9 hours ago
Weber Grill Restaurant to be first tenant in Orland Park downtown development
Weber Grill Restaurant will open a location in Orland Park next year, becoming the first tenant announced for the village's downtown development project northwest of La Grange Road and 143rd Street.
The company is owned by the same family that makes the grills, which are used to prepare meals at the restaurants.
Weber Grill will build an 8,500-square-foot space at the southwest corner of La Grange and 142nd Street, said Ramzi Hassan, president of Edwards Realty Co.
Orland Park-based Edwards was selected by the village to develop that has been called the Main Street Triangle project.
'This is exactly the type of tenant we envisioned when we first imagined downtown Orland Park,' Hassan said in a news release announcing the restaurant's plans. 'Weber Grill represents a high-quality, experience-driven restaurant that aligns perfectly with our vision to create a dynamic, walkable destination for the community.'
Planned to open next spring, the restaurant will feature indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a hands-on cooking school offering both public and private cooking classes, according to Weber Grill Restaurants.
The company also has restaurants in downtown Chicago and suburban locations in Lombard and Schaumburg.
'We're thrilled to bring the unique Weber Grill experience to the new downtown Orland Park,' Jon Crost, chief operating officer of Weber Grill Restaurants, said in a news release. 'This location allows us to connect with a vibrant and growing community while being part of a visionary redevelopment that emphasizes both quality and community.'
Hassan said Friday that Weber 'is a really good brand that's a household name,' and its decision to open in Orland Park could attract other tenants.
He said that Weber was looking to the Orland Park market for a restaurant, but 'they were more interested in the type of development they are joining.'
'They had to find the right fit,' Hassan said.
He said Edwards has been very selective about the users and businesses coming in to the development, and said the Weber Grill Restaurant could be destination drawing customers from beyond the Orland Park area.
'It's not like they have 300 restaurants all over the country,' Hassan said.
Edwards plans to develop more than 140,000 square feet of entertainment, retail and office space. No residential space is planned.
An expansion of Crescent Park, to be renamed Heroes Park, is included, and what is now a stormwater detention pond in the northeast corner of the triangle would be enhanced with fountains.
The company and village held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the downtown project in March.
Edwards owns and operates Orland Park Crossing, a retail center northeast of La Grange and 143rd, directly to the east of the downtown development.
The downtown development would be situated around the Ninety7Fifty on the Park apartments, University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care, a parking garage and the 143rd Street Metra station.
Hassan said he expects Edwards to break ground in spring on space for a second tenant, which would be on a site west of La Grange on the south side of 142nd.
