Al’s moving out, The Mette moving in to downtown Wilmette space

A local resident is preparing to pour new life into a prime cut of downtown Wilmette space that for years has been home to a well-seasoned business.

Wilmette’s Jason Sander will bring a new cocktail bar and lounge to 1165 Wilmette Ave. next year, multiple sources confirmed to The Record.

The business, called The Mette, will operate out of the storefront that currently houses Al’s Meat Market. The independent butcher shop will close in early January of 2026, bringing an end to a two-decade-plus run in the heart of the village.

Al’s owner Joe Spera told The Record that he is retiring but declined to comment further.

Sander, who is listed on documents submitted to the village as The Mette’s managing member, told The Record in an email that his team will take possession of the downtown space in mid-January and “hopefully start construction right away.” He hopes to open The Mette in either April or May of next year.

Sander noted, however, that the timeline depends on the Village’s permitting process and the space’s buildout.

Sander described the vision for The Mette Cocktail Bar and Lounge as a “high-end, community focused establishment offering expertly crafted cocktails alongside a curated menu.”

The lifelong Wilmette resident also told The Record that The Mette is “planning to redefine the North Shore’s cocktail and lounge scene.” Each cocktail on the menu will be crafted with “intention and originality,” Sander said, adding this will offer patrons an “experience unlike anything else in the area.”

All the drinks included on the menu will be made with “premium spirits and the freshest ingredients,” Sander noted, saying the cocktails will emphasize “creativity, balance and exceptional quality.”

The Mette will also feature dining options as well, which, per Sander, will complement the drink offerings but can also stand alone as full meals or appetizers. A tentative menu submitted to the village includes lobster sliders, burrata bruschetta, seared salmon sushi, steak tartare and Hamachi crudo, among additional options.

According to the lease agreement for 1165 Wilmette Ave., The Mette’s ownership will invest between “$350,000-$550,000 for demo, planning, architect, permitting, and other steps for construction and opening of the business.”

The property’s owner, Michael Chookaszian, will also invest in the business and hold a minority portion of ownership, per the lease.

The lease agreement between Barsander, the corporation behind The Mette, and Chookaszian indicates that rent payments on the space will begin in May of 2026 in the minimum amount of $5,500.

Regarding the atmosphere of the soon-to-be addition to the village center, The Mette “will introduce a sophisticated city vibe to the comfort of the suburbs with an elevated and welcoming atmosphere, where elegance and sophistication meet approachability,” Sander said.

In a letter to village officials, Sander also said he is “deeply committed to honoring the historic character” of Wilmette while introducing the “vintage-inspired venue.”

Currently, there is no liquor license in Wilmette that allows for a majority of sales generated to be alcoholic beverages, so village trustees during their Tuesday, Dec. 9 meeting will formally consider an ordinance creating a new classification of liquor license for The Mette.

The ordinance, if approved, will permit The Mette to sell liquor for on-site consumption and will make way for the business to have a larger percentage of sales from alcohol over food.

Specific hours for The Mette are not yet clear as of publication time, but Sander did say that it will be open “from early evening through late night.”

While The Mette will bring a new option to the now bustling downtown Wilmette dining scene, it will also mark the end of a local business that’s been a part of the North Shore for more than 60 years.

Al Spera opened Al’s Meat Market in Winnetka in the 1960s. The business was passed on to Al’s son Joe Spera, who moved the market to downtown Wilmette in 2001.

Al’s pending closure will leave one independent butchery in Wilmette, a community that until recently had three: Al’s, NorShore Meats and Deli (closed in 2022), and Zier’s Prime Meats and Poultry

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