New restaurant, banquet facility for former Buffalo Grove Outback Steakhouse location back on track to open

Plans to reopen the former Buffalo Grove Outback Steakhouse location as a new restaurant and banquet facility are back on track.

Kon Kruglyak, general manager and representative of Epicure Dining LLC, said the new venue at 720 W. Lake-Cook Road could be open in six months, depending on when it receives a permit from the village.

Outback Steakhouse opened in the 6,200-square-foot space in 1994. It closed in 2015, and the building has been vacant since then.

The village’s planning and zoning commission on Wednesday recommended the village board approve revised plans. The village board last year approved a design with a 400-square-foot addition to the front of the building that is no longer part of the current plan.

The removal of the addition meant Epicure had to come back to the village for approval.

Kruglyak said Epicure had to scrap plans to convert the covered front porch into a foyer due to high costs. The project will now only involve interior renovations, some modification of the exterior and new signage.

“We wanted to expand the front of the building,” Kruglyak told commissioners. “After consulting with numerous contractors and designers, we realized that it's not going to pay any dividends for us.”

Although the restaurant, which seats 175, will be open on weekdays, Kruglyak said the main business will come from banquets on the weekend.

szalusky@dailyherald.com