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🎰 A local debate: Restaurant closures and video gaming
Gaming machines at The Office Dining & Spirits in St. Charles.
We’ve covered quite a bit of restaurant/bar turnover in the Tri-Cities over the past several months — Geneva in particular. If you frequent local Facebook groups, you may have noticed (and/or participated in) some robust debates on the topic last week as well.
It appears as though the initial thread has been taken down, but a few key discussion points I recall seeing:
Population: Geneva’s population growth is limited by its landlocked location, thus limiting the number of establishments it can support. Batavia and St. Charles, in theory, don’t suffer from this problem (or to the same extent as Geneva).
Hours of operation: Most Geneva establishments close comparatively early on the weekends, therefore potentially losing business to Batavia and St. Charles establishments that remain open late.
Gaming: Perhaps the most obvious and divisive of the issues — Geneva does not allow gaming machines, while Batavia and St. Charles do.
These are difficult arguments to prove one way or another. Residents and business owners expressed a wide range of opinions, suggesting no clear consensus regarding any of the above issues.
Batavia considering gaming legislation
Gaming is an issue that seems to keep popping up. For example, Batavia’s Committee of the Whole will discuss three separate ordinances during tomorrow night’s meeting:
One that establishes the concept of Video Gaming Parlors, defining them and imposing restrictions on advertising for all license holders
One that restricts the number of video gaming terminals per establishment based on total square footage
One that proposes a cap on the total number of establishments with video gaming at 15, allowing for four additional sites
We don’t have the space to get into the gritty details of the gaming debate, but it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.
Keeping it in perspective
Let’s get back to the general restaurant turnover conversation. Longtime local reporter Dave Heun offered a levelheaded assessment of the somewhat contentious chatter in his Friday Daily Herald column.
The answer probably isn’t as deep as some would have you believe. More often than not, these are small businesses operated by families or friends, and they hit some of life’s most notable obstacles — financial problems, the desire to retire, a squabble among partners, a disagreement between management and staff, a desire to move into a different location, or to move to a warmer climate. And, of course, there are always economic factors that affect patron spending or staff hiring. It’s not an easy sport.
Certainly a perspective worth considering; I imagine he’s seen quite a few opening and closing cycles during his decades covering the Tri-Cities.
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📰 News to use
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🔒 GOP jostling: Incumbent Kane County Board member Bill Roth says he’s being challenged by a local political group for “not being Republican enough.” Board member Mark Davoust (also of St. Charles) says the same thing is happening to him.
☑️ Fatal crash: The Elburn woman who was killed in a wrong-way highway accident last week has been identified.
☑️ Risk report: Kane was one of five Chicagoland counties identified as being particularly vulnerable to housing marketing troubles in 2024.
🔒 No simple solution: Remember all those COVID-era pet adoptions? Kane County is now considering a low-cost euthanasia program as a potential way to handle the resulting issues.
🔒 Contested race: Arad Boxenbaum is challenging incumbent state Rep. Matt Hanson in the Democratic primary for the 83rd District seat. Here’s where they stand on key issues.
🏘️ In the community
☑️ Reminder: There’s a public hearing on Wednesday evening at Batavia City Council regarding the Ashton Ridge subdivision.
☑️ 1st Street Plaza: The downtown STC site is gradually beginning to resemble the pedestrian oasis promised in the original vision. Only a bit of work remains.
☑️ Ongoing process: Batavia held a special COW meeting where multiple parties weighed in on what the city should do with funds from the plastic bag fee. You can watch the meeting here.
☑️ Dog walkers beware: Thanks to the mild El Niño winter, the ticks are out early this year in our area. Plan accordingly for outdoor activities.
☑️ Community survey: Batavia MainStreet is seeking input from local residents to help shape the future of the downtown district.
🔒 Housing solutions: To help combat a lack of affordable housing, Kane County is considering partnering with a Chicago-based agency to develop a special plan for the county.
🎸 Live music
*Below are “listed” start/end times — actual play times tend to vary. The 🎟️ symbol indicates an admission fee. Links to band/event info are provided where available.
Monday (3/11) ⬇️
✔️ Ryan Worthy: Firewater BBQ | Geneva | 5-7PM | Musician info
Wednesday (3/13) ⬇️
✔️ Bobby K: Flagship on the Fox | St. Charles | 6-9PM | Musician info
✔️ Dan Maguire: Preservation | Geneva | 6-9PM | Event info + video
Thursday (3/14) ⬇️
🎟️ Galway Gals Irish Music: Copper Fox | Geneva | 10AM | Event info
✔️ Pete Jive: Firewater BBQ | Geneva | 5-7PM | Musician info
✔️ Mike Hayes: Flagship on the Fox | St. Charles | 5-8PM | Musician info
✔️ Ross Krakow: Preservation | Geneva | 6-9PM | Event info
✔️ PBJ: Evenflow | Geneva | 7PM | Event info
🎟️ Christian Alan Hansen: House Pub | St. Charles | 9PM-12AM | Musician info
🏬 Local biz
📸 Credit: facebook.com/obscuritymead
🔒 Big plans: Elburn’s Obscurity Mead Hall & Cidery has introduced a new line of ciders and added to their team — setting them up for a year of expansion in 2024.
☑️ Hello Tesla: Batavia City Council gave the green light to the new Tesla dealership and self-storage facility slated for the old Sam’s Club property. The facility should open near the middle of 2025.
☑️ Podcast ep: This week’s Area Code: Batavia conversation with the owner of Hearth & Hammer delves into the creation of a successful candle business that doubles as a welcoming space.
🗓️ Events + things to do
Freya — the head and tail of the ship Viking from Good Templar Park — is now on display on the second floor of the Geneva Public Library.
☑️ Remarkable Women in Science History | Monday, 7-9PM | Sidecar Supper Club, Batavia | A local science educator and award-winning author will lead this dynamic session.
🎟️ SciTech Family STEM Adventure | Wednesday, 5:30-7:30PM | Sturdy Shelter, Batavia | This family-friendly event is packed with hands-on activities that will spark curiosity and creativity in young minds.
☑️ Connect with Council | Wednesday, 5:30-7:30PM | St. Charles City Hall | Join St. Charles Alderpeople to discuss exciting opportunities and hear about what's on the horizon in 2024.
☑️ History of the Viking Era | Wednesday, 7-8PM | Geneva Public Library | In conjunction with the Freya exhibit, Professor Charles Peterson will share a history of the Viking Era and readings from the Viking Sagas.
🎟️ Soup’s On! - Soup Tasting | Thursday, 6PM | Bar Evolution & The Tea Tree | Support United Way Batavia and sample delicious soups from 12 local restaurants.
🎟️ MWA Pro Wrestling | Thursday, 7PM | Arcada Theatre | Wrestling fans — get ready for a memorable throw-down.
🗞️ Un-classifieds
☑️ Local home sales: Residential property sales for the week ending March 2 included six in Batavia, five in Geneva and three in St. Charles — including one on Keim Court in St. Charles for $780K.
🗞️ From the archives: 1880
This delightfully old photo from the Batavia Depot Museum dates back to around 1880. After his wagon factory in New York burned down, Levi Newton came to Batavia to launch Newton Wagon Company, producing between 4,000 and 5,000 wagons per year by the time the company hit its stride in 1887.
The firm and its descendants operated for over a hundred years, eventually becoming the Batavia Body Company. The factory flooded and closed in 1973 before being demolished in 1977. Today, it’s the River Square Plaza shopping center.
🌖 Weather snapshot
🌤️ Today: High 64F | Low 43F | Super spring-like
🌥️ Tuesday: High 65F | Low 43F | Warm + clouds
🌥️ Wednesday: High 67F | Low 44F | Warm + clouds
🌩️ Thursday: High 58F | Low 41F | Front + stormy
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