Prime Time Hopes to Add Hour to Weeknight Close

It was a great spring for the Bulls and pretty good one for the Blackhawks. But for owners and customers of , it could have been a lot better.

Prime Time, which is located in the Blustone Commons off of Joliet Highway and Route 30, opened in April, and partner Angelo Gellis said it likely lost a substantial amount of money during weeknights, when the restaurant's liquor license required it to stop serving at 11 p.m.

"People were just disappointed. It was hard to tell them to go home in the middle of the game," Gellis said. "If a game goes into overtime they want to stay and watch. If they already know you close at 11 they might not come in for the game at all."

Thus, he's hoping to add an hour to the closing time and stop serving at midnight Sunday through Thursday (the weekend closing time is 1 a.m. and wouldn't change). But that's a concern for residents in the area, who when it was approved by the village last year.

"I’m just tired of being patient and diplomatic," nearby resident Dale Johnson said. "This has been going on for years, fighting for residents’ rights. It’s the same old story."

Before Prime Time opened in that location, Bluestone Bar & Grill was known for loud drunks, live music and a generally unpleasant spot for the nearby residents.

Johnson—as well as other neighbors, such as Rich Milkeris, who spoke Monday at the Village Board meeting—admit that Prime Time is a vast improvement from Bluestone, but they worry an extra hour during the week will cause more issues. 

So far, Prime Time hasn't had a single call or complaint go to the village or . But Johnson and Milkeris said there have been some concerns, such as multiple occasions in which people were out on the patio past the required 10 p.m. cutoff. Mayor Tim Baldermann was made aware of those complaints Monday, and Gellis admitted they were oversights.

Prime Time's residential neighbors worry the restaurant becomes more of a bar late at night, and one more hour will only further that perception. Gellis said that at all times, Prime Time is a restaurant first, even if alcohol sales increase later in the night, and that his food receipts would prove that.

The Village Board will vote on this matter at its next meeting Monday, Sept. 12 in .

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