Buona Beef to open St. Charles location Aug. 4

ST. CHARLES – The St. Charles location of a popular Chicago-area restaurant chain is scheduled to open next month.

Buona Beef will open at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 4 at 2425 W. Main St., St. Charles, Assistant Marketing Director Jimmy Buonavolanto wrote in an email. This is the 15th Buona Beef restaurant to open in the Chicago area and the westernmost location for the chain. In addition to its Italian beef sandwiches, the restaurant offers a variety of other sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, salads, soups, desserts and more.

The first 100 guests in line for the St. Charles opening will win a free weekly 7-inch Italian beef sandwich for one year, according to Buonavolanto. People can start lining up at any time for the Aug. 4 opening, but access to bathrooms is not guaranteed until the Buona street team arrives about 6 a.m. Aug. 4 with free doughnuts and coffee for those in line, Buonavolanto wrote. The team also will have a prize wheel with Buona merchandise and gift cards, according to a news release.

The first Buona restaurant began serving Chicago’s original Italian beef in Berwyn in 1981, according to its website.

Buona collaborated with River Forest-based Hague Architecture on the design of the St. Charles location, introducing a fresh prototype for the Buona restaurants, the news release stated. The sleek exterior features exposed red brick in traditional Chicago style, and the interior features a more modern look with an exposed industrial ceiling, according to the release.

If you go

What: St. Charles Buona Beef Grand Opening
When: 10:30 a.m. Aug. 4 (First 100 people in line to receive one 7" beef sandwich a week for one year)
Where: 2425 W. Main Street., St. Charles
Cost: Free admission and prizes, but menu item prices vary
Information: www.facebook.com/pages/Buona-St-Charles/645325022236198