Will cricket-focused eatery join Wheeling’s Restaurant Row?

Plans for a proposed restaurant that would feature cricket simulators will be presented for a public hearing Wednesday in Wheeling.

Wheeling’s plan commission, which advises the village board on development issues, will hold the hearing for the business dubbed 604 The Arena. It’s proposed for the former Buca di Beppo, 604 N. Milwaukee Ave.

The business would serve food and have a bar and lounge area, cricket simulators and space for private events.

Resembling baseball, cricket is a centuries-old English sport that’s played around the world. Its popularity is growing in the Chicago area as the South Asian immigrant population rises here.

A special-use permit and building code variations have been requested, as well as permission for a building addition and facade improvements.

A real estate investment company called Hamro Investment Group is behind the plan, which first was publicized in May 2025. The building, which is on Wheeling’s Restaurant Row, has been vacant since Buca di Beppo closed in 2023.

The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. at village hall, 2 Community Blvd. It will be livestreamed on the village’s YouTube channel, @wheelingiltv.