Chili’s Grill and Bar, a longtime family restaurant chain in Homer Glen, closed its doors this month, but village officials hope the building doesn’t stay vacant too long.
No development has been proposed, but officials highlighted both the restaurant’s location in a busy commercial plaza as well as the strong business climate in Homer Glen.
“I have no worries that it won’t be scooped up,” Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said.
She praised village Economic Development Director Janie Patch for the village’s success.
Patch said the village has a 1.9% vacancy rate, which is “super low.”
“When you are more than 98% occupied, you are in good shape,” she said. “We’ve had a steady stream of new businesses. We’ve been filling spaces.”
Already, a lease has been signed for the former Chinese restaurant, the Orient Cafe, 14108 S. Bell Road, which closed Oct. 31 when the owners retired. Village officials are working with new owners to bring a Vietnamese restaurant, TeaPho, to that site. No opening date has been announced.
The Village Board last week voted to decrease the number of liquor licenses that were held by both Chili’s and the Orient Cafe, a typical practice when a business with a liquor license closes.
A Chili’s in Plainfield also recently closed.
The Orient Cafe, a Chinese restaurant at 14108 S. Bell Road, Homer Glen, closed Oct. 31. A lease has been signed to bring a Vietnamese restaurant to the site. No opening date has been announced. (Michelle Mullins/for the Daily Southtown)
Homer Glen is actively recruiting businesses for a restaurant use that will take over its Chili’s location, 14025 S. Bell Road, Patch said.
“We will be happy to work with (new owners) and get them through the process as efficiently as possible,” she said.
Patch said the Chili’s has an ideal location on the busy Bell Road commercial corridor near some major big box stores such as Meijer, Home Depot, Jewel-Osco and Menards.
“It’s got great traffic and high visibility and a lot of people shop in that area on a daily basis,” Patch said. “I don’t know of a better, more central location. It’s right on the 50-yard line.”
The village markets its vacant spaces through direct recruitment methods, Patch said. Village officials work with a network of broker, business and corporate contacts, talk with other municipalities and attend trade shows all in efforts to recruit, Patch said.
Patch said while the low vacancy rate showcases the village’s strong business climate right now, it is also hard to help different businesses find space to start a venture or relocate.
The village is working with a number of businesses that are investing in Homer Glen, including Dunkin’, Remedies Express Care, LiveStrong Therapy, Subway and Water Street Boutique, she said.
Water Street Boutique recently announced its opening on social media and other businesses are in various stages of completion.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
