2 new Libertyville restaurants get ready to open, with Phase 4 hopes
Despite the long shadow cast by the coronavirus pandemic, two new restaurants in Libertyville are getting ready for business.
Chances are the mother-son duo opening Las Monarcas in a strip center on the south end of downtown, or the two friends launching Anam Cara on Libertyville's north side, won't be able to let people inside to start.
But both ventures are all in and hoping mandated guidelines are relaxed sooner rather than later.
"We've invested a lot of money into this. We can't go back," said Edgar Huila, who with his mom, Maria Rosio Baeza, hopes to open in about a week at 159 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Baeza will be overseeing the cooking to ensure the handmade tortillas, tacos, tortas, burritos and other favorites maintain the authentic flavor of her native Charo Michoacan, a region in central Mexico.
Justin Lindal, who with business partner and good friend Travis Kick is opening a cafe and bistro featuring coffee and traditional food, said they're crossing their fingers for Phase 4.
Lindal is the proprietor of CORE Martial Arts and Fitness, at the former Illinois secretary of state facility at 342 Peterson Road. Next door is the bistro space.
"My client base will definitely benefit from having a cafe there," he said.
Although the restaurants will feature different cuisines, they share a common trait. Both are in remodeled storefronts on busy thoroughfares in spaces previously occupied by Subway sandwich shops.
Huila said Las Monarcas (the monarchs) is named after the butterflies that would visit their small hometown in Mexico.
Both mother and son were working hard in separate jobs but did not see a path to advancement in what they were doing, according to Huila. So they quit and opened a restaurant. Their first venture was announced Feb. 22 on Facebook.
"We never expected any of this to happen. Nobody did," he said of the challenges of opening during a pandemic.
"You just have to push yourself through it."
A final inspection is scheduled Friday, with an opening in about a week.
Lindal, who for many years worked at the well-known Firkin restaurant in downtown Libertyville, said he got serious about the bistro last fall. Construction began in early December.
In March, "we kind of took a deep breath and slowed it down." he said. But they, too, persevered. Anam Cara, a Celtic phrase that means "soul friends," surfaced during a brainstorming session.
They say the name is memorable and reflects their faith and commitment to good works.
"If people are thinking about your name, they're thinking about you," he said. Lindal expects to open in about two weeks.
Because there is an overhang on the building, Anam Cara will have temporary outdoor seating. That will not be the case at Las Monarcas, which will be carry-out-only to start.