Octopus flower and alligator tenderloin: Wild Fork specialty grocer coming to Buffalo Grove
Buffalo Grove diners may soon have a go-to place for cooked octopus flower, elk medallions and alligator tenderloins.
Those are some of the more intriguing items offered by Wild Fork, a specialty grocer that sells frozen meat, seafood and prepared foods.
Wild Fork is one of the prospective tenants of a 10,000-square-foot building proposed for an outlot of the new Northwest Community Healthcare medical office building at 41 S. McHenry Road, near Lake-Cook Road.
Chicago-based GW Properties has the property under contract and has been talking with Buffalo Grove officials about developing it.
On Monday, the village board referred the proposal to the planning and zoning commission for further review.
If the board gives final approval, it would be the culmination of a three-year process that began when the village authorized the four-story, 70,000-square-foot medical office building and outlot.
In addition to Wild Fork, which would occupy about 4,000 square feet, the Veterinary Emergency Group is an expected tenant.
Wild Fork, which recently opened a location in Mount Prospect, states on its website that it has set out to "transform the way we shop for and consume meat."
Its concept is to control the process from farm to fork, providing the highest-quality meats at the most affordable prices.
Its products are available to buy in the store or for delivery or pickup.
With the nearby Jewel and another food store planned at The Clove project, the area around Lake-Cook Road and McHenry Road is shaping up to be a grocery hub.
Mitch Goltz, principal with GW Properties, told the village board Monday there will be up to three tenants in the outlot building.
"We are not seeking any variances, special uses or any relief or any subsidies. And we'll be collaborating with the hospital as well on design to make sure it incorporates into the larger development," he said.
If the project receives village approval, construction will begin this summer, Goltz said.