Bradley, 315 restaurateur signs lease

BRADLEY – While it was known for several months that Tommy Vasilakis would be leading the restaurant and event center at the Bradley 315 Sports Park, it is now official.

At Tuesday’s Bradley Village Board meeting, trustees unanimously approved the lease for the restaurant and event center to Barnyardia LLC, headed by Vasilakis, along with business partners, Tina Vasilakis and Amber Spontak.

Because this is an entirely new business endeavor, what the food and drink business will produce is something of an unknown.

Mayor Mike Watson said after the meeting he has confidence and trust in Vasilakis that the site will be operated in a top-notch fashion.

The village, the owner of just-opened Bradley 315 Sports Park immediately east of the Bradley Commons Shopping Center and along St. George Road, will receive 12% of gross receipts monthly.

No one is sure what type of revenues the food and drink business might yield at this point, but the park is attracting thousands of fans for weekend tournament play.

The lease expires Dec. 31, 2026, but it can be renewed at that point.

Siblings Tommy and Tina live in Bourbonnais, and Spontak lives in Bourbonnais Township.

The trio operating the holding company will oversee the operations of not just the 7,700 square foot restaurant known as Plate’D Social.

The site’s coffee/ice cream shop, Sweet Beans, and the pair of concession stands, one named The Stand, which will offer classic Major League Baseball fare, and Buen Provecho, (translated to “enjoy your meal”) which will feature modern Mexican food fare, will also work to satisfy hungry baseball fans or people just looking for something to eat.

The restaurant is not yet open, as final installation of equipment has only recently begun and staff still is being hired, said Tommy Vasilakis, who had been the award-winning brewmaster at BrickStone Brewery before devoting his talents to the 315 development.

Vasilakis is targeting the week of June 23 for the opening of the restaurant, bar and coffee shop.

The site will eventually employ 60 to 80 people.

“The village has given us all the tools needed. They have built a park like no other,” Vasilakis said Tuesday.

He said this is not just a park hosting baseball, softball and soccer games, and the dining experience will be far from hot dogs and nachos.

“This is an entertainment park,” Vasilakis said. “When baseball is over, we want people to be entertained here.”

The 12-field complex, built at a cost of $47 million, opened in early April and has already hosted four weekends of youth baseball. The site has also attracted hundreds of teams and thousands of fans.

The baseball complex is viewed as a significant economic engine for the region, as players and their travel companions are filling hotels, restaurants and shops during their weekends at the nearly 127-acre site.

Restaurant operators have already reported huge spikes in business during the baseball weekends.