Cheers to 50 years: As the last Bennigan’s in Illinois, Elgin restaurant keeps brand’s tradition of Irish hospitality alive

A once beloved restaurant brand that seemingly disappeared from the American dining landscape in the early 2000s is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and one of its lone remaining traditional locations is still thriving in the suburbs.

Bennigan’s, which has been serving up “American Fare + Irish Hospitality” since 1976, had over 300 restaurants in its heyday. Now only six full-service locations remain in the United States, including one at 495 Airport Road in Elgin.

Rami Kaldani is general manager of Bennigan’s Elgin, unofficial keeper of the flame that burns in the memories of people who grew up eating at the chain when it was ubiquitous in the 1980s and ’90s.

“It’s an honor, to be quite honest,” he said. “It’s exciting, but it’s also a lot of pressure sometimes because people have this memory of what it was and they want to relive that, so we strive to deliver on that memory.”

Kaldani has been with the company for 25 years, starting in Elgin as a server in 2001. He said Bennigan’s was still a “robust” presence when he started. That changed when parent company S & A Restaurant Corp filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in July 2008.

Overnight all 150 corporate-owned locations shuttered.

Over 130 franchise locations like the one in Elgin remained open, but most closed over the years. The Elgin restaurant, which opened inside a Holiday Inn in 1998, is the only one left in Illinois.

“What’s kept us viable is the guest loyalty,” Kaldani said. “We have a lot of folks from the area that have supported us throughout the years from the beginning, even when Bennigan’s started losing some presence.”

Kaldani had no shortage of stories about that loyalty and the lengths people go to relive the good times they remember.

“People get really excited when they find out we’re still here,” he said. “We have people who drive from Chicago on a weekly basis just to come dine and then drive right back, and other folks that drive from out of state just to come here when they learn we’re open.”

That’s nothing compared to a recent diner’s commute to the restaurant.

“I’ve actually had a guest who flew all the way from Florida just to come have lunch and then fly back,” he said.

And he did it twice. Last year he came with a friend, and this year he returned with a group of five.

“It was nostalgic for them,” Kaldani said. “They ordered Monte Cristos, mix-and-match appetizers, the stuff that we’re known for. I think it just takes them back to a different time.”

The restaurant still serves all the favorites that people remember from the brand’s peak, including the broccoli bites app, the Kilkenny County chicken salad, the French onion and baked potato soups, the Turkey O’Toole sandwich and, of course, that “World Famous Monte Cristo.”

The trademarked sandwich features honey wheatberry bread layered with ham, turkey, Swiss and American cheeses, then is batter-dipped, gently fried and coated with powdered sugar and served with red raspberry preserves for dipping.

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” Kaldani said. “We’re staying true to what we’re known for. It’s good, clean food, family environment, friendly Irish hospitality and generous portions.”

Which is not to say Bennigan’s is totally living in the past. As part of the brand’s anniversary celebration, it has introduced a new Summer Shenanigans Prime Burger Bash special, where guests can mix and match any half-pound prime burger with a select appetizer for $19.99 with the purchase of a beverage.

Promo apps include Hogan’s egg rolls, the Irish tower o’ rings, and chili con queso and chips. Diners can pair one with seven signature prime burgers, including the Mahal-O’ burger with Pepper Jack cheese, sriracha aioli, a cinnamon sugar-glazed grilled pineapple ring and house-made pineapple salsa; the Guinness-glazed bacon burger; or the St. Brigid burger with house-made pub cheese, bacon, grilled onions and mushrooms.

The special, which also features some limited-time summer drinks, runs through Aug. 10.

While the number of Bennigan’s have dwindled in the U.S., the brand still thrives overseas. There are multiple locations in Bahrain, Cyprus, El Salvador, Mexico and Qatar.

The new parent company, Legendary Restaurant Brands, has inked a master franchise agreement for the development of over 100 Bennigan’s in India, as well as new locations planned for Panama and Guyana.

They also have more than 30 smaller “On the Fly” locations throughout the U.S. in high-traffic locations such as airports.

While acknowledging that a 50th anniversary is big deal, Kaldani said it hasn’t caused any “eureka” moments.

“I feel like I have an anniversary moment on a daily basis,” he said. “When you see someone who comes back for the first time in a long time, or somebody comes in who says they met their girlfriend here or got married here and now they’re back. Those kind of moments happen for us literally on a daily basis. Those are the moments that are really the spirit of the anniversary.”