Billy Bricks Pizza in Elgin reopens after death of owner
Billy Bricks Pizza in Elgin reopened Friday after being closed for just less than two weeks following the death of one of its owners, Frank Sibr.
Co-owner Phil Lencioni said the death of his partner and longtime friend was heartbreaking. He's been doing everything possible to reopen the restaurant at 64 S. Grove Ave. and carry on their vision, he said.
"Just because he's gone physically doesn't mean that our goals and his spirit doesn't live on," he said.
Sibr, 49, was found dead Aug. 3 in the apartment above the restaurant. A police report said he was found by a woman who identified herself as "a good friend" of Sibr's. She told police Sibr was a heavy drinker and had been hospitalized for health issues sometime around early May.
The cause of death remains undetermined pending further investigation, the Kane County coroner's office said Friday.
The two men had known each other for more than 35 years, Lencioni said. They met in high school when they played for the same soccer club and eventually became business partners, opening the Elgin franchise restaurant in the fall.
The parent company of their business is BFDM, which stands for "brothers from different mothers," he said.
Lencioni said he had to make "some financial decisions" before reopening the Elgin restaurant, which employs about 15 people, mostly part-timers. He was grateful for the outpouring of support from the community, including city officials and business owners, he said.
"We love the community and we are invested in it," he said, adding he plans to hold a "re-grand opening" at an undetermined date.
He is considering other ways to carry on Sibr's legacy.
Sibr left behind two young children, he said.
"(Sibr) would do anything for anybody," Lencioni said.