Listings

Summary:

An exceptional opportunity to own or lease a beautifully renovated, fully equipped restaurant & bar in the heart of Historic Downtown Sycamore, DeKalb County!

Situated on highly visible State St (Route 64), just 1 block from the DeKalb County Courthouse, this freestanding property offers an outstanding combination of location, extensive improvements, valuable equipment & flexibility.

Originally built in 1930, the property underwent a substantial renovation in 2021–2022, including doubling the commercial kitchen's size.

3 Options To Acquire This Impressive Restaurant & Bar

1. Buy The Property – $850,000; freestanding building with FF&E included
2. Buy The Business Assets – $75,000; FF&E, build-out, trade name & goodwill, plus new $6,000/mth lease
3. Lease Fully Equipped – $6,000/mth; modified gross lease with restaurant/bar equipment included; terms negotiable

Impressive Build-Out

Estimated comparable replacement cost of 250,000–400,000! Avoid substantial construction expenses & lengthy build-out timelines.

Restaurant & Bar Key Features

- ~3,221 sqft building area (subject to verification) + basement storage
- Extensively renovated 2021–2022 with expanded commercial kitchen
- Attractive dining room with exposed brick, wood floors, contemporary finishes & low/high-top/bar seating
- Impressive full-service bar with extensive liquor display, bar seating & TVs
- 24 rotating draft beer taps with Micro Matic system
- 2 walk-in coolers – dedicated beer walk-in & separate produce walk-in
- 3 pizza ovens – 1 wood-fired + 2 Pizza Group D32E electric deck ovens
- Commercial exhaust hood & ventilation system
- Hobart H-600 mixer, Somerset dough roller, fryers, heated holding cabinet & more
- Multiple reach-in refrigerators, bar coolers & prep equipment
- Valuable basement storage & existing restaurant infrastructure

Keep The Concept Or Bring Your Own

Currently operating as an independent pizza tavern, craft beer destination & whiskey bar featuring New York/Detroit-style pizzas, wood-fired specialties, pastas, wings & premium spirits.

Versatile infrastructure supports a pizzeria, Italian restaurant, sports bar, neighborhood bar & grill, craft taproom, gastropub, whiskey/wine bar, franchise conversion or entirely new concept!

Feel free to stop by the location as a customer first. This is a HIGHLY confidential listing, DO NOT talk to any owners, employees or patrons. If interested, please complete the short Contact Form on the right or email Ted Aretos at Ted@eatz-associates.com or call 815-761-8334 -or- Brian O'Kelly at Brian@eatz-associates.com or call 847-579-9641 for more information. Showings by appointment only outside of business hours.

Competition:

A rare opportunity to save time, money and start-up costs.

Whether you're an aspiring owner/operator, experienced restaurateur, expanding restaurant group or real estate investor, this opportunity offers a compelling combination of a desirable downtown location, major recent renovations, valuable equipment and multiple acquisition options.

Why spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and months building a restaurant from scratch when the expensive work has already been completed.

Take advantage of this exceptional opportunity to purchase or lease a fully equipped restaurant and bar in one of DeKalb County's most charming historic downtown districts!

Growth and Expansion:

A hands-on owner/operator could capitalize on several opportunities:

- Expand operating hours - currently closed Mondays & open evenings Tuesday-Friday - introducing weekday lunch & Monday service could capture additional downtown & courthouse traffic
- Increase catering & private events - expand corp catering, celebrations, family gatherings & private functions
- Grow online ordering & delivery - strengthen digital ordering, 3rd-party delivery, takeout promotions & online marketing
- Capitalize on downtown events - develop seasonal promotions/special offerings around festivals, community celebrations & entertainment
- Expand beverage programs - leverage the 24-tap draft system & bar with specialty cocktails, tasting events & rotating beer selections
- Explore video gaming - Sycamore permits licensed video gaming establishments, a possible additional revenue stream
- Introduce new concepts - leverage the existing infrastructure without undertaking a costly ground-up restaurant build-out

Location:

Prime retail space in Sycamore's charming, walkable downtown business district, surrounded by restaurants, boutiques, entertainment, professional offices & civic destinations.

Premier Historic Downtown Location

- Prominent State St (Route 64) frontage – ~6,650 VPD (IDOT 2025)
- Just 1 block from the historic DeKalb County Courthouse
- Near Sycamore State Theatre, Public Library & Midwest Museum of Natural History
- Close to schools, Ideal Industries headquarters & established residential neighborhoods
- ~6 miles from Northern Illinois University
- Free street parking & nearby public parking
- Popular downtown festivals, including the annual Pumpkin Festival, attract thousands of visitors
- Historic downtown destination with year-round shopping, dining & entertainment

Strong Demographics & Established Market

- 1 Mile: 7,937 residents
- 3 Miles: 21,230 residents
- 5 Miles: 37,704 residents
- Daytime employment: ~4,771 within 1 mile; 14,293 within 3 miles
- Sycamore median household income: ~$84,120
- Owner-occupied housing: ~71.6%
- Reported downtown retail vacancy: just 3.5% (Sept 2026)

County: DeKalb

Facilities:

Property Information: 3,221 sqft single-story historic freestanding building plus basement for storage. Originally constructed in 1930 and extensively renovated in 2021–2022, including a substantially expanded commercial kitchen. On 4,045 sqft lot or 0.09 acres. Building Class C Commercial. Zoning C-2 Central Business. PIN 06-32-255-051. 2024 real estate taxes $5,983.

Lease Information: $6,000/month modified gross, with increases in real estate taxes and insurance over the base year payable by the tenant. Lease term, options and security deposit negotiable.

Square Feet: ~3,221 + Basement For Storage.

Seating: Ample.

Days/Hrs of Operation: Tu-Th 4p-9p, Fr 4p-10p, Sa 11a-10p, Su 11a-8p (Closed Mondays).

Owners Role: Absentee.

Real Estate: Owned.

Value of FF&E: $75,000 (Included In Asking Price / Replacement Cost $250,000-$400,000).

Value of Inventory: Not Included In Asking Price.

Number of Employees: 2 Full-Time & 5 Part-Time.

Support/Training: Negotiable on-site comprehensive training.

Seller Financing Available: No.

Reason for Selling: Has other business interests and cannot devote the time/attention it deserves.