I have a friend who incessantly complains about Buffalo Grove.
And he doesn’t live
in the village, which makes it even more annoying.
However, his office
is in the land of the bison, so in his mind, it gives him fuel to whine about
things.
Like, for example,
lunch.
He contends that
lunch in Big Animal Grove is not like it was when his office was downtown. As in Chicago. As in the Loop.
OK, tell me something
I don’t know.
His malcontent may
soon be coming to a quick end, however, when the village fathers and mother approve
variances for the site which currently houses eSkape to accommodate a new venue
operated as “Brunswick’s”. Yes,
Brunswick’s -- not be confused with Brunswick, the company that runs bowling
alleys and pool rooms. Don’t be confused
because they’re one in the same.
Brunswick’s promises
to be a bit more upscale than its plain, ordinary Brunswick family centers
because my guess is Buffalo Grovians want to be more upscale.
This of course should
please my friend because there will be another place for him to dine. The concept of “Brunswick’s” is a new one and
is being tested out not only in Buffalo Grove, but also in the hub of Americana
– Georgia. Seriously. The folks who gave us automatic pin setters
are also working on similar operations in Marietta and Norcross, Georgia. We’re in good company folks.
No doubt newly sworn
in police chief, Steven Casstevens, is already at work planning changes to the
police department’s police vehicle to look more like NASCAR cars.
If the godfathers and
godmother give the OK, Brunswick’s hopes to open in October. In the meantime, they will no doubt plan an
all-out marketing blitz about the upscale menu and the bar inside, cleverly
named Tavern 45 (reflecting the year Brunswick was founded, 1845). For those of you with eclectic palates, you
will probably be thrilled to know that a signature item on Brunswick’s menu is,
and as Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up – a Bacon waffle sundae.
Really.
Or quite simply,
gross. I can deal with chocolate, nuts, bananas and licorice on a sundae – but
bacon? Fortunately I can’t eat it.
Despite finding
enough folks who will want to venture into the land of dead pig on a sundae,
the folks at Brunswick’s will need to keep an eye on another aspect of
business. Survival.
That’s not because it
seems like the location at the north end of Town Center is as about successful
as the Cubs’ bullpen or the Bears’ offensive line, but because as much as the
village welcomes a “name brand” facility, it continues to look at improving
commercial development in the village – as in instant downtown about a mile and
a half away.
If you recall the
original plan that was unveiled in August, much of what the developer
envisioned already exists in the village.
So the options for some business may be simple – duplicate or relocate.
Odds of a developer
proposing a second facility like eSkape-soon-to-be-Brunswick’s are slim
(maybe), but the village may be between a rock and a hard place as it strives
to attract badly needed commercial and retail operations. On one hand, they want to accommodate
potential new businesses. But on the
other hand, how do they tell potential merchants that they’re also working on
an instant central business district that may very well pose competition.
It’s a tough
call. However, there is one thing
Brunswick’s will have a lock on.
Bacon waffle sundaes.
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