The Ravinia District's Empty Corner Gets a Second Plan, Built for Mornings

The former dry cleaner at 565 Roger Williams Avenue has been vacant for at least a decade, according to the City of Highland Park. It sits on the stretch of Roger Williams that the City treats as the core of the Ravinia Business District, between Green Bay Road and Judson Avenue. In that time, Astra Coffee Roasters, Nico Trattoria & Pizzeria and Steep Ravine Brewing Company have all set up nearby.

The building now has its second redevelopment plan in less than two years. Kadir and Serah Cicek plan Bean Bar + MEZE at 565 Roger Williams and EATACO two doors west at 597. Patch reported on October 5 that the projects are tied to the City's business incentive programs. In the same announcement, Mayor Nancy Rotering described a district where people can "shop, dine, connect" and spend time "from morning through evening."

The phrase "morning through evening" describes what's different this time. The earlier plan for the corner was one large dinner room. The new plan splits the site by time of day and spreads it across two addresses.

The first plan was one big room

In late 2024, Community Restaurant Group pitched a restaurant for 565 Roger Williams with room for more than 200 guests. Its public documents described the concept as "a balance of whimsy and warmth." The Record North Shore reported that on December 15, 2025, the City Council voted 4–3 to approve a $100,000 exterior improvement grant and a $150,000 interior improvement grant for the project.

Those grants pay back money already spent. City Manager Ghida Neukirch explained at that meeting that funds would only be issued once work was underway and the owner requested reimbursement. The project did not move forward and improvements never began, so the City never paid the money out. Because the program only reimburses, a stalled project cost the City nothing and left the building available for the next applicant.

Why the grants run larger than usual at this address

The City's business incentive programs set the normal limits. The Exterior Improvement Grant rebates up to 50% of a project's cost, up to $20,000. The Food & Beverage Interior Improvement and Expansion Grant covers up to 50% of eligible costs, up to $150,000 for full-service restaurants and $100,000 for limited-service ones. The money put into the project on the business's behalf has to equal or exceed the City's grant.

For both plans at 565, the City proposed combining five years of exterior grants into a single $100,000 payment, five times the usual yearly limit. In July 2026, The Record reported that Neukirch tied the request to the "significant investment that's necessary for the property." She said Bean Bar was putting about $1.5 million into the building, including an estimated $300,000 for exterior work. Patch put the full redevelopment at $1.75 million. If the arrangement goes through, Bean Bar can't use any further exterior grants for the next five years. Councilmember Annette Lidawer, who voted against the CRG grants in December, explained her support to The Record:

"Offering $100,000, instead of the typical $20,000 we give per year, is a very special situation. It's someone who's met our criteria on so many other levels for the interior portion and will be doing so much exterior work."

The smaller grants went through without debate. At the July 13, 2026 meeting, the Council voted 6–0 on a consent agenda that included an exterior improvement grant for EATACO and interior grants for both Bean Bar at 565 and EATACO at 597. The combined $100,000 exterior grant for Bean Bar was listed separately on a later Council agenda, outside the bundled consent vote.

The second plan splits the day in two

CRG planned one large dinner room. The Ciceks' plan divides the corner by time of day and adds a smaller restaurant down the block.

• Bean Bar, daytime, at 565 Roger Williams. A café serving breakfast and lunch, including smoothies, pastries, sandwiches, soups and salads, with a focus on fresh gluten-free options. The Record also notes daytime co-working.
• MEZE, evening, same space. Dinner and cocktails, with indoor seating, a patio and a covered pergola meant for year-round use. Target opening is spring or summer 2027.
• EATACO, 597 Roger Williams. A fast-casual taqueria of about 1,600 square feet serving fusion tacos, fresh-made sides, craft beer, wine and margaritas-to-go. Target opening is winter 2027.

Both concepts are already running in Northbrook. Bean Bar operates at 1901 Cherry Lane and serves craft drinks, coffee, pastries, smoothies, avocado toast and a lox scramble. The Record reports that the Northbrook location opened in 2025, and that the Highland Park plan forecasts more than $3 million in first-year revenue. EATACO has a Northbrook location on Shermer Road. Patch says the taqueria has served the North Shore for seven years. If you want to try either concept before 2027, the Northbrook locations are open now.

The block the new tenants are joining

The new concepts are filling gaps in an established strip. The City's Ravinia District directory lists these businesses around 565 and 597:

This list is the City's directory, not a door-by-door count, so check hours before you go. It still shows the pattern. The block has more places for dinner and drinks than for daytime meals, and Bean Bar and EATACO target those daytime hours. Nico at 581 is between the two new addresses. It has appeared on Council agendas for both an interior food-and-beverage grant and an exterior improvement grant. The City's incentive programs are working along the whole stretch, not just at the vacant corner.

This fall, the Sheridan detour runs through the district

Construction at Sheridan Road is already sending drivers past 565. On August 3, the City and IDOT began building a new sidewalk on the east side of Sheridan and closed northbound Sheridan from about Roger Williams to Cedar. The City's notice sends northbound traffic west on Roger Williams Avenue and then north on St. Johns Avenue. Those are the same two streets where most of the businesses above are located. Residents along the closed stretch can reach their homes from southbound Sheridan. Construction was expected to last through November, with landscaping and restoration in early 2027.

Expect more traffic past the Roger Williams storefronts through November, and plan for slower turns at St. Johns at busy times.

The calendar from here

From the week this post goes up through summer 2027:

1. Friday, October 23. The Park District holds Scary Skate at Centennial Ice Arena.
2. Thursday, October 29. One Off Hospitality opens avec at 250 Waukegan Avenue in Highwood, its first North Shore restaurant. Patch reported that online reservations opened October 1.
3. Friday, November 6. The Park District holds Pumpkin Smash.
4. Through November. Northbound Sheridan stays closed and the detour continues on Roger Williams and St. Johns.
5. February 10, 2027. Plot reservations open for the new Janet Bernstein Community Gardens at The Preserve of Highland Park, which are expected to open in spring 2027.
6. Winter 2027. EATACO's target opening at 597 Roger Williams.
7. Spring 2027. avec's private-event space next door in Highwood, with its own bar and retractable walls, is expected to open. Final restoration work on Sheridan is also expected.
8. Spring or summer 2027. Bean Bar + MEZE's target opening at 565 Roger Williams.

The 2027 dates are the operators' targets, and the City's grants pay out only after construction starts. The first visible sign of progress at 565 Roger Williams will be work on the building.

If you own a home near Roger Williams and want to know how a reopened 565 and a busier block could affect your home's value, the Geoff Brown Team follows the Ravinia District closely. Request a free home valuation and we'll give you a clear estimate based on recent sales near your street.