SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (June 19, 2008) – Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant will open its fourth Chicagoland restaurant at The Arboretum of South Barrington, a 600,000-square-foot lifestyle center under construction in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. According to Michael Jaffe, principal of The Jaffe Companies, which owns and develops the center, a lease was recently signed for 9,500 square feet, with the restaurant estimated to open in December 2008.
Award-winning Cooper’s Hawk, headquartered in Willow Springs, Ill., currently operates two winery/restaurants in Chicago’s south suburbs in Orland Park and Burr Ridge. A third location will open in July 2008 in Wheeling on Chicago’s North Shore. According to Mr. Jaffe, having Cooper’s Hawk locate at The Arboretum will now give the northwest communities exposure to one of Chicagoland’s champion winemakers, and a top rate restaurant. “We’re proud to welcome them to The Arboretum,” he says.
DESIGN & WINE: Cooper’s Hawk owner Tim McEnery says the restaurant at The Arboretum will be slightly larger than its current predecessors, and will be the first built from the ground up, incorporating The Arboretum’s Tudor concept. The 300-seat restaurant will also feature a full bar and Napa style tasting room. Cooper’s Hawk will be producing certain varietals at this location, which guests will be able to taste right out of the barrels. Other wines will be arriving from the central wineries—the reds and whites from Orland Park, and the sparkling wines from Burr Ridge. Wine grapes and fruit generally come from California, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, and Illinois. “We benefit significantly by not owning our own vineyards,” says Mr. McEnery. “Our wineries then have the ability to source the very best fruit where seasonal weather conditions have resulted in the year’s best varietals.”
The wineries, which produce over 75,000 gallons of wine each year, have won numerous awards in nearly three years of operation, including the Double Gold from both the 2007 Taster’s Guild and 2008 Florida State Fair for the Cooper’s Hawk Barbera. To try out the wines, guests are welcome to visit the Tasting Room, which will feature eight different wines rotated monthly. In addition, a gift shop will offer specialty gift and food items ranging from chocolate dipped wine bottles to custom gift baskets.
MENU ITEMS & PAIRINGS: The restaurant will serve lunch and dinner with a menu that includes salads, pastas, sandwiches, and signature dishes of seafood, chicken, and beef that are known for their rich, distinctive sauces. Proving the most popular dish to date is the Pistachio Crusted Grouper with Mustard Sauce, served with Mary’s potatoes and asparagus. Also popular are the Red Wine & Honey Mustard Short Ribs, and Mexican Drunken Shrimp. Featured among desserts is the “Wine and Chocolates” offering, which pairs an assortment of chocolates and truffles with a flight of three dessert wines.
Another unique feature of the menu is that each dish, including every salad and sandwich, is paired with a recommended wine utilizing a discreet bin numbering system. For example, Chopped Blackened Cobb Salad displays a tiny “Bin #79” next to the menu title. Cross referencing this number with the wine list, a guest can easily see that the recommended wine is the Cooper’s Hawk Chardonnay 2006.
“We feel that The Arboretum is a perfect match for our concept due to the high quality standards of the project and unique tenant mix,” says Mr. McEnery. “And being a Chicagoland business, we’re especially proud to join South Barrington and the surrounding communities with an offering we hope will be regarded as a local treasure.”
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.
PRESS CONTACTS
The Arboretum of South Barrington
-OR-
DODIER & COMPANY
800.970.7392 or 520.299.1000