The dining area of the Algonquin restaurant The Chick and the Pig is now open and ready to serve guests with a spacious bar and game room.

Located at 1000 N. Main St., The Chick and the Pig first opened to takeout, delivery and catering orders in 2024. Since earlier this month, patrons now can eat and drink inside the restaurant that specializes in homestyle barbecue and fried chicken dishes.

It was restaurateur and owner Greg Geigel’s plan all along to open the dining section, but he wanted to get the business off the ground and prove its success first. Geigel also owns Bold American Fare, less than a mile away on Main Street.

He sold Whiskey and Wine, also in downtown Algonquin, to owner Kristi Grimm last year.

The big things that differentiate The Chick and the Pig has from Geigel’s other restaurants are the cheaper price point and the amount of dining space. Inside, it can fit 200 people, and the bar alone seats 36, Geigel said. The gaming area has pool tables, arcade golf and dart boards.

“It’s all about the bigger space and not letting constraints stunt our growth,” he said.

Geigel aims to fill the space with pool and dart leagues and events like bingo and trivia nights.

Chef Mathew Lucas, who also cooks and creates the menus for Bold, said his current favorites on the menu are the brisket Philly sandwich and the fried chicken.

The Chick and the Pig is near the roundabout that was installed last year as part of Algonquin’s $7.1 million project to repair and replace streets and sidewalks in and around the downtown area. The building remained vacant for more than 10 years, and previously was a chiropractic office, Geigel said.

Local restaurant owners have expressed their concerns over increasing costs making it difficult for sales to keep up. Major chain eateries have shuttered recently, including On the Border in Algonquin and Guzman y Gomez in Crystal Lake. Despite the troubling economy, Geigel is hopeful that his business will be a success.

“We’re very happy so far,” he said.

At first, the restaurant was open well into the night, as late as 3 a.m. But Geigel has moved away from those late-night hours. Current hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.