More than a year after the former Bulldog Ale House abruptly closed in New Lenox, a new restaurant will open soon in the space within Bluestone Commons.
Owner Jimmy Kollintzas plans to open a New Lenox location of North & Maple Kitchen and Bar. While an official opening date has not been set, he said he is training staff and putting finishing touches on the space in preparation for a grand opening.
“I think there’s a lot of people that are excited that we’re opening there, and we just want to make sure we are able to serve them,” he said. “The date picks itself pretty much as soon as the staff is comfortable.”
After extensive renovations to bring the space at 2387 E. Joliet Highway up to par, Kollintzas said he is eager to open the doors.
“There’s a lot of work and renovations that we had to do to make the space operational, make it look good,” he said. “I think we did a great job. That building was in real bad shape.”
The North & Maple location in Tinley Park, which opened in 2021, has been well-received, Kollintzas said. He plans for the new location to feature a similar menu but with a slight twist in style, offering a more modern atmosphere compared to Tinley Park.
To prepare his staff in New Lenox, Kollintzas said he has conducted practice runs, inviting family members and staff from Tinley Park to provide feedback on the service, food and atmosphere.
“Casual class” is how Kollintzas describes the restaurant based on feedback from customers. It’s neither a sports bar nor a steakhouse, but rather a more refined yet approachable space where you can enjoy date night or hang out with family and friends while watching the game, he said.
“We got a lot of good feedback from these practice runs on the atmosphere and the vibe of the new location,” he said. “I think people took a liking to the ambience of it.”
Kollintzas took over the lease for the space in Bluestone Commons, off Joliet Highway, less than a month after the Bulldog Ale House closed unexpectedly in December 2023. The business had been a staple there for 10 years before shutting down with little notice and a note on the door announcing the closure as the “end of an era.”
Bulldog Ale House also closed it’s locations in North Aurora, Carol Stream and Bolingbrook, with only the Lansing store remaining, according to its website.
New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann said before Bulldog Ale House, it housed the Bluestone Bar and Grill. Both previous establishments attracted a late-night crowd, which was less than ideal given its proximity to a residential subdivision adjacent to the shopping center, he said.
“They had a crowd that was leaving at 2 in the morning, and Bulldog had a little bit of that too. So being so close to residential was kind of tough,” Baldermann said. “They had success both of them, but what North & Maple brings, the type of restaurant that they bring and the atmosphere that they have, we just think it’s a perfect fit for that location.”
Before making his way to the southwest suburbs, Kollintzas owned a diner on Chicago’s North Side, he said. But owning a small business in the city isn’t easy, he said, especially when renters like him can be forced out if a landlord decides to demolish the property for high-rise development, typically made possible by a clause in lease agreements that requires landlords to give just six months notice. Fearing the possibility of the loss of his lease, Kollintzas decided to close his diner and make the move south.
A few years after the move, he opened the first North & Maple restaurant in Tinley Park at 18401 North Creek Drive, where he said he has seen success in the early years of operation. The space, near Tinley Park’s entertainment area, saw two previous tenants — Ariels, an Irish bar that lasted just two years after opening in 2014, and Side Street Tavern, co-owned by Jimmy Kollintzas and his cousin Nick Kollintzas with Nick’s wife Aileen, which closed in 2021 before the space was converted into North & Maple.
North & Maple opened at 18401 North Creek Drive in Tinley Park in 2021. (Bob Bong / Daily Southtown)
With many customers from New Lenox already frequenting the Tinley Park location, Kollintzas saw an opportunity to expand. When a space opened up at Bluestone Commons, he didn’t hesitate.
“A lot of people are moving into that area,” he said. “People want to be there and raise a family, and we want to be part of that.”
Like the Tinley Park location, Kollintzas said the menu will offer “something for everyone,” with a wide variety of American staples including pork chops, steaks, pastas, flatbreads, cheese curds and tacos. To complement the menu, he said the restaurant will feature an extensive selection of bourbon, wine, draft and craft beers, and cocktails.
With the opening of Aji Sushi tentatively set for later this month, Baldermann said New Lenox is expanding its range of restaurants and cuisines, which will attract both businesses and residents.
“North & Maple will bring something a little bit different than we see in town,” he said. “It’ll be a great complement to the other restaurants that we have here.”
In the meantime, Kollintzas said he is actively hiring for the location and said it will be well worth the wait once it opens.
smoilanen@chicagotribune.com
