Dining room closed, but brewery is 'here to stay'

Prairie Rock Brewery, a fixture in downtown Elgin since 1995, has shuttered its main dining room except for large banquets.

But restaurant officials say they have no intention to close the place.

"We're here to stay," Julie Komperda, operations manager, said Wednesday. "We're working our butts off to turn this place around."

The bar area and outdoor garden, which can seat about 200, will remain open and offer lunch, dinner and Prairie's award-winning beers.

Komperda said the owners have a concept for revamping the main dining room but it was unclear when it would reopen, if at all.

"We closed it primarily due to cost. We're focusing on our bar business," she said, noting 15 employees, but only two full-timers, have been laid off because of slow business.

Komperda said the main dining room closed June 17 but is still available for large banquets and other events.

In May 2004, owners unveiled the Prairie Street Chophouse for the main dining room where patrons could grill their own steaks and seafood and bake their own bread.

But the novelty soon wore off, and that venture lasted only a year.

The business at 127 S. Grove Ave. has had other rocky moments during its 13 years downtown.

In 2001, business slowed and the owners focused on the pub area.

Restaurant officials asked for, and were granted, a $134,000 city grant to help them stay in business.

Prairie Rock also received a $220,000 incentive from city leaders to open the $1.5 million location and help with the downtown vitalization.