Construction Of Big Bowl Restaurant Set To Begin Next Year In Glenview

GLENVIEW, IL — Despite some possible concept alterations and what it called "unexpected permitting requirements from outside agencies," restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You appear to be moving forward with a planned new establishment in The Glen. On Tuesday night, the Glenview Village Board unanimously approved an extension of the construction commencement deadline for the project that was scheduled to end Nov. 16.

Construction of Big Bowl is expected to commence in spring of 2023, according to the Chicago-based restaurant group. Specializing in authentic Chinese and Thai food, the Glenview location would be the seventh of the Big Bowl brand to open, with locations currently in Chicago, Lincolnshire and Schaumburg, as well as three in Minnesota.

The Glenview location of Big Bowl will be at 1320 Patriot Blvd. Lettuce Entertain You, which owns, licenses or manages more than 100 establishments in Illinois, oversees nearby restaurant Wildfire at 1300 Patriot Blvd.

The proposed total building floor area would be 6,775 square feet, including 209 seats in support of the operation of a full-service restaurant.

By approving the ordinance from applicant MAC Management Co., the Village Board also waived enforcement of a section of the municipal code and extended the current expiration date of the permissible construction period to Nov. 16, 2023.

MAC Management Co. received approvals for the final site plan review and preliminary design review for the property in November 2021.

"The applicant is requesting this deadline due to some difficulties they had with some of the property owners relative to some legal issues as well as some permit requirements they're dealing with [involving] outside agencies," said Jeff Brady, director of community development.

Brady said Mac Management Co. is anticipating to come back to the Glenview New Development Commission to gain final appearance approvals for this proposal, targeting the spring for construction to begin. He added that there are no changes to the site plan, building footprints or the number of seats proposed.