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LOMBARD – Longtime Lombard residents Steve and Dana Moreau can't wait to open their new restaurant, Babcock's of Lombard, on the first floor of the historic Lombard Hotel building in downtown.
“We’re so excited to bring this restaurant to the downtown area and have the community be proud of it,” said Dana, a former village trustee. “We’ve always been patrons of downtown Lombard and involved in downtown activities, so we’re putting our money where our mouth is, and we hope people will show up and support us.”
The restaurant, which is slated to open at the end of the year at 101 W. St. Charles Road, pays homage to Lombard’s history because Lombard was once called Babcock’s Grove. Dana said they picked the name to honor Lombard’s rich heritage. The menu, which she described as “American casual,” will even honor some of Lombard’s historical figures.
“We’re still working on the menu, but it will be family oriented, and we’ll serve craft beers and some craft sodas,” she said. “We’ll put some creative twists in there too.”
Steve said the couple’s main goal is to create a place where residents can be comfortable without “breaking the bank.”
“We won’t cut corners. It’s about having top quality ingredients, excellent preparation and exceptional service to walk hand in hand with the food,” he said.
The building doesn’t have a kitchen, so it needs a considerable amount of work. Dana said the kitchen will be built from scratch, but they’re keeping the original tin ceiling, which she said is “beautiful.”
“This is a fantastic location, and we love old buildings,” she said. “There was no other building we’d want to be in. We want to see our downtown revitalized, and we hope this restaurant can make a difference.”
Tom and Margret Smith purchased the building in 2014, and the couple doesn’t have a completion date yet for needed renovations.
“There’s a lot of work to be completed,” Margret Smith said. “It’s still a work in progress. The rain has slowed us down a bit. It’s a process, but we’ll get through it.”
Smith said she and her husband “couldn’t be happier” about the restaurant.
“Steve has been in the restaurant industry for many years, and we’re thrilled someone is going in there who wants to be in the building. It’s long overdue,” she said.
Steve has worked in restaurants since he was 12 years old and has held every position from dishwasher to general manager. He said he’s always wanted to own his own place.
“Anyone who’s worked in the business for some time either wants to open their own or get out,” he said with a laugh. “I enjoy serving people, enjoy taking care of people and I love food. I’m very excited and very nervous.”
Babcock’s of Lombard isn’t the only new business going into the building. Julie Stewart, owner of The Yoga Place, is moving her studio from Glen Ellyn to the third floor ballroom this summer.
“It’s a perfect space for a yoga studio,” Stewart said about the ballroom. “All I have to do is bring in some props and paint some small things on the wall. Tom’s already painted it a beautiful lilac color. There’s plenty of room, the lighting is great...it just felt really peaceful.”
The ballroom still will be able to be rented out for special events. Stewart said she doesn’t think there will be a conflict with her studio.
“On weekends the ballroom will be used for private functions, and the hours are such we’ll be able to work in tandem,” Smith said. “We have seven locations that can be leased out. Once it’s full, it will be a great property and great addition to the community.”