Des Plaines city council approves liquor license for 50-year-old eatery

Romano's Italian Restaurant and Lounge in Des Plaines, which opened its doors nearly 50 years ago and was facing foreclosure this summer, will stay open after all.

The Des Plaines city council on Monday night granted a liquor license to the eatery at 1396 East Oakton St., near Center Street.

Romano's has been at that location since the early 1950s. Before that, it was a tavern on Lee Street in downtown Des Plaines.

The eatery closed briefly after letting its liquor license lapse on June 30, Des Plaines Mayor Marty Moylan said.

"We had to grant them a special (use) license for approximately 15 days" to continue operating, Moylan said. "They are well-known in the community."

The restaurant's 66-year-old owner Chuck Romano spent a good part of the summer saying goodbye to his loyal customers.

A lien filed on the Romano property in 2008 after a dispute over payment of taxes. The lien was removed after Romano reached a deal with the bank to pay $525,000, but later the bank asked for more money, which started the foreclosure proceedings.

Romano could not be reached for comment Monday.

Moylan said the restaurateur has reached a deal with his lender and then applied for the new city liquor license, which was granted Monday.

The Des Plaines restaurant is now open with a full bar and has new hours of operation 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday, and closed on Mondays.

Moylan said the owner also is planning to open a second location in a Rosemont shopping center off Higgins Road between Mannheim and River roads.