'Food Court Wars' eatery closing in West Dundee
Winning a Food Network show wasn't enough to save a West Dundee mall eatery from closing, but its owners say they are working on opening a new spot in Chicago.
Taco in a Bag, which opened in March 2014 at Spring Hill Mall after winning "Food Court Wars," will be closing when its lease ends Feb. 28, co-owner Tim Brown said. He and his business partner, Patrick Bertoletti, live in Chicago.
Despite getting the space rent-free as part of its win, the innovative menu of homemade nachos and toppings in a single bag was just not the right fit for a mall, where established or up-and-coming brands do much better, Brown said.
"When people go to a mall, people want something that they are used to - a big slice of pizza, a pretzel. Something new, or a light twist on gourmet doesn't have a place there," he said. "I can't even tell you the stink eye I'd get from people. They'd look (at the menu), they wouldn't understand it and they'd walk right by it."
"Food Court Wars" typically picks struggling malls that can benefit from publicity from the show, but that also means that the winning eateries that open there face an uphill battle, Brown said. It's common for winners not to make it past the first year in business, he said.
"Would we have done a little bit better at Woodfield (Mall) or Old Orchard (Mall)? Yeah, of course," he said. "But that's not the trade-off."
A Food Network spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
After winning the show, the Food Network pretty much leaves the eatery owners to fend for themselves without any preparation or advice for the owners about future expense planning, for example, Brown said. "We put all our money into this thing - every last bit. And they kind of left us there."
Spring Hill Mall representatives, however, we very helpful and accommodating, Brown added.
Rouse Properties, which owns and operates the mall, said in a statement that it plans to lease the space to a tenant that will be "a good fit."
"As with any mall location, we do occasionally experience tenant turnover. It's common in the retail industry for concepts to come and go," the statement said.
Brown said he and his partner have garnered $110,000 from two investors and hope to open a new location in Chicago.
No matter how it turned out, Brown said, he's glad for the experience.
"This year has been hard but I don't think you gain anything unless you go through the fire," he said. "Would I want to do it again? No. But I'm glad I did. It was a learning experience."