Another reset planned for Glencoe restaurant space, as Kadens searches for right community recipe

Pete Kadens wants you to sit and stay for a while, and that desire is driving another change to Glencoe’s dining scene.

The entrepreneur told The Record that Mensch’s Deli and Picnic will close their Glencoe locations in November to set the stage for the fourth reinvention of 668 Vernon Ave. since 2021.

Since taking over the building, Kadens said he’s aimed at fostering community through a restaurant and while Mensch’s and Picnic reportedly held their own financially, neither developed the culture Kadens is seeking.

“At the end of the day, I actually built this business … for the purpose of convening people and having a space that was activated for eight to 10 hours a day — to bring people together, to be a community, ” he said, “and frankly, that’s so much more important today than it was six years ago when I took over this building.”

Mensch’s Deli and Picnic reportedly will close the weekend of Nov. 20; though, their flagship locations in Evanston will remain. The restaurants’ ownership did not return a message from The Record by press time (Thursday, Oct. 22).

Kadens’ next venture is already in the works. He has filed for a liquor license — Class B-2: for restaurants with on-site consumption of beer, wine, spirits — with the Village of Glencoe, and he hopes to have the new place open in the late first quarter of 2027.

Glencoe Deputy Village Manager Nikki Larson said Kadens’ application is under review and the Village “is supportive of the project.”

While Kadens is keeping some details on his latest concept close to the vest, he said it will offer a warmer experience with a full bar, thin-crust pizza and a variety of salad options, comfortable and flexible seating, and plenty of televisions. An event and private-dining space will be available upstairs, and the new spot may host live entertainment, like comedy nights.

To help enable the right atmosphere, Kadens tapped three of his Mensch’s employees, who are also entertainers, to partner with him on the new venture. Part of the goal, he said, is to offer an experience that keeps guests coming back and attacts guests from beyond Glencoe.

“My goal is to bring people back … to a third space where they are comfortable leaving their home, being in the community, having an experience and just sitting down for a while,” Kadens said.

After Kadens acquired 668 Vernon, he opened Poppy’s Social, a stylish and casual restaurant, in September 2021. Poppy’s closed less than a year after opening, as Kadens said he didn’t quite have the right financial formula.

About 18 months later, in early 2024, Chicago favorite Honey Butter Fried Chicken opened in the space; however, by October, 10 months later, that business shut its doors as well. This time, Kadens said the product-market fit was off.

Fast-forward to mid 2025, and Kadens’ 2-for-1 idea was up and running with Mensch’s Deli, a sit-down Jewish deli, and Picnic, with its grab-and-go bowls, splitting the storefront at 668 Vernon.

Both of the restaurants relied significantly on takeout business, undermining Kadens’ community-building goal, he said.

Despite three misfires at 668 Vernon, Kadens is not giving in — the opposite in fact. He said he remains as motivated as ever.

“I love this community and want to invest deeply in this community,” he said. “And I haven’t given the community yet something they need, trust and value. So for me, tinkering with the model, reinvesting and giving them something they need, trust and value is really important to me.”

This time around, Kadens said he surveyed locals, receiving more than 100 responses to questions about what they are looking for in a downtown Glencoe restaurant. Their answers, he said, informed much of the new concept, which will occupy the entire space.

And Kadens said people want more than just high-quality food.

“They want a place that’s comfortable, where they can relax in sort of more comfortable furnishings. We don’t have that here right now,” he said. “They want a place that’s a little warmer.

He continued, “One of the things I’m sensitive to and haven’t done a good job developing is, how do we make a patron feel when they walk out of the restaurant? And I think we have do a way better job at that. … If you want to retain good customers and you want people to drive to come here, they have to love the way they feel when they walk into your space.”

Look for more details on the new restaurant to come this winter, as Kadens and company aim for an early spring 2027 opening.

Mensch’s Deli’s and Picnic’s Glencoe locations are set to close on Nov. 22. Kadens said he plans to rent out the vacated space for private events through the holiday season.

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Become a member of The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a member? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.