SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (May 29, 2008) – The Jaffe Companies, owner and developer of The Arboretum of South Barrington, has signed L'Eiffel Bistrot & Creperie and Anthony Vince Nail Spa for the 600,000-square-foot lifestyle center under construction in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. Principal Michael Jaffe says that both specialized regionals will contribute greatly to the unique and opulent retail line-up The Arboretum continues to attract.
L'EIFFEL BISTROT & CREPERIE signed a lease for 6,012 square feet for a bistro at The Arboretum. The new restaurant will seat 200+ in an art nouveau/bistrot atmosphere. About 100 people can be seated in the main dining room, 50 in a private room, 50 at the bar, and during warmer months, seating on the patio.
L’Eiffel Bistrot, owned by Woodstock resident Frank Ferru, family members, and a private investor, will feature authentic French cuisine that uses seasonal and local products. According to Mr. Ferru, the menu will be based on quality, consistency, and originality, yet prices will be as relaxed as the atmosphere to encourage repeat visits. Luncheon and dinner crepes ($10) will be filled with chicken, pork, seafood, ratatouille, goat cheese, or fresh fish in a light cream of dill sauce, among other selections. Dessert crepes ($5) that are flambéed in orange butter and Grand Marnier, chocolate, mixed berries, or caramelized apple are some of the sweeter temptations.
The Bistrot Menu will include a selection of French cheese, foie gras, homemade paté, escargot, braised lamb shank, roasted duck, quail, bouillabaisse, boeuf Bourguignon. “Honestly, you won’t find better dishes at the value L’Eiffel Bistrot will offer them. It’s top quality.” Mr. Ferru says. "Everything is sautéed except the fries.” He adds that the wine list will feature many great French wines as well as wines from around the world.
Mr. Ferru, who moved to Chicagoland from Nice, France eight years ago with his American wife, and opened La Petite Creperie in Woodstock, Ill. three years ago, says he is bringing Chef Jose-Louis Aguilar from La Petite to run the kitchen at L'Eiffel.
"We will also have many events, just as we do at La Petite," Mr. Ferru says. "We'll celebrate Bastille Day with dancing and accordion music; we'll have a Flamenco night, parties for the Beaujolais Nouveau, wine classes, and wine dinner."
Mr. Ferru heard about The Arboretum from friends who suggested he look at it. "The lifestyle center is more upscale than anything around," he says. "It has a new movie theatre that is purely original, it's near a big 15,000-person office complex, and Schaumburg nearby doesn't seem to have many French places. So, I thought this would be the perfect spot for us." Beginning in fall 2008, L'Eiffel will be open daily for lunch and dinner.
ANTHONY VINCE NAIL SPA, a premier nail spa with four locations in Illinois and Ohio, is opening its fifth location at The Arboretum, leasing 2,312 square feet. According to spa owner Vince Ho, the spa at Oakbrook Center has been so successful in the upscale market that he is ready to expand into South Barrington.
"We already have a customer base from the Barrington area," says Mr. Ho. "So, opening there makes sense. Clients also come all the way to Oakbrook from downtown Chicago, so we plan to open one there in 2009."
The privately held chain is related to Venetian Nails Salon, which Mr. Ho owns with another partner. This spa has 21 locations in the US, including locations at Algonquin Town Center and Deerfield Town Center.
Anthony Vince Nail Spas specialize in premium manicures and pedicures in a classical ambiance that is relaxed and immaculate, and offers a full sensory experience. For example, the friendly staff often begins nail treatments with hot-towel wraps soaked in rose water.
Groups and parties are encouraged, and very popular. "We have maybe two to three parties each weekend and we are the only salon in town able to do that," says Mr. Ho. The spa in South Barrington is expected to open in fall 2008, when The Arboretum will celebrate its grand opening.
The Arboretum of South Barrington is a 600,000 square-foot lifestyle center under development in Chicago’s affluent northwest suburbs, with completion scheduled for fall 2008. The open-air center, which broke ground in May 2007, is named for the lush treescapes and gardens of its landscape, and for the large tree farm that formerly stood on the site. Among retailers at The Arboretum of South Barrington are three unique anchors, including the country’s first Village Road Show Gold Class Cinemas, a luxury cinema experience and the new way to go to the movies; LL Bean’s first Midwest outdoor gear and apparel store; and Pinstripes, Chicago’s own bowling, bocce and bistro concept. An upscale mix of fashion apparel brands, home furnishings, restaurants and other retailers are also planned -- all less than a mile from the four-way interchange at I-90 ( the region’s major transportation artery), at the highly coveted intersection of Illinois Routes 59 and 72. Other retailers signed include Arhaus, Anna Shea Chocolates & Lounge, Chico’s, Coldwater Creek, Jos. A. Bank, Ann Taylor Loft, Victoria’s Secret, DSW, Panera Bread, and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.
The Jaffe Companies, owner and developer of The Arboretum of South Barrington, has been developing successful shopping centers and mixed-use projects for nearly two decades across the US, primarily in the Midwest. Firm principal Michael Jaffe has been involved in several notable projects, including Huebner Oaks Center, a 400,000-square-foot lifestyle center in San Antonio, Texas; Geneva Commons, a 450,000-square-foot lifestyle center in Geneva, Ill; and Orchard Grove Shopping Center in Aurora, Ill.
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