Beef Shack is back in St. Charles, and owner has plans for more suburban locations

Beef Shack has re-entered the St. Charles market, with a soft opening last week at a new and improved location, and the chain's CEO has plans for more growth in the suburbs over the next two years.

The 'Cheesy Beef' restaurant was founded in St. Charles in 2011 at 2115 W Main St. That location closed in February 2020 and is now a Chump's Shrimp Shack.

The new location, a former TitleMax building just a couple doors down at 2015 W. Main St., has been the biggest opening of all the Beef Shacks so far, said CEO Dan Perillo, who also is the president of Rosati's Pizza.

There are plans for a grand opening event at the end of May.

"I said before, it was going to be bigger and better," Perillo said. "That's exactly how it turned out."

Perillo said business has been better than expected, which he attributed to the many loyal "Shack fans" in the area.

Beef Shack purchased the new location in the beginning of last year, and renovated the building to include a two-lane drive through and outdoor dining area.

Perillo said the drive-through has accounted for 65% of the restaurant's sales so far.

Hours of operation are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

This is the fifth Beef Shack location, with others in Huntley, Bartlett and two in Elgin. Perillo said he is hoping to open a location in Oswego in July, and locations in Glen Ellyn and North Aurora by the end of this year.

Perillo said he expects to build five more Beef Shacks in Illinois in 2024, before expanding the franchise into other states.