Paint store to banquet hall? Bartlett weighs proposal

The Bartlett village board heard a proposal Tuesday for a new banquet hall that would in an old Benjamin Moore store.

Nico Scardino said he would like to open Labella Banquets at 810 S. Route 59 in the Bartlett Commons Shopping Center.

Like other banquet halls, the facility will be used for family parities, dinner rehearsals, baptisms or business meetings, he said. But there will be no kitchen and all food for the events must be catered by outside restaurants.

“If you go to a normal banquet hall you’re stuck with their food,” he said. “This is going be a facility that they’re just renting the space, and it would allow them to, with any restaurant they want to, cater in.”

Scardino is proposing a 144-seat facility that could be divided into two rooms and open from 8 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., Friday through Saturday. He would also like to obtain a permit for live entertainment so patrons can have bands or DJs at their events.

Trustee T.L. Arends said she had some concerns about how close the facility is to residential areas if live music is allowed.

“That’s a good point, because one of the neighbors has already contacted us, wanting to know what’s going on,” said community development director Jim Plonczynski.