Pub 72 in Gilberts wants to add outdoor sand volleyball

The owners of a bar/restaurant in Gilberts said they want to add an outdoor sand volleyball court, just like they did successfully at their establishment in St. Charles.

Pub 72 Bar & Grill co-owners Brian Zirlin and Tom Trier said they already have interest from customers and people who want to play in volleyball leagues. "All we're hearing is, 'When are you going to do it?'" Trier said.

Zirlin and Trier co-own the business at 38 E. Higgins Road with Trier's son, Mike Trier. They bought it in 2014, remodeled it and added an outdoor deck. The court would be built on a grassy lot at the corner of Higgins Road and Railroad Street, down the street from Pub 72.

The three partners also own The Evergreen Pub & Grill in St. Charles, which they bought in 2015 and where they built a sand volleyball court that has been "a smash," Zirlin said.

"It's growing every year. This is our third full season with league nights every night. It's bringing a lot of people to the community," he said. "This is the same thing we hope to accomplish with Pub 72 - get more people to come out to the town and bring more notice to Gilberts. It's a great place to visit."

Tom Trier said he bought the grassy lot on Higgins Road in Gilberts and the adjacent property with a house next to Pub 72.

The Gilberts plan commission will hold a public hearing Aug. 14 and make a recommendation about granting a special use permit for the sand volleyball court. If everything goes smoothly, the village board is expected to cast a final vote on that by the Sept. 3 meeting, Village Administrator Brian Bourdeau said.

Building the sand volleyball court would take no more than two weeks, so the hope is to be done by mid-September, the owners of Pub 72 said. "As soon as they approve it, we'll get notices out to the teams to hopefully have six or seven weeks of fall league," Zirlin said.

Establishments across the suburbs have outdoor sand volleyball courts, including The Outpost Tavern less than five miles away in Pingree Grove. Zirlin and Trier said they are not worried about that.

"So many people are asking for it," Zirlin said. "I think everyone will do well."