October 3, 2023

Owners of Vai’s Italian Inspired Kitchen + Bar Sign Lease for Second Concept – Entourage

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BALTIMORE, MD (October 3, 2023) – The ownership group of Vai’s Italian Kitchen + Bar, which has been operating its restaurant within Fox River Commons since 2018 have signed a 5,540 square feet lease with Continental Realty Corporation (CRC) to open a second concept within the 241,000 square foot shopping center in Naperville, Illinois. ENTOURAGE features craftfully dry-aged cuts of beef, seafood, sandwiches, and small plate dishes, and recently opened in a free-standing building fronting IL Route 59. Kristina O’Keefe, Vice President, Commercial Division and Rachel Lee, Commercial Leasing Manager for Continental Realty Corporation, the Baltimore-based owner, and manager of the center, represented the landlord in this lease transaction.

According to Michael Vai, who is partnering with Scott Wegener on this new restaurant endeavor, ENTOURAGE features a value-driven steak component program that displays different cuts utilizing Linz Heritage Angus Beef, 100% certified Angus, Choice Reserve and USDA prime in its Dry Aging units. Each of the beef products are imported from a Northern Indiana farm. This will be coupled with small plates composed of seasonal seafood items, chops, chicken, and wood-smoked meats such as long-bone short ribs. A selection of cold raw bar type items will include uniquely-prepared oysters, fresh wild caught poached prawns, Alaskan King crab and sushi. Additional menu items will include hamburgers, creative sandwiches, salads, pastas and Roman-style pizza.

ENTOURAGE is outfitted with a bar serving handcrafted cocktails, a rotation of frozen cocktails, frozen tap heads that will dispense batched cocktails at seven to eight degrees, and an international wine and craft beer selection. The restaurant will employ approximately 60 people.

Vai and Wegener founded a similar ENTOURAGE restaurant in Schaumburg, Illinois in 2006 that was named “Restaurant of the Year” by a Chicago magazine, and Vai’s Italian Kitchen + Bar earned best Italian restaurant honors two years in a row.

“It may appear counterintuitive to open a second restaurant concept within the same shopping center, but the location and demographics surrounding Fox River Commons are significant reasons for our success, and because ENTOURAGE is so different, we do not believe we will be cannibalizing ourselves,” said Michael Vai. “We knew the vacant free-standing building would not remain that way for long and felt certain that the next use would be a restaurant. So instead of competing with a restaurant we did not know, we felt it was a smart business decision to lease it ourselves.”

Vai further explained that there will be tremendous synergies having two restaurants just 1,000 feet apart, including the delivery of supplies, maintaining oversight of operations, and sharing of employees, if necessary. “Recently, we served more than 300 patrons at Vai’s Italian Kitchen and the wait time for a table was approximately 90 minutes, so we do believe there is ample room for another high-quality sit-down restaurant here,” Vai said. “With so many chain restaurants in the immediate area, consumers were just begging for another independently owned and operated concept. We are highly confident in our commitment to use local farmers and mills, because product freshness and vibrancy make all the difference in the preparation of highly-differentiated meals and an unforgettable restaurant experience.”

Located at 808 S. Route 59 near W. Ogden Avenue (Route 34), Fox River Commons is anchored by family-owned grocery store International Fresh Market. Nearly 60,000 vehicles pass the site daily via Route 59, with an additional 36,000 passing via W. Ogden Avenue. More than 271,000 consumers reside within a five-mile radius, with an average household income approaching $130,000. Ingress and egress are facilitated by five access points, three of which are serviced by traffic signals.

Real estate investment and management company CRC acquired Fox River Commons last year as part of a portfolio of five shopping centers in the suburban Chicago real estate market comprising more than 900,000 square feet of space.

“Adding another destination-style restaurant to Fox River Commons further differentiates the tenant mix and creates unique consumer visitations which benefit each of our merchants,” explained CRC’s Kristina O’Keefe. “Restaurant owners Michael Vai and Scott Wegener are known quantities in whom we have tremendous confidence, and the addition of their second concept advances our objective of adding one-of-a-kind dining amenities to the shopping center. There continues to be pent-up demand for quality retail space in this submarket, and we intend to leverage our relationships to elevate the center to full occupancy in the near future.”

Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland and founded in 1960, Continental Realty Corporation is a full-service commercial real estate and investment company focused on acquiring and operating retail and multifamily properties. The privately held firm owns and manages a diversified portfolio of retail centers consisting of nearly eight million square feet of commercial space and over 9,000 apartment homes across 10 states, with a portfolio value exceeding $3.6 billion. For additional information, visit www.crcrealty.com.