Dollop cafe to drop into Braeside development in Highland Park

The Highland Park City Council gave Dollop and DeNucci’s the go-ahead for upcoming projects.

The council approved several community development items during Monday’s council meeting, and the approvals will help get the ball rolling for the new cafe at 55 St. Johns Ave. and a new Italian restaurant on 2nd Street.

According to the agenda packet, the approval for 55 St Johns Ave. will provide the property with relief from the zoning code regarding parking for a cafe that will fill the first-floor commercial space. Over on 2nd Street, DeNucci’s received zoning relief for signage and additional outdoor seating.

The Brae House Apartments, located at 55 St. Johns Ave., were completed in 2023. Since then, the owner has been looking to fill the first-floor commercial space and has recently secured a lease with Dollop, a coffee company with 14 Chicagoland locations.

On May 31, 55 St. Johns LLC submitted a request to the city’s Plan & Design Commission that a cafe would cater to Braeside residents, commuters, the elementary school, Ravinia Festival guests and those utilizing the Green Bay Trail.

The company was seeking relief from the Highland Park Zoning Code regarding parking. Per the code, the restaurant would need 20 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area for the kitchen areas, plus half a parking space for every seat. According to the request, this would result in 29 off-street parking spots based on the current plan for the cafe. 

According to the request, the required parking spaces cannot be accommodated at the property. Instead, in exchange, the company committed to installing a robust green space with bike racks and picnic tables to provide an outdoor seating option. 

The commission reviewed the request on June 4 and passed a positive recommendation to the council.

The other two approved items on Monday benefitted DeNucci’s, a new Italian restaurant coming to the commercial space in the Renaissance Plaza at 1850 Second Street. As previously reported by The Record, Highland Park’s City Council approved an economic agreement with DeNucci’s in January that will provide the restaurant with a $1.5 million grant.

With the restaurant’s planning underway, its parent company, Ballyhoo Hospitality, has been working with Knauer, an architecture, interior design, and engineering firm that requested a special easement licensing agreement for additional outdoor seating.

The approval means DeNucci’s is licensed to have covered outdoor seating. The seating would take up a portion of the city-owned “Courtyard.” 

DeNucci’s also received approval for its nonconforming signage. Knauer plans to incorporate a take-out wall sign, 10 vinyl window signs and a projecting sign. The window signs and projecting sign require the aforementioned relief.

Highland Park Community Development staff reviewed both the special license and ordinance and then recommended council approval.

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