Glencoe's dining scene continues to adapt to the aftermath of COVID-19, with the Village Board's recent move to extend the outdoor seating arrangement for popular local eatery, Guildhall. According to the Chicago Tribune, the board's unified decision will allow the “streetery” - a nearly 900-square-foot structure erected in response to the pandemic - to remain outside the restaurant on Vernon Avenue until at least September 30, 2025. This decision comes despite some community concerns about the aesthetics of these structures.
Originally, this temporary outdoor dining solution consisted of 12 greenhouse-like pods, but these were replaced in early 2022 with a summer patio ensemble as the restaurant navigated permitting for a more lasting streetery setup. The ongoing streetery, opened in mid-October 2022, initially under a tentative arrangement, has been a boon for Guildhall. It occupies what was four parking spaces and a portion of the sidewalk, according to a village memo. Despite eased restrictions, the Village Board sees the benefit of extending the lifeline, as Village President Howard Roin captured the dichotomy, "The streetery is controversial, there are some people who love it, there are some who don't".
The board's decision, as documented by The Record Northshore, was impacted by a presentation from Guildhall representatives, including owner Jeff Shapack, who asked for more time to recuperate the investment made during the pandemic's worst. "While the pandemic and COVID may not be at the top of the conversation every day anymore, we had those two really bad years that we’re still digging ourselves out of," Shapack told the board.
Financial agreements have changed, though, with Guildhall’s payments for the use of public space increasing to $476.47 per month, up from $449.50. Roin admitted the difficulty in determining the fair price, saying, "We still don’t know what the right charge is." Issues of equality surface as other businesses are keen to establish their own outdoor dining options, leading to Roin's speculation about a possible streetscape evolution. The village president conveyed his intent to balance the scales, "We’ll try to figure out a way to do this so that you aren’t punished," Roin committed to Guildhall and their peer businesses.
A final noteworthy move by the Glencoe Village Board is the amendment of its zoning code regulations to gain more oversight on the types of businesses that can operate on the ground floor of downtown buildings. With an emphasis on maintaining the village's aesthetic and vibrancy, new non-restaurant or retail endeavors will now undergo a special use permit process, enabling more direct influence from the village on the shape of its commercial districts.
