West Dundee restaurant offered incentives in move to Spring Hill Mall
West Dundee is offering financial assistance to The Chubby Bullfrog Bar & Grill to help with its relocation to a larger, more visible space in Spring Hill Mall.
The restaurant has outgrown its existing location in the Tartans Crossing shopping center at 1959 Huntley Road, where it has operated and built up a loyal customer base for about five years, owner Mike Morrison said. Soon, he said, the establishment will begin renovating and moving into a vacant restaurant space at 1494 Spring Hill Mall, which was last occupied by J.J. Finnegan's about 12 years ago.
"We worked very hard to make our current space work," Morrison said. "We're very happy to report that we're solid, but we need a bigger space."
The village board Monday approved an economic incentive agreement with The Chubby Bullfrog, which includes a $48,000 low-interest loan to be paid off over four years. The deal also pledges 50 percent of all incremental sales tax revenue to the establishment for five years.
Renovation plans for the new space, located between mall anchors Sears and Macy's, include $25,000 to $30,000 worth of HVAC, plumbing, electrical and sanitation work, according to village documents.
Not included in those costs are the cosmetic renovations anticipated for the restaurant, Morrison said, such as the installation of garage doors that will open up to a patio seating area. "We're going to give it a very modern look," he said.
The loan from the village will help The Chubby Bullfrog stay afloat financially during the build-out and through the initial opening of the new location, operators said in a proposal. The additional tax revenue, they said, will allow them to "manage unexpected costs (and) growing pains of a much larger venue."
Recognizing the success of the homegrown restaurant, Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said staff worked closely with Morrison to ensure he found a suitable space within West Dundee.
With more traffic and higher visibility, the new location provides the restaurant with a greater potential for growth, which could result in more tax revenue to the village, Community Development Director Tim Scott added.
"It's an excellent space," Morrison said. "It's a mystery why nobody else has gone after it."