Egg Shells restaurant cracks into Lake Zurich

The owners of a new suburban restaurant say the economy did not spook their decision to open Egg Shells, a breakfast and lunch establishment.

In fact, it was the weak economy that drove the friends to launch the small Lake Zurich eatery, at 596 Route 22, where customers line up out the door on the weekends.

Max Decker, who has been in the restaurant industry for more than 40 years, was looking for work when the Libertyville restaurant he managed closed recently. And Craig Greenlee, a Verizon agent at a store in the same strip mall, was watching his business dwindle as the wireless phone company opened a corporate store across the street. Greenlee, an agent for 14 years, grew frustrated with the situation. He told his corporate bosses that he was "tired of walking on egg shells."

That's how the name for the new restaurant came about. Greenlee, worried about his future in sales, went to his car about five months ago and drew a picture of the plump cartoon chicken that is now the logo for the booming restaurant.

Decker's experience in the food industry coupled with Greenlee's sales and marketing skills, have been working at the restaurant that seats 32 inside and a few outside when the weather is nice.

"When you have good food, people will come," said Greenlee of Vernon Hills.

"The key is fresh," Decker points out.

To make freshness happen, he arrives at the restaurant at 4 a.m. daily to begin making doughnuts and cinnamon rolls, which have become a favorite.

"A woman just came in and bought a dozen of the rolls," Decker said Wednesday morning.

The cake and yeast-raised doughnuts sell for 69 cents each while the cinnamon rolls are $1.

"The doughnuts are light as a feather," the baker said.

Egg Shells, which opened during the last week of August, also sells bagels from the Bagel Bin in Deerfield and bread from Alsip-based Labriola Bakery.

"We only offer the best products and use the best ingredients," said Decker of Deerfield.

For example, he said they use only Yukon Gold potatoes in the hash browns and make their own batter for the pancakes.

The menu allows customers to order exactly what they want.

"We wanted people to have a choice. Customers can build their own sandwiches or omelets," said Decker, 63. Before launching the business, Decker was a manager of Grill 21 in Libertyville until the "economy closed it down," he said. Before that, he owned the Milwaukee Road house at the same Lake County location.

"The job market was tough," Decker said. He started making doughnuts for Didier Farms a few years ago.

He then came up with the restaurant idea and met with Greenlee to make it happen. They opened the restaurant in the vacant storefront that once housed a Mexican restaurant.

"We want to be different from everyone else here," Decker said.

The men are considering how to expand the bustling business. "We're taking baby steps," Decker added.

The eatery is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. For information, call (847) 719-3447.