First reported 5/27/2010 3:56 p.m.
Culver’s, the popular fast-food franchise known for its Butter Burgers, is opening a location just across the Oak Park line in Berwyn.
To help the restaurant open, the City of Berwyn is using $975,000 in TIF dollars to buy up a piece of property at 6935-49 Roosevelt, kitty corner from Jewel, and resell it to the owner of a Culver’s franchise. The deal was approved by the Berwyn City Council on May 11.
Culver’s will hold off on building the restaurant until streetscape improvements along Roosevelt Road are done, according to documents given to the city council.
Oak Park is teaming up with Berwyn and Cicero to spruce up the stretch of Roosevelt from Harlem to Austin. Starting in July, the three municipalities will add new curbs, sidewalks, planters and streetlights to make Roosevelt more pedestrian friendly. The work will take place between the curb and the property lines and won’t shut down traffic.
Construction on the new Culver’s is expected to start this winter. It will take the place of a stretch of vacant buildings, which formerly included a fruit stand and a bar. The restaurant is expected to open next summer, the Chicago Tribune reports. The next closest Culver’s to Oak Park are about 5 miles away, in Franklin Park and Lyons, according to the company’s Web site.
Another restaurant is also opening on the Berwyn side of the street by October 1. Autre Monde Café & Spirits will take the place of a former flower shop at 6727 Roosevelt.
Oak Parkers John Aranza and Christine Tully Aranza, who also own Horrorbles right next door, are getting $125,000 in TIF money from the City of Berwyn. They’re transforming the storefront into a “European-style” restaurant with Mediterranean influences.
Aranza said the design will have a “steam punk” influence, nodding to the B-side of pop culture, with movie and rock posters on the walls and granite countertops. They hope to later add a greenhouse in the back to grow greens for their dishes. They are also planning for a patio.
The menu will feature small plates for sharing, with the early version including dishes such as marrow bones, pork porterhouses, seafood sausage coneys, mini burgers and duck fat fries. They’ll also offer craft-brewed beers and artisan wines. The café will be open for dinner and the occasional brunch.
“We’re excited to bring a concept like this out there,” Aranza said, later adding, “Roosevelt is becoming a destination point, especially with Culver’s coming to the area. The more business, the better.”
CONTACT: mstempniak@wjinc.com