Show-Me's in Naperville already closes
A Naperville restaurant and sports bar that opened amid protests from some neighbors has shut its doors.
Show-Me's, a chain restaurant known for its scantily clad servers, closed its 1126 E. Ogden Ave. location Wednesday, according to Jay Madipadaga, one of the franchise investors.
He said there were mechanical problems with the building and issues with the restaurant's original manager, who was later replaced.
But he also said business wasn't what it could be, in part because of the controversy that preceded the restaurant's opening in February. Some nearby residents had argued Show-Me's would detract from Naperville's family-friendly reputation.
“I don't think we got a fair chance from people,” Madipadaga said. “But we didn't know a whole lot about the neighborhood, and that was probably our mistake.”
Madipadaga said he and business partner Deepak Patel didn't expect community opposition or controversy when they decided to invest in a Show-Me's franchise. By the time they put in almost $500,000, it was too late, he said.
“We wanted to show people in Naperville that this place was open for food, nice ambience and sports,” Madipadaga said. “We're seasoned businesspeople. We didn't have any interests to break down Naperville or have a sleazy business.”
City Manager Doug Krieger said there were fewer alcohol-related problems at Show-Me's than some anticipated. When the business opened, its liquor license was awarded with the caveat that closing time was midnight.
When business owners applied for a new license in April, city officials granted a standard Class B liquor license, permitting the business to stay open until 1 a.m. on weeknights and 2 a.m. on weekends. Officials said at the time that there had been no noise complaints.
Krieger said the business also complied with a city-imposed dress code provision, which required waitresses to wear at least cuffed shorts and a T-shirt.
“They were a good corporate citizen with respect to the business they did with the city,” Krieger said.
Patel, who owns an IT company and Indian restaurant in Schaumburg with Madipadaga, said they could open up another Show-Me's location somewhere, but they don't have immediate plans.
It's unknown what could replace Show-Me's at the Ogden Avenue location. A Famous Dave's barbecue previously was there.