Melting Pot Slated for Closure

restaurant in Buffalo Grove will soon close, but three other eateries are expected to quickly take its place.

“They are taking steps to close that location and not relocate,” Ghida Neukirch, deputy village manager, said of the long-time fondue restaurant.

Representatives of the Plaza Verde development, which includes The Melting Pot building, presented conceptual reconstruction plans Monday to the Village Board.

Owners of the shopper center, which sits at the southwest corner of Dundee and Arlington Heights roads, plan to replace The Melting Pot with a new, 7,168-square-foot brick structure that will house three restaurants.

The names of the restaurants have not yet been made public, but two of them are in the process of finalizing agreements with the village and with National Shopping Plazas, which owns Plaza Verde.

Lawrence Freedman, a lawyer representing the property owner, said the incoming restaurants are national chains. Neukirch described them as “fast, casual” restaurants that are expected to appeal to students at , which is just across the street.

The new building is designed to sit in the footprint of The Melting Pot and will include outdoor patio seating, according to the plans. Early drawings show the building sporting stone accents and metal awnings.

Trustee Beverly Sussman, who praised the uniqueness of The Melting Pot, asked if the new building could have “more pizzazz.” Freedman assured officials that it would be compatible with the surrounding businesses.

The Plan Commission is scheduled to review the plans on April 6. The Village Board will be asked to sign off on the redevelopment in May, Neukirch said. Architect David Mangurten, who shared the conceptual plans with the Village Board, said an aggressive construction timeline is in place; at least one of the three restaurants is expected to open this fall.

An employee at The Melting Pot said Tuesday that no official closing date has been set. Freedman said Monday that the fondue restaurant would close regardless of the redevelopment plans.

The proposed project is part of Plaza Verde’s recent redevelopment efforts. The shopping center behind The Melting Pot is home to , which recently reopened after a process.

“It’s exciting,” Neukirch said. “It’s wonderful, because there aren’t many property owners doing development.”