Van’s Frozen Custard opens new spot; Duke’s Blues N BBQ looks to new location
As Van’s Frozen Custard celebrates the opening of its new location in West Dundee, Duke’s Blues N BBQ is looking forward to a more permanent home in the former Van’s location in East Dundee.
Formerly located at Route 72 and River Street, Van’s Frozen Custard was an East Dundee mainstay for 16 years before relocating to West Dundee. The restaurant celebrated the opening of its new location at 818 W. Main St. earlier this month.
“It’s been really positive,” said Airto Ocasio, who has owned Van’s Frozen Custard for the last four years. “We have seen a huge increase in traffic … overall, I think it’s a better experience for our customers.”
Meanwhile, Terrance “Duke” Seward and his wife, Rhiannon, are looking forward to moving from the red caboose in downtown East Dundee to their first “brick and mortar” location.
East Dundee purchased the former custard shop earlier this year as it plans for intersection improvements at Route 72 and River Street. Noting that the improvements are years away, officials opted to lease the building to Seward, who had expressed a desire for an indoor location, in the interim.
“This would be a good opportunity for him to test out a brick and mortar option while he continues to look for a permanent space in the downtown,” East Dundee Village Administrator Erika Storlie said at this month’s board meeting.
She noted the village, which currently leases the caboose to Duke’s, is working out a lease agreement for the new location. Village board members will have to approve the new lease, she said.
Seward said he is looking forward to the move and that the restaurant will serve up the favorites customers have come to enjoy over the last 12 years.
“It’s just Duke’s going indoors,” he said. “Everything else is going to be the same.”
He does have plans to add a few new features, like an indoor smoker and live music. Seward also organizes a popular summer blues festival that started in East Dundee nine years ago and has since moved to a larger venue in Carpentersville.
Seward said he hopes to have the new location open by the summer. He also plans to run a sandwich shop out of the caboose until it is relocated. The caboose will eventually need to moved as redevelopment plans in the downtown area progress. Trustees, however, hope to find a new home for the caboose elsewhere in the downtown district near the bike trail, trustee Kathleen Mahony said.
Van’s Frozen Custard continues to offer the same menu at its new location, but Ocasio hopes to add some new items in the future.
Ocasio said the new building offers more seating space, a larger kitchen, more parking spaces and a drive-through option.
The custard shop is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. In the spring, the custard shop plans to be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.