Summer in Brookfield will come with a bit of Caribbean spice if the village board approves a liquor license for a new restaurant on Grand Boulevard. Chris Schullo hopes to open The Sandbar, a Caribbean/Creole restaurant, in July at 3733 Grand Blvd. The site now houses the Grand Central Bar & Grill.
With Grand Central losing its lease at the end of this month, Schullo said that with village approval he could have the new restaurant up and running by the first week of July. Schullo said that he is looking to sign a six-year lease on the building.
“Menu-wise I’m looking at a Creole/voodoo fusion or Cuban/Caribbean,” said Schullo, who added that his Luna Cafe, just down the block at 3755 Grand Blvd., would remain in operation.
Schullo appeared before the village board June 13 for a brief presentation and to see if he could get the board’s assurance that he would be granted a Class C liquor license, which would allow for a full bar, before signing a lease.
While he received no assurances from the board, Village President Michael Garvey, who also serves as the village’s liquor commissioner, said that the village trustees would vote on the matter at its June 27 meeting.
If The Sandbar does open this summer, it will be the third business for the 3733 Grand Blvd. location in three years. The property is owned by Steven Campbell, who purchased it in 2001.
Campbell installed a full-service kitchen in the former video store and transformed it into the Boulevard Blues Club, which opened in June 2003. By May of 2004, the blues club folded and Campbell leased the space to Jeff McCollian, who remodeled the interior and opened the Grand Central Bar & Grill in September of last year.
But after a leasing dispute with McCollian, Campbell decided not to renew the lease, and sought another restaurant to fill the space.
“I feel Chris Schullo is an integral part of the Boulevard District, and has demonstrated himself to be a successful restaurateur,” Campbell said. “And to have a restaurateur open a second location in an area that has been tested in LaGrange and has shown its desirability. I feel he’s the best choice for Brookfield to have a successful food and beverage destination.”
Asked if he felt the village board would grant the liquor license to Schullo, Campbell said, “I believe they should and will support Chris Schullo as a member of the Brookfield commercial community.”
