Spartan Ale House owners thrilled with choice of Naperville for second location
When the owners of the Spartan Ale House decided to open a second location, they didn't need to look far.
Building on the success they've seen in Aurora, Ron Woerman and Michael Poulakidas targeted a spot in Naperville they'd driven past dozens of times. A few weeks ago they opened the new Spartan Ale House at 3032 English Rows Ave., just south of 103rd Street on Route 59.
Offering the same formula of food, drinks and nearly two dozen television screens, the second Spartan Ale House already has attracted a following from those in the neighborhood and others who are familiar with the Aurora restaurant.
The Naperville location was Tommy Nevin's Pub for about a decade, and then Pete Miller's Steakhouse for a few years. Woerman and Poulakidas jumped on the chance to buy the building after it sat dormant.
“We've always liked that building,” Woerman said. “It was for sale for a while, but once it finally got to the price that would work for us, we grabbed it. We've had our eye on expansion.”
Woerman and Poulakidas, whose family has run O'Malley's Pub and Eatery in Aurora for years, opened the original Spartan Ale House in 2016 on Prairie Street in Aurora. It was the first time they'd built a restaurant from the ground up, completely transforming a former drugstore.
For the Naperville location, however, they didn't need to do much to the structure of the building because it already was in good shape. The air conditioning was fixed, they lightened up the floors and replaced kitchen equipment, and chairs and tables in the dining room.
“I equate it to when you buy a house,” Woerman said. “You want to change the paint colors, the carpets, things like that. But structurally it was fine.”
They have 20 flat screens set up in addition to a large-screen TV. There's a private room available for parties that seats about 30, and a patio with a bar that seats another 80 people.
The menu offers the standard burgers, nachos and wings. But in a Mediterranean twist, the eatery also has lollipop lamb chops and kebabs.
More than anything, though, Woerman and Poulakidas want to provide a friendly and familiar atmosphere.
“We liked the concept and we thought it would work well in other places,” Woerman said. “To me, good food and good service at a good price goes a long way.
“Everyone serves a Miller Lite or Bud Light and a burger and stuff like that,” he said. “You have to provide an experience as well, and we do that.”