Bradley’s IHOP restaurant closed

A popular Bradley restaurant has been closed due to structural issues with its roof as well as its cooling system failing to function properly, a Bradley official confirmed this week.

The IHOP restaurant, 1347 Kinneman Drive, in the northeast area of Bradley just east of the Armour Road and Bradley Boulevard intersection has been closed since Aug. 6, Matt Castilla, director of the Bradley Community Development Department, confirmed after Monday’s Village Board meeting.

Responding to a resident’s complaint, Castilla said an inspection of the property found four roof trusses were broken.

As a result, he said, the property was deemed to be unsafe for the public, and the location was closed.

Castilla said a structural engineer will be needed to inspect the property. He did not know when management of the restaurant would have that complete.

A timber roof truss is designed to bridge the space above a room and to provide support for a roof.

Castilla said the property also has issues with its air conditioning system, with only about half of the restaurant having functioning air conditioning.

As a result, the area above the ceiling tiles has had a significant buildup of moisture due to condensation, leading to mold growth, which is a health hazard.

“Our role is to protect the public’s safety. We believe this building is a danger to the public,” Castilla said.

He said at this point, it is unclear if or when IHOP will reopen.

“We don’t want businesses to close. We want them to thrive,” Castilla said.

He noted that IHOP also was closed for a few days during the winter due to heating issues.

Calls to the restaurant have gone unanswered. The restaurant’s website offers no information regarding this situation other than stating that the location is closed.

Kankakee County Health Department Director John Bevis is aware of the issue but said Bradley is handling the matter.

Bevis said the issues were deemed serious enough to have the location shut down until they are resolved.