A new live entertainment venue is coming to Algonquin’s downtown – a business that neighboring property owners said could transform the area into a “destination place.”
The new establishment is called Soundbite Tavern, and owner David Conklin plans on turning the building at 113 S. Main St. in the historic Old Town district into a live entertainment destination with an attached bar and restaurant.
The Village Board approved the request for an entertainment facility special-use permit Tuesday after the Planning and Zoning Commission gave an unanimous recommendation last month.
Live acts could include bands, DJs, comedians, magicians and afternoon performances geared toward kids. Conklin also would like to host open-mic nights, trivia and karaoke. The building also features a private dining space and a podcast booth.
Conklin, who is a drummer and an Algonquin resident, said it’s always been a dream of his to open this type of business, and he sees this as an opportunity to fill “that one extra piece” in downtown Algonquin.
A hopeful opening date would be sometime between mid-fall and early winter, Conklin said.
Conklin said he plans for the restaurant portion of Soundbite to feature a pub-style, “cost-conscious” menu with finger foods and appetizers. The business model is not necessarily focused on food, but proprietors want an option for people to grab quick bites, architect Nicole Horn said.
“I think it’s a nice symbiotic relationship that they can have with the existing restaurants downtown,” Horn said.
Previously, the building housed a billiards hall and multiple restaurants over the years, Village Planner Stephanie Barajas said. The building has a capacity of 200 people.
Conklin plans to keep the historic structure but change the color scheme to navy and sky blue. If any significant changes were to be made, it would have to go before the historic commission board for approval, Barajas said.
Planning and zoning commissioners originally agreed to recommend an extension of performance hours to 11:30 p.m. on Thursdays, midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday.
But the Village Board walked back the hours, requiring performances to end at 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, according to village documents.
Performance hours have the potential to be extended after a “six-month trial” if there are no issues regarding the crowd management plan, noise levels and liquor licensing, according to village documents. Extended hours would be subject to staff’s approval.
Neighboring business owners applauded the idea of bringing in entertainment that could attract more customers to the many restaurants.
But restaurateur Greg Geigel, who owns multiple businesses in downtown Algonquin, including Bold American Fare, also shared concerns of the village’s lack of parking downtown.
“Algonquin is in a unique situation,” he said. “How can the village change to adapt to make something like this work? Because this can rock the whole town. This can make the whole town a destination place where there’s people walking around.”
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