Banquet hall, Indian restaurant to share former Clubhouse building in Schaumburg
One of the largest free-standing restaurant buildings in Schaumburg soon will house both a banquet hall and an Indian restaurant under the same ownership.
Podi Dosa will occupy the ground floor and Schaumburg Banquet the second floor of the 22,000-square-foot building previously occupied by Entourage, David Burke's Grillhouse and The Clubhouse since it was completed in 2006 at 1301 American Lane.
Both will be owned by California-based Satish Ambatt, who learned of the opportunity through an existing business owner in the village and is now moving to the area, Schaumburg Economic Development Director Matt Frank said.
While the building's vast space can seem daunting to fill during its periods of vacancy, discussions with Ambatt began not long after the January 2018 closing of The Clubhouse, Frank added.
Ambatt, who attended Tuesday's village board meeting, said he aims to get both businesses open as soon as possible,
"Our staff is ready," he said.
Outside of the hotels and Chandler's Chophouse Grille & Banquets at the Schaumburg Golf Club, a separate banquet hall in the village should be a nice option for people, Frank said.
Podi Dosa plans to serve dishes from both northern and southern India and specialize in dosas, a type of pancake made with fermented batter.
While hoping to make a go of Podi Dosa himself, Ambatt has told the village he is open to focusing on Schaumburg Banquet exclusively if the Indian restaurant doesn't prove popular and would sublease the ground floor to a different restaurant.
The concept of two separate dining establishments' occupying the same large building has worked well during the several years since Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe and Westwood Tavern began sharing the former Prairie Rock Brewing Co. space in the Woodfield Village Green shopping center at 1385 N. Meacham Road, Frank said.
Though the building on American Lane always has been considered appealing in its own right, its reduced visibility from Meacham Road has been less than helpful.
In support of the new venture and the existing Punch Bowl Social farther west, the village will be working with the businesses on new directional signs, Frank said.