Latest news with #Bev's
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
The George, an old-fashioned tavern, to pay homage to Naperville's famous Georges
Dave Miller and Will Cullen are so certain they have a winner on their hands, they have sunk about a million dollars of their own money into a new tavern they're opening in downtown Naperville. The George — historical references explained later — is at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Washington Street. That's where Bev's was for a couple of years and where Jimmy's Grill had been for 24. Over the years, the site has also been home to a diner called The Landmark, a piano store run by Bev Patterson Frier, 94, who still owns part of the building, a gas station and a car dealership. The building itself needed sprucing up, said Miller, adding, 'from afar, it always looked decrepit.' He and Cullen are hoping their vision changes that. The patio from Jimmy's remains and is receiving major upgrades worth about $250,000, Miller said. Highlights are a fire pit made with bricks from old Chicago streets and a $125,000 pergola with louvers that can be moved to provide sun on nice days and cover when it rains. Speakers, large fans and LED lighting will be part of the patio experience. 'The patio, we understand, is a draw,' Miller said. 'So why don't we spend money on the patio and really dress it up? All these windows will open up into the bar.' The unlikely business partnership of Miller, 52, who owns a catering business in Lisle, and Cullen, 41, an owner of Empire Burgers + Brew down the street, started last year. After Bev's closed, Cullen called Miller and asked, 'What should I do with this?' Cullen's Empire Restaurant Group owns part of the property, Miller said. Miller suggested subleasing to another restaurant group and Cullen found one. But he didn't want to lose the property. 'I told him, what if we just gutted it. We redo everything, floor to ceiling, but we don't try to sell a $58 steak, a $50 salmon … None of our entrees will cost more than $32,' Miller said. For example, there will be 20 wines sold by the glass and the most expensive will be $16. Their partnership is named Ciller Concepts LLC. 'It's Miller with a 'C' for Cullen,' Miller said. 'We used Will's vision for the windows, doors, the pergola. We used a lot of my vision for the furniture, the bar design, refacing the exterior,' Miller said. Right now, the interior looks like development mayhem with a ladders lining a wall, a bar covered with a tarp and concrete floors bare. Despite appearances, the business is on schedule for the projected Labor Day weekend opening, Miller said. 'Our goal for this is we're not hitting the college kids,' he said. 'We're not hitting the Miller Lite crowd or whatever. We want it to be a gathering place for families, for friends, for business associates.' A lot of work has been done on the interior, which was basically torn down to the studs. 'For the most part, our biggest challenge was the plumbing,' he said. 'It was all 60 years old. Lead pipes. When we got in, it was horrifying. We had to replace everything.' They budgeted $20,000 on plumbing and spent about $70,000, he said. A custom-built $60,000 L-shaped bar will be in the room nearest the patio. In a nod to the past, they kept the old bar from Jimmy's and are refurbishing it for a back room that will be called The Pontiac Lounge. 'Will has a photo of a 1963 Pontiac GTO parked in the front (where the patio is). I have a vintage Pontiac myself, a 1979 Trans Am. … Will said let's have the most beautiful, soft seating lounge Naperville has ever seen,' Miller said. The lounge also will have a new fireplace along with 'vintage furniture, super comfortable' that's ready to be moved in, he said. A signature drink, the Carillon Old-Fashioned, will serve two, Miller said. It's name, of course, a nod to one of Naperville's iconic landmarks. As for the name, Miller said 'The George' is taken from a London tavern with the same name, a moniker they both liked. 'Then, Will and I and our wives — our wives had a lot to do with this — we're in Big Sky, Montana, skiing over Christmas. 'We just happened to be at a super rustic vintage Montana resort tavern. They have the coolest eclectic tavern,' he said. They liked what they saw and are bringing elements of that 'Montana, Americana tavern' to their new business. 'My wife found The George in London (online). We love the London design features. We looked at each other. 'The George, we love it.'' And, they love the historic nature of the name. 'Will suggested we honor George Pradel, the late mayor. George Pradel gave the blessing when Josie and I got married 22 years ago. … I have a lot of respect and love for our old mayor. 'There will be some touchpoints to George Pradel in our restaurant,' he said. Miller then reached out to Naper Settlement, seeking vintage photos to use in the restaurant. He learned about George Martin, of the Martin Mansion, who 'made his fortune digging the Naperville quarries for limestone to rebuild Chicago after the fire.' 'Then you know Knoch Park. George Knoch Jr. owned a cigar store but father was one of the first U.S. circuit court judges, George Knoch Sr. from Naperville. 'George Laird was the one who constructed and built the Pre-Emption House, the first tavern and hotel in Naperville,' Miller said. 'We are taking vintage Naperville heritage,' he said, 'and we are bringing it back alive with The George.' The plan is for the tavern to be a mainstay in downtown for many years. Miller conceded it's a hard business, but he is confident. Bev's, which opened in early 2022, only lasted until December 2024, in part, Cullen told the Naperville Sun, because of road and bridge construction downtown that recently ended. When Jimmy's Grill closed in October 2021 after 24 years, it was acquired by Cullen's Empire Restaurant Group with plans for a more upscale Cali's, but that did not happen. The George will create about 55 jobs, Miller said. A number of high-profile positions are being filled by people who formerly worked at Catch 35, which this summer closed after 21 years in downtown Naperville. 'We took the cream of the crop from Catch 35. Their senior management team will be our senior management team. Our investors are very happy,' Miller said. 'We ventured out on a limb and did not borrow any money, which makes it more terrifying,' he said. 'But between Will's confidence and my confidence, we're going to crush it.'
Axios
13-06-2025
- General
- Axios
Bev's Bagels brings bold schmears to Detroit
A new bagel shop with adventurous flavors and carefully crafted sandwiches opened last month in the old Detroit Institute of Bagels space on Grand River Avenue. The big picture: Before opening in Detroit, well-known chef and cookbook author Max Sussman started Bev's Bagels as a pop-up in Ann Arbor during the pandemic, Eater Detroit reported. The bagels are cooked traditionally — shaped by hand, refrigerated overnight, then boiled and finished in the oven. The vibe: Bev's has the feel of a modern diner. Customers can watch their bagels being assembled from bar-style seating. What to try: Bev's serves traditional bagel varieties (sesame, plain and poppy seed, to name a few) and more adventurous choices (spicy furikake, za'atar and pumpernickel-everything). Cream cheese flavors include lox and chive, za'atar and Kalamata olive, chili crisp and blueberry balsamic. 🥯 What Joe ordered: I kept it simple on my first visit last week and got a sesame bagel with a schmear of plain cream cheese ($5). I prefer heavy cream cheese on my bagels. But this one was so overloaded that I had to wipe away a little while eating. There are worse problems to have. Yesterday, I debated getting the smoked whitefish sandwich ($14) before deciding on the tuna melt, topped with cheddar, salt and vinegar chips and "a zesty sprinkle" on a poppy seed bagel ($13). The sandwich was excellent and surprisingly easy to eat. Hastily made tuna salad can be runny, but Bev's tuna melt left no mess. I'll be ordering it again.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bev's Bagels opens in Detroit's Core City with chewy, crisp bagels and diner vibes
After an early May soft opening, Detroit's new spot for bagels that started as a pop-up and grew to a loyal following officially opened its brick-and-mortar home. In Detroit's Core City is the beloved Bev's Bagels from Max Sussman, a Huntington Woods native and James Beard Award semifinalist. Now open seven days a week and billed as a 'bagel diner,' Bev's Bagels, named after Sussman's grandmother, pairs Jewish bagel traditions in a diner setting. Various bagels are offered paired with wild-caught fish, schmears and as inventive sandwiches. 'Our standards at Bev's are probably a little obsessive, but that's the only way I know how to do it,' says Sussman. Sussman says he's 'spent years chasing the perfect bagel' and found it using 'organic ingredients, wild fish, and a product that makes you actually feel good.' Chewy and crisp are what Bev's Bagels signature bagels are noted for. Bagels are $2.50 each, or $5 for a bagel and schmear. A baker's dozen of bagels is $30. Bev's Bagels menu includes: Bagel varieties include plain, salt, sesame, everything, pumpernickel, pumpernickel everything, za'atar, poppy seed, cinnamon raisin and spicy furikake. Pizza bialy and salt sticks. Cream cheese schmear flavors are green goddess, chili crisp, roasted garlic and scallion, pimento cheddar, za'atar and olive cream cheese, plus classics like plain, lox & chive, and a vegan alternative. Bev's Bagels sandwiches ($10-$15) include those with salmon, whitefish, tuna and even one called the 'Healthy Elvis' with peanut butter, banana and ham. Breakfast bagel sandwiches are with a fried egg or scrambled eggs with lox and onions, according to the shops online menu, are $8-$14. Sussman also plans to introduce a rotating seasonal bagel variety. The interior of Bev's Bagels, designed by Chelsea Hyduk, leans more to a diner feel than a bagel shop and is centered around a counter with 10 barstools and with open-kitchen views, according to a news release. 'When we designed Bev's, I wanted it to feel like the kind of place that's always been there,' Sussman said. 'I've always loved diners, where you can sit at the counter, chat with the cook, and feel like a regular the first time you walk in. That's the energy we're bringing to bagels.' Sussman is a cookbook author along with his brother, Eli, and is known for his work in New York's culinary scene at Roberta's and The Breslin. In 2012, Sussman was named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award Rising Star Chef of the Year in New York. Bev's Bagels began in 2023 out of Sussman's house and has since attracted a cult-like following. More recently, the pop-up has been taking place at the Argus Café on Packard in Ann Arbor. At Bev's, customers can sip on Ann Arbor-based Roos Roast drip coffee and a selection of non-alcoholic drinks including those from Detroit's own Casamara Club. While Bev's Bagels had a early May soft launch, the shop is now open 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily unless they sell out. In Detroit's Core City, Bev's Bagels is at 4884 Grand River, Unit 1B. On Instagram follow @bevsbagels or visit Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@ Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bev's Bagels opens in Detroit's Core City with chewy, crisp bagels
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bev's closes in downtown Naperville, Effin Egg shutters after short stint
The comings and goings of downtown Naperville continue, this time with the closure of a restaurant in a prime location off Washington Street plus the end of a local breakfast spot. Bev's at 245 S. Washington St. closed on Dec. 7, according to Will Cullen, owner of Empire Restaurant Group, which had been operating the casual fine dining restaurant. Amid Bev's closure, Empire plans to launch a new concept in the same property as it still maintains a long-term lease in the building, Cullen said. Empire is 'still working out' a lot of the details for what the new concept would look like but it would be a 'different vibe in general' from Bev's, Cullen said. Bev's opened in early 2022. Empire acquired the property after Jimmy's Grill closed and left the space vacant. Initially, the restaurant group — which also owns Empire Burgers + Brew on Chicago Avenue — intended for Bev's to be a temporary pop-up while construction on a much larger restaurant to be called Cali's was done around it. However, high construction costs and damage to business amid the city's ongoing Washington Street Bridge replacement made pursuing a larger restaurant not feasible, Cullen said in a call Tuesday. Speaking to the impact of nearby infrastructure improvements especially, Cullen said, 'Washington Street being under construction put a lot of pressure on the business.' When the city was completing bridge construction and downtown streetscape work at the same time through last year, business at Bev's was down about 40%, Cullen said. Looking ahead to Empire's new concept, Cullen said there will 'definitely be additional buildout,' with the idea being that the property will be 'gutted on the inside.' As for Bev's, Cullen recognized it was 'more of a temporary thing' but added, 'We wished it would have been able to hold on for longer.' 'I guess that's the way it works sometimes,' he said. Downtown Naperville has recently said goodbye to two other eateries: Effin Egg at 22 E. Chicago Ave. and Sweet Home Gelato at 50 S. Main St., according to Katie Wood, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance. Effin Egg, which opened in 2023, closed about six months ago, Wood said in an email Tuesday. Both businesses closed for 'various reasons,' Wood said. Meanwhile, Wood noted that both spaces have been released or are in the process of being leased. In January, Sweet Home Gelato announced its closure in a social media post. 'Thank you Naperville for sharing your moments, smiles and energy with us,' the post read. Outside of downtown, a new retail cannabis dispensary has opened in unincorporated Naperville. Prairie Cannabis celebrated the grand opening of its new location at 4S120 Route 59 on Feb. 6, according to a news release. Jonah Rapino, Director of Marketing at Prairie Cannabis, said in the release that the dispensary, which is at the border between Naperville and Warrenville, was 'excited to officially join the local business community.' An Illinois-based company, the new Naperville dispensary is Prairie Cannabis' first retail location but the company plans to expand further, with an additional location launching in Chicago later this March, the release said. tkenny@
