Burdeen's Breaks Ground on New Jewelry Store

The Burdeen family kicked off the construction of its new jewelry store Thursday, pointing ceremonial shovels into the ground that will soon be transformed into an upscale shop.

A new Burdeen's Jewelry building will be constructed near the southeast corner of Lake-Cook and Arlington Heights roads at “breakneck speed,” said owner Matt Burdeen. He expects the exterior of the 6,000-square-foot store will be complete by March, and he hopes to open for business in July. A grand-opening event will likely take place in August, he said.

Until then, Burdeen’s will remain in operation in the Chase Plaza shopping center across the street, where the business has been a mainstay since the 1980s.

Burdeen’s was established as a wholesale business by Matt Burdeen’s parents, Dennis and Sandy, with an initial $400 investment in 1980, their son said. A few years later, they opened a 600-square-foot retail store in Chase Plaza. As business increased, they expanded into adjacent storefronts, growing to 1,400 square feet and later doubling to the current 2,800 square feet, Matt Burdeen said.

Burdeen, who took over the business when his parents retired, said the new standalone building will offer customers “a more luxurious experience than we have now.” 

The store will feature 50 percent more showcase space and provide room for private events, such as visits from Swiss watchmakers, he said. Burdeen’s currently hosts such events at area restaurants, Matt Burdeen said.

The new building, which will be constructed on Lake-Cook Road between Omni Youth Services and PNC Bank, will feature an upscale exterior, including 12-foot front doors from Italy that Burdeen designed himself.

The jewelry store receives strong local support, with 60 percent of business coming from Buffalo Grove and other nearby suburbs, Burdeen said. The rest of the business comes from customers across the nation.

“We have a lot of brands that are exclusive to us,” he explained.

Thursday’s groundbreaking was attended by a handful of Buffalo Grove officials, including Village Manager Dane Bragg, Village President Jeff Braiman and Trustee Beverly Sussman.

Sussman, who was Matt Burdeen’s sixth-grade science teacher at Twin Groves Middle School, said he laid the groundwork for his career as a student in Buffalo Grove.

“He even did a science fair project related to rocks. I remember it like it was yesterday,” Sussman said.