Craft beer store/cafe plans to open in downtown Arlington Heights
A craft beer retail store and tasting cafe is proposed to open next spring in downtown Arlington Heights as the second location of a small business that launched two years ago in Park Ridge.
Beer on the Wall, which offers a dozen rotating drafts and some 600 bottles and cans for on-site consumption or take-away at 106 Main St. in Park Ridge, plans to lease space for another location at 2 N. Dunton Ave. in Arlington Heights.
Village trustees on Monday night approved the issuance of three liquor licenses for the business, allowing for the sale of packaged liquor, on-site beer and wine consumption, and alcohol tastings.
“Our model seems to work well in Park Ridge where they have good commuter traffic and a young family demographic,” said owner and general manager Ryan Tracy, who has sought somewhere along the Metra train line for his second beer shop. “There's a fair number of Arlington Heights residents who hop off the train and come in the store, unwind for one, then hop back on the train.”
Despite the presence of other bars and restaurants in downtown Arlington Heights, Tracy said he thinks his business will fill a unique role.
“Because the world doesn't need any more sports bars, we feel we have a little bit of a niche and different vibe,” he told village board members.
Like in Park Ridge, beer will be served in Arlington Heights in 4-, 8- and 12-ounce draft pours, ranging in price from $2 to $12.
Tracy says he plans to upgrade food service at both locations, giving them “more of a restaurant feel and less of a bar feel.” Food items will range from breakfast sandwiches to baked goods, soups to paninis, and pizza by the slice to charcuterie.
Trustee John Scaletta said he was pleased with the layout and atmosphere of the Park Ridge location when he visited over the summer.
“It was basically like a coffee shop, but they were selling beer,” Scaletta said. “It was very calm. It was very quiet there.”
Mayor Tom Hayes, who also serves as the village's liquor control commissioner, added: “I like to hear calm associated with a place that seels alcohol.”
Hours are scheduled to be 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Beer on the Wall has a lease for the corner store until 2024, in a spot that housed Flaherty Jewelers for 68 years until the jeweler relocated in 2015.