Tom & Jerry’s restaurant in DeKalb listed for sale

DeKALB - Longtime DeKalb eatery Tom & Jerry’s is up for sale, listing agent Ted Aretos of Eatz Associates said.

The fast food restaurant at 215 W. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb was most recently listed May 11, although an April 22 listing is also shown on the website, which lists the entire building for sale for $599,000, or a five-year lease at $5,000 per month. The business assets are also listed for individual sale at $59,000, Aretos confirmed.

The listing also states that a new owner could add a drive-thru to the space or bring their own concept, with no restrictions.

The 2,119-square-foot restaurant features a fully equipped professional kitchen with hood, two-burner stove, broiler, oven, flat top grill, fryers, steam table, toaster oven, sandwich unit, slicer, walk-in cooler and freezer, ice machine and a digital system for point-of-sale customer service, according to the listing.

The Greek-American style restaurant was a popular spot near Northern Illinois University campus and has been closed since April.

Tom & Jerry’s was founded in DeKalb in the 1970s by NIU graduates Tom Rosenow and Jerry Blessing and eventually spanned a regional chain, although branches in Sycamore, Rockford, Belvidere and Rochelle are now independently owned and operated.

The DeKalb location was sold to DeKalb-based developer and entrepreneur John Pappas in the 1980s. Diann Beaulieu worked at the DeKalb location in 1994. She bought the Sycamore location in 2002 and added Catering by Diann. Beaulieu also briefly owned the DeKalb location.

Daily Chronicle reporter Katrina Milton contributed to this story.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 6:27 p.m. May 16, 2022 with additional clarity on the building’s sale and lease terms.