Wheeling location of Boston Fish Market expected to open by March
A second location of the popular Des Plaines Boston Fish Market is expected to open on Wheeling's Restaurant Row by March, officials said Monday.
Wheeling liquor control commissioners Monday night unanimously approved a Class A liquor license for the restaurant and retail location slated for the old Pete Miller's Seafood & Steak at 412 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Boston Fish Market owner Louis Psihogios says the new location, which he recently bought for $2.4 million, is expected to have space for more than 400 patrons and will employee more than 100 people.
Crews are cleaning up the 227,685-square-foot property, replacing tile and installing showcases for fresh fish, Psihogios said Monday. Patrons will have the option of buying fresh fish to take home and cook or experiencing fine dining in the restaurant.
Wheeling Village President Dean Argiris said it's been difficult keeping the Boston Fish Market deal a secret for the past three months. Village trustees echoed Argiris' excitement for the new business.
"We were ecstatic when we learned you were coming to town," Trustee Ken Brady said.
The Wheeling location will operate in addition to the Des Plaines location at 1225 Forest Ave.
The Des Plaines plan commission approved a 2,400-square-foot addition and outdoor patio seating for Boston Fish Market in October 2015. The plans the fish market submitted to the city's community and economic development department didn't match what the plan commission had approved.
Boston Fish Market has yet to pick up revised plans the city approved a few weeks ago, according to Des Plaines City Manager Mike Bartholomew. Psihogios says those expansion plans are "on hold right now."