Island-inspired patio coming to Mezé Mediterraneo restaurant in Schaumburg
Mezé Mediterráneo restaurant in Schaumburg plans to further embrace its cultural influences this summer with the construction of an elaborate outdoor patio inspired in part by the architecture of the Greek island of Santorini.
General Manager Jennifer Scarpelli said the goal of the 2,725-square-foot addition is to enhance the vibe of the existing restaurant and its menu at 680 Mall Drive and make it even more of a destination distinct from nearby Woodfield Mall and Streets of Woodfield.
“You come into Mezé and you feel like you're on vacation,” Scarpelli said. “We do understand the want and need to dine outdoors. It's getter harder to accommodate people with eight tables outside.”
Though there is an existing patio at the 40-year-old building that began its life as a Red Lobster in the 1980s, the new addition will create outdoor seating for another 56 patrons.
The new patio is expected to be completed at the end of August or early September, just as Mezé is nearing its third anniversary on the site. With its heated floor, stone-based fire feature and walls just tall enough to block the wind, the patio is planned to be in service for at least eight months a year, Scarpelli said.
The outdoor area also will have its own entrance from the parking lot and an arched gateway with a Gothic-style wooden door. Even with alfresco dining having grown in popularity during the pandemic, there will be nothing else like it in Schaumburg, Scarpelli said.
Village trustees approved the construction this week. Even though it will cost the restaurant 15 parking spaces on the north side of the building, the lot is significantly larger than needed and valet parking will be available to patrons who choose it, Scarpellis said.
As more people are dining out again, Mezé is on the lookout for more employees.
“We're a family,” Scarpelli said. “We worked through COVID. We've been fighting for this and working for this for so very long.”