May 13, 2025
Local News

Two DeKalb restaurants to move this winter

By ANDREW MITCHELL

Local restaurant Lukulos announced its plans to move this winter from its location at the corner of Annie Glidden Road and Lincoln Highway to this building at 890 Pappas Drive. (Andrew Mitchell)

DeKALB – Lukulos Restaurant is planning to move to a new location this winter.

The restaurant at the corner of Lincoln Highway and Annie Glidden Road will move into the former Jenna's sandwich shop at 890 Pappas Drive in DeKalb.

Lukulos owner Pete Matarangas said the dipping economy and a need to downsize some of his overhead costs largely motivated the change. He said he's been planning a move since February 2010.

The restaurant has been at its Lincoln Highway location since 1997. The move will be Lukulos' fifth in its 23 years of business, Matarangas said.

Despite the many years of greeting visitors at its corner location, Matarangas said he's not sentimental about the move.

"Work is work," he said. "It's just down the street."

The new location will be closer to the Greek Row area and other businesses and apartments frequented by Northern Illinois University students.

"Most of my market is there," Matarangas said.

The move is scheduled to take place over the university's winter break, with the hope of reopening before the spring semester starts. Chase Bank will handle the sale of the current location, Matarangas said.

Matarangas said he plans to buy the new property. According to the DeKalb County Assessor's Office, the Pappas Drive property is owned by Ken Straman of Chicago. Straman could not be reached for comment.

Around the same time Lukulos plans to move, the Subway restaurant at 162 W. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb plans to move into the former home of the Campus Club Bar and Grill at 1000 W. Lincoln Highway.

Area manager Jim Slagstad said the recent nearby construction of a National Bank & Trust branch led the franchise's owners to their decision.

"With all the construction and the uncertainty of when everything will be done, the owners decided to move to a more stable location," he said.

More specifically, Slagstad said the owners were concerned with other plans by the Geneva-based developer ShoDeen. The company purchased land along the south side of the 100 block of West Lincoln Highway several years ago with the intent of building high-end commercial and residential properties.

The economic downturn and mixed support from the DeKalb City Council put a hold on those plans, city officials have said.