The former dry cleaner at 565 Roger Williams Avenue has been empty for at least a decade, according to the City of Highland Park. Two restaurant groups have asked for the building in under two years, and City staff have pointed both times to the significant investment the property needs. The City's answer was a grant arrangement that a councilmember called "very unusual." The first operator approved under it never started work. The second one, Bean Bar + MEZE, now has its agreements in place and plans to open in spring or summer 2027.
The story of how one building got this far shows what it takes to fill a storefront in the Ravinia District.
Two plans for one building
Here's the sequence, pieced together from council records and local coverage:
- Late 2024. Community Restaurant Group pitches a 200-plus-capacity restaurant for the former dry-cleaning site. Public documents described it as "more vibrant than a typical North Shore restaurant, but family friendly," The Record North Shore reported.
- December 15, 2025. The City Council votes 4-3 to approve a $100,000 exterior improvement grant and a $150,000 interior improvement grant for the project.
- Early 2026. The project falls through before any improvements begin, so no grant money is ever paid out.
- July 13, 2026. Bean Bar comes before the council. The same night, the council approves Food & Beverage interior grants for Bean Bar and its sister concept EATACO, plus an exterior grant for EATACO, all 6-0.
- August 17, 2026. The council approves Bean Bar's five-year consolidated exterior grant agreement, 5-1.
- October 5, 2026. The City formally announces Bean Bar + MEZE for 565 Roger Williams and EATACO for 597 Roger Williams.
The minutes for both meetings are public: the July 13 minutes and the August 17 record.
Why the City pooled five years of a grant into one check
Highland Park's exterior improvement grant is a matching grant that normally pays up to $20,000 a year. Businesses can apply every year. For a building that needs a new facade, a patio, lighting and signage, $20,000 doesn't go far. So staff recommended combining five years of that grant into one $100,000 award. The catch is that the business can't apply for the exterior grant again for the next five years.
City Manager Ghida Neukirch tied the exception directly to the condition of the building. As The Record North Shore reported, she said Bean Bar was seeking funds because of the "significant investment that's necessary for the property." The same article put Bean Bar's investment at about $1.5 million, the exterior buildout alone at an estimated $300,000, and the business's forecast first-year revenue at more than $3 million.
The interior grant runs on its own program. Highland Park's Food & Beverage Interior Improvement Grant covers up to 50% of approved expenses for qualified food and beverage businesses that generate sales tax, up to $150,000. The final dollar amounts in Bean Bar's signed agreements haven't been reported. The figures above come from the request as described in July.
Set side by side, the estimated $300,000 exterior buildout is about fifteen times what the standard exterior grant pays in a single year.
What the first plan's stall changed about the second
Council members raised the risk before the first plan collapsed. At the December 2025 meeting, one councilmember noted that no work had started on the property, and the grants passed by a single vote. Neukirch explained how the program protects the City. As The Record North Shore reported, she said:
"The grant funds as part of this program would not be issued to them until they actually were doing the work and requested a reimbursement of expenses."
She also said the funds could not be moved to another location. That design is why the first plan's collapse cost the City nothing. The money was set aside, never paid, and freed up for the next applicant.
Bean Bar's votes went more smoothly. The interior grants passed unanimously, and the pooled exterior grant passed 5-1, compared with 4-3 for the earlier proposal. Bean Bar also arrived with a working track record. It's a full-service restaurant founded in Northbrook in 2025, and Highland Park would be its second location. The original is at 1901 Cherry Lane in Northbrook. EATACO, the owners' taqueria, has served the North Shore from Northbrook for seven years.
What is planned for 565 and 597
Kadir and Serah Cicek own both concepts. According to the City's announcement as reported by Patch, the two sites will work very differently:
| Bean Bar + MEZE | EATACO | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 565 Roger Williams Ave. | 597 Roger Williams Ave. |
| Format | Cafe by day, dinner and cocktails by evening | Fast-casual taqueria, about 1,600 square feet |
| Menu notes | Smoothies, pastries, sandwiches, soups, salads, with a focus on fresh gluten-free options; MEZE dinner service at night | Fusion tacos, fresh-made sides, craft beer, wine, margaritas-to-go |
| Seating | Indoor dining, patio, covered pergola for year-round service | Grab-and-go beverages and margaritas-to-go |
| Planned opening | Spring/summer 2027 | Winter 2027 |
| Investment | $1.75 million redevelopment | Not reported |
The Record also reported that Bean Bar plans to offer daytime co-working. The owners told the City they're designing both places as community spaces for students, local professionals and families. Mayor Nancy Rotering's statement in the announcement described the goal as a district people can use "from morning through evening." The covered pergola is the detail that serves that goal most directly, since it is planned for year-round service.
The block that holds the street until then
Mil Colibris Bakery and Cafe at 481 Roger Williams closed on January 25, 2026, after a slow winter, The Record North Shore reported. By spring, a Highland Park family made up of Jessica Rivero, Daniel Salgado and Ana Grecia Salgado had bought the business. They planned to reopen it as Casa Colibris at the same address, aiming for May, The Record reported in April.
The City's Ravinia District directory lists these food and drink spots along the avenue:
- Yana's Speakeasy, 465: cocktails, appetizers and light bites
- Astra Coffee Roasters, 477: coffeehouse and roastery
- Abigail's American Bistro, 493: American bistro with seasonal dishes
- Happi Sushi, 515–517: sushi, tempura and bento
- Fluffy Bunny, 545: coffee, pastries and smoothies, in the district since April 2025
- Nico Trattoria & Pizzeria, 581: Italian food and brick-oven pizza
- Steep Ravine Brewing Company, 582: brewery and restaurant with brunch, lunch and happy hour, formerly Ravinia Brewing
- BWB Shakes, 586: burgers, wings, bowls and shakes
- Piero's Pizza, 647: pizza and Italian food
Farther down the block, the former Ravinia BBQ space at 592–594 Roger Williams is taking a different path. That restaurant closed in winter 2015, and the City approved the property for an animal hospital in March 2025, according to The Record North Shore.
By address, Bean Bar + MEZE at 565 will fall between Fluffy Bunny at 545 and Nico at 581, and EATACO at 597 will sit just past Steep Ravine and BWB Shakes. The renovation at 565 is paid for on a reimbursement basis, so the clearest sign of progress will be construction at the building itself.
If you're thinking about what a revived Roger Williams Avenue could mean for homes within walking distance of the Ravinia District, Audra Casey can walk you through what's changing block by block. Get the Northbrook Market Report & pre‑market access, and ask for the Highland Park view alongside it.
