Popular Hoffman Estates eatery looks to make West Dundee home for second location

A popular Hoffman Estates eatery hopes to make West Dundee home for their second restaurant.

Gary and Jeanne Taylor, owners of The Assembly Bar & Café, say they hope to turn the shuttered Chili's restaurant on Route 72 into their second restaurant. The deal is still in the works, but the couple hopes to have the location in time to bring their famous burgers to West Dundee late this year or early 2023.

"We're very excited at the prospect of being in West Dundee," said Jeanne Taylor.

The restaurant addition would be the latest in an effort to revitalize the area around Spring Hill Mall.

"You have a very tested and experienced restaurateur that has elected to make a significant investment in the area," West Dundee Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said, adding that talks about the restaurant coming to the village began last fall. "That just continues to fuel that positive redevelopment energy that needs to keep rolling to get the larger pieces to move forward."

The Hoffman Estates restaurant first opened in the late 1970s, and the Taylors came on board as owners in 1994, after buying the restaurant from the former owners.

"We are iconically known for our burgers and ribs," said Gary Taylor, adding that he and his wife want to expand the restaurant's footprint and bring their food to customers in West Dundee.

The Hoffman Estates restaurant features a grill at the bar, where customers can watch their burgers sizzle over the grill. The menu features a variety of burgers, all starting with a 10-ounce patty. The most popular burger on the menu, known as the bionic burger, is topped with grilled onions, bacon and cheese.

"It's definitely a staple," Gary Taylor said of the burger.

Most weeks, the restaurant regularly goes through more than 1,000 pounds of beef serving up the famous burgers to eager customers. Busier weeks can see the restaurant go through 2,000 pounds or more of ground beef.

The Taylors have won a variety of competitions for their burgers and ribs. Their winning fare was the inspiration for a restaurant T-shirt that says, "Winning never gets old."

The Assembly's restaurant menu also features homemade desserts, including a two-tone cheesecake that uses a recipe handed down from Taylor's grandmother.

While eager to open in West Dundee, the couple still has to finalize plans. The couple has a contract to purchase the former Chili's restaurant, which closed in 2019. Building plans and construction costs are still being finalized, though the couple said they are intent on having a large outdoor dining area and live music at the West Dundee location.

"We've always enjoyed live music, and that's something we want to bring to our new venue," Gary Taylor said.

Cavallaro, who favors The Assembly's bionic chicken sandwich, said that the shuttered Chili's restaurant needs repairs to bring it into compliance with the building code. He anticipates the village board will offer a tax incentive to help make the project possible.