Small Cheval this summer? Wilmette officials hope so

It’s not a perfect answer to the question that village officials say everyone is asking, but residents now have a better idea about one of the most anticipated local business openings in town.

Wilmette officials are hopeful the debut of Small Cheval will occur this summer, according to statements from multiple village staffers during the Village Board’s Tuesday, March 11 meeting.

Lisa Brosnan, a business development planner in Wilmette’s Community Development Department, told trustees that the highly anticipated restaurant has all the necessary approvals it needs for opening.

But the village has not yet received final word from Small Cheval leadership on an exact opening date, Brosnan said.

In a village memo to Wilmette Village Manager Michael Braiman, Brosnan notes that a commercial remodel permit has been issued for the restaurant and that construction and remodeling are “currently taking place.”

The hope for a summer opening is based on the date of the permit issuance and the estimated construction timeline, per the memo.

Braiman said during the meeting that out of any local enterprise, staff receives the most questions about Small Cheval. He said that the planners behind the new downtown eatery are “very methodical in their process.”

“They really take care in making sure to upgrade the space so that it works right,” Braiman said “If you know any of the Hogsalt restaurants, it has a unique character when you walk in and a unique vibe and that’s what they are seeking to do here.”

“It is a slow process, but once it opens, it is going to be a great addition to our downtown,” Braiman later added.

The opening date for Small Cheval has continually shifted since the restaurant announced in 2023 its plans to open in downtown Wilmette.

The long-awaited eatery will be located in the historic building at 1139 Wilmette Ave., the former home of Depot Nuevo restaurant.

Almost two years to the date, in March of 2023, Small Cheval — a spinoff of renowned burger restaurant Au Cheval that has several Chicago locations — announced that it had purchased the building from the Village of Wilmette, as first reported by The Record.

The building that will house the new restaurant is a local landmark that was built in 1874.

Small Cheval ownership first targeted an opening in the spring of 2024 but that date was then pushed back to the fall, The Record reported, and now, according to village officials, it is now this summer.

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