Buffalo Grove's Village Bar & Grill could get makeover with Southern feel
Operators of the Village Bar & Grill at the Buffalo Grove Golf Course want to rebrand the restaurant to offer a taste of Southern hospitality.
Architect Jim Bolender said the restaurant at 48 Raupp Blvd. would be renamed The Still, taking the name from another restaurant run by the same management group, Tap Room Hospitality.
Bolender described the concept as a family restaurant with a Southern feel.
"We want to take you back to down in the Southern states, kind of a backwoods area, a little bit, in a relaxed and family friendly environment," he told trustees during Monday's committee of the whole meeting.
Tap Room's lease with the village, which owns the building, runs out at the end of the year, Village Manager Dane Bragg said. The board didn't take any action and it was unclear where the village would solicit other proposals for when the lease expires.
Under the proposal, the floor plan would remain the same, but the interior, including the bar area, would be redesigned. There would also be a gaming area.
"Moonshine equipment" would be mounted on the walls in the dining and banquet area.
Jim Leo, managing partner at Tap Room Hospitality, told trustees the audio and video in the banquet area would be upgraded for events and business meetings.
The estimated time to complete the work is 60 to 75 days. Bolender said the construction budget would be $100,000.
Trustee Andrew Stein asked what type of market research was done to prove the concept would work in Buffalo Grove. Bolender noted the success of the facility in Bartlett, which, he said, has been open for several years.
Leo said the Bartlett restaurant has a fun menu that would be brought to Buffalo Grove. It includes ribs, chicken waffles, the moonshine burger, pulled pork and the "hillbilly steak sandwich," which he said is "our version of a fried bologna sandwich."
Trustee Joanne Johnson said the $100,000 budget seems low for such a large space. Bolender said there would not be a lot of construction needed, and lighting and flooring would be the most expensive items.