A much-buzzed-about restaurant in Berwyn is donating a portion of its proceeds this month to help build an ambitious schoolyard project in Oak Park.
The PTO for Irving Elementary School, 1125 S. Cuyler Ave., is eyeing ambitious plans to transform the cracked blacktop at the school into an eco-friendly activity and play area. But it comes with a hefty price tag, about $3.25 million, according to the PTO.
District 97 has slotted about $500,000 in its budget for schoolyard upgrades at Irving. And organizers have raised about $50,000 thus far, and are exploring grants and other opportunities to close the funding gap.
Autre Monde Café, 6727 W. Roosevelt Road in Berwyn, is donating 10 percent of its Tuesday sales in March toward the Irving schoolyard project. The restaurant is owned by Oak Parkers John Aranza and Christine Tully Aranza, also the proprietors of nearby Horrorbles, and has garnered rave reviews in the local press.
