Brunch eatery with Southern twist to fill old Eros Restaurant spot in Arlington Heights
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of restaurant owner Arry Marinakos' name.
A breakfast and lunch spot with a Southern twist will open this summer in the Arlington Heights restaurant space left vacant by Eros Restaurant nearly four years ago.
The pandemic delayed the plans of restaurant partners Steve Fotos, Frank Georgacopoulos and Arry Marinakos to open their Southern Kitchen restaurant in the Arlington Market shopping center at Kensington Road and Dryden Place, where the popular Eros closed in 2018 after 35 years in business. But the trio was finally ready to appear before the village board this week for a liquor license as they finish renovations on the 5,000-square-foot space.
"We looked at it pre-pandemic. We were going to sit down and sign (a lease) in March of that year when everything happened. So we ended up holding off and backing off the deal," Fotos said.
Fotos learned of the available site from Barrington Hills businessman Rick Heidner, whose Heidner Properties management firm owns the shopping center.
"They reached out to us about eight months ago and said, 'You know, it's still open if you're interested,'" Fotos said. "So we cut a deal and came to Arlington Heights."
The restaurateurs operate a successful chain of brunch locales throughout the suburbs, like Southern Belle's Pancake House locations in Barrington, Bedford Park, Carpentersville, Plainfield and Yorkville, and The Southern Cafe in Roselle and St. Charles, among other eateries. They even operate a banquet hall.
The proposed menu in Arlington Heights will be similar - breakfast staples like eggs, pancakes and waffles - but also signature specialties like biscuits, shrimp and grits, and jambalaya.
There won't be a full bar, but the class A liquor license granted by the village board Monday night will allow the restaurant to serve mimosas and Bloody Mary's that complement the diner fare.
"There's almost like a desert over there when it comes to restaurants," Trustee John Scaletta said of the area on the village's east side. "There's a lot of people that would enjoy being able to walk to enjoy breakfast or lunch."
Trustee Jim Tinaglia agreed that the eatery would be a valuable addition to the neighborhood.
"I grew up here working at the Jewel that was over in that shopping center. (Eros) has been a staple of the community for so long," Tinaglia said. "It's wonderful to see you guys with all of your experience and all of your history to come and take it to that store and make something really great happen."
The owners said they plan to begin the hiring process for 14 to 18 positions at the end of the month, and aim to open sometime after Father's Day.
Restaurant hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. There's currently no plans to offer dinner service.