Old Arlington Heights restaurant site serves up bites of a different sort
An Arlington Heights building that once served pizza and pasta is now officially home to a business that specializes in different kinds of bites.
Nak4 Orthodontics' new home at 602 W. Northwest Hwy. has been transformed from the former Clementi's Pizzeria & Bar into something that more resembles a Colorado ski lodge than a dentist's office.
Take the large fireplace in the waiting room lobby. Or the hand-carved, reclaimed wood reception desk.
It's all part of what officials call a "cozy, rustic" interior.
"One of our core values is that we treat patients like family," owner Dr. Bryan Nakfoor said. "There's no place I'd rather be than sitting around a fireplace with my family. I really wanted to emulate that feeling here."
As the pandemic took hold a year ago, Nakfoor was in the midst of packing up and moving his practice from 102 S. Dunton Ave., where he spent close to a decade. And while he did complete the relocation into the fully-renovated space on Northwest Highway, it wasn't until recently that he formally celebrated the move.
Mayor Tom Hayes and village trustees helped Nakfoor and his staff tie a ribbon on the new location June 10, marking the anniversary of the practice in its new location.
From the outside, the building bares little resemblance to the old restaurant, now with a bright white exterior and contrasting blue trim. A connecting paver patio is illuminated at night by built-in lanterns.
Nakfoor also has an office at 101 S. Washington Ave. in Park Ridge, and this spring took over Schuberth Orthodontics' office at 50 Ela St. in downtown Barrington.