The Latest On Dunkin' And Padrino's In Darien

DARIEN, IL — Darien officials were asked Monday when they expected Dunkin' Donuts and Padrino's Pizza to open.

Dan Gombac, the city's municipal services director, said Dunkin' Donuts has suffered delays, but is now expected to open by the end of the month.

"Believe it or not, Padrino's will probably open up before Dunkin' Donuts," he said at a City Council meeting.

The restaurants are planned for a new building at the northwest corner of Cass Avenue and Plainfield Road, which is seen as Darien's main intersection. It is next to Brookhaven Plaza, where a current Dunkin' Donuts franchise is set to move into the new space.

At a mid-January council meeting, Gombac said Dunkin' Donuts was expected to open by the end of January or mid-February. At the time, the developer had an issue with ComEd that lasted nearly four weeks.

The project has encountered other issues lately, among them a vendor dispute, Gombac said.

In 2019, the city approved a $150,000 incentive for the developer, John Manos, to upgrade the architecture because of the building's high-profile location. He also owns Brookhaven Plaza.