Park district approves new food operator for Fox Bend Golf Course

OSWEGO – Chicago-style sandwich staples like Italian beef and Italian sausage will be on the menu at the Oswegoland Park District’s Pearce’s Pub & Grill come April.

North Island Catering of Batavia was approved to operate and provide food and beverage services at Fox Bend Golf Course during a special meeting of the Oswegoland Park Board on Jan. 28.

The one-year licensing agreement includes Pearce’s Restaurant, the Snack Shack and the Pavilion.

North Island Catering has been owned by Allen and Christina Soboj of Oswego since 1986.

“North Island Catering was built on a simple platform: homemade dishes using fresh ingredients combined with outstanding customer service,” Oswegoland Park District Executive Director Rich Zielke told the park board at Tuesday’s meeting. “We are eager to see their vision and success continue at Pearce’s and anticipate the restaurant to open for the season on approximately April 1.”

Zielke said the park district is “looking for this to be a long-term partnership."

“Al (Soboj) lives in the community and plays Fox Bend regularly,” Zielke said, adding that it was the golf course superintendent who told Soboj there might be an opportunity for him and his wife to run the restaurant.

Jay DeMarco, owner of DG Concepts of Oswego, ran the food and beverage service for the 2018-2019 season, Zielke said. “It was a two-year deal, but he chose not to come back as he had a lot of irons in the fire."

The lease agreement with North Island Catering is for the business to pay the park district a $1,500-per-month licensing fee for the in-season operation (April through October). The off-season licensing fee is $1,000 per month (November 2020 through March 2021).

“It will potentially bring in $15,000 for the year,” Zielke said.

Traditionally, Pearce’s has not been open throughout the year, Zielke said. “Early on, we did operate year-round, but with very limited hours just a few days a week.”

North Island Catering is located at 32 North Island in Batavia, hence the name of the business, Soboj said. There is no affiliation with North Island Center in Aurora.

Asked about the menu, Soboj said he would classify it as casual dining with golf course fare.

“Even though I golf there on a regular basis, I never took much advantage of the restaurant. I know it’s changed hands a million times and I’m curious to see what we do with it.”

North Island Catering is adjacent to the Soboj’s Batavia restaurant, Bulldogs. “It serves a type of food that Portillo’s serves on a much, much, much smaller scale,” Soboj said. “We’re going to bring over all the Chicago style foods, like Italian beef, Italian sausage, and Philly cheese steaks. But we also have a sandwich shop in the same location called North Island Sandwich Shop. We brought in Boar’s Head products for very healthy deli sandwiches. So we will be bringing that type of menu to Oswego." A limited breakfast menu also is in the works, he added.

Other items on the menu likely will be a Friday fish fry. “We will have salmon on the menu, but no filet mignon. When you put together a menu, the goal is not to put 100 things on there so that something will appeal to everyone. You put the things on there that you do well so people will enjoy them," Soboj said, adding that North Island Catering will be sending out coupons in a mailer in time for the restaurant's opening in April.