Arlington Heights music venue hosts benefit for Gerry's Cafe

Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heights will host a benefit concert next week for a soon-to-come cafe that will hire people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The music venue/gastropub that opened last fall at 10 S. Vail Ave. hopes to raise $4,000 for Gerry's Cafe, which is in the planning and fundraising stages. Supporters are trying to raise enough money to lease and improve a space for a cafe and training facility, and Wintrust Bank has offered a matching grant of $100,000 for the first $100,000 raised.

Co-founders Natalie Griffin and Amy Philpott plan to hire, train and supervise about 30 adults, ages 22 and older, to work at the cafe, which will offer coffee, fresh baked pastries, breakfast and lunch.

"Our friends working on the cafe have put in a ton of work and we really want to see this project come to life," Hey Nonny co-owner Chris Dungan said in a news release.

On Tuesday, July 16, Hey Nonny will open its doors at 6:30 p.m., with rock cover band Jahli Llama set to perform at 7:30 p.m. Premiere table seats are $45 and all other tickets are $30.

To purchase tickets, visit heynonny.com. All ticket sales will go to Gerry's Cafe.