 W. Golf Road, which is in the Market Place shopping center at the southeast corner of Golf and Elmhurst roads. It’s expected to open this year, after a renovation that’ll be partially funded by the city.

The nearly 5,000-square-foot space last was home to Kuhn’s Delicatessen, which operated there for decades until closing in 2019, city spokesperson Brad Goodman said.

The shopping center is in the city’s 4th Ward. Other businesses in the center include Planet Fitness, China Wok and Binny’s Beverage Depot.

Entrepreneurs Eric M. Trojak and Daniel J. Kurek are behind Alibi. They’re planning a renovation that’s expected to cost more than $82,000, according to city documents. New drywall, flooring and signs will be installed, and the electrical and plumbing systems will be upgraded, among other improvements.

The city council on Monday approved a $25,533 grant to help cover renovation costs. The funds will come from a program designed to assist local businesses with such projects; the grant will be paid out when the work is complete.

Alderman Dick Sayad, who represents the 4th Ward but filled in for an absent Mayor Andrew Goczkowski on Monday, welcomed the business owners to Des Plaines before the vote.

The council also approved a business assistance grant for Foxtail on the Lake, a restaurant at 1177 Howard Ave. That’s in the 5th Ward.

Foxtail will receive $33,625 in city funds to help pay for an expansion of an outdoor patio. That project is expected to cost $130,000, documents indicate.

The proposed 624-square-foot expansion will create space for 40 additional customers, Goodman said. The work is expected to begin in September and wrap up in November, Goodman said.

Sayad said officials are glad to see businesses expand in town. He noted a larger patio is a positive move for Foxtail and also will result in more tax revenue for the city.

Foxtail on the Lake was awarded a $300,000 city grant in 2023 to help pay for an extensive renovation before it opened that year. The building, which is owned by the Des Plaines Park District, previously had been a church.