Restaurant Chain Gives Target For La Grange Opening

LA GRANGE, IL — In July, the Original Pancake House chain announced it would move into the old Bakers Square building at 942 S. La Grange Road in La Grange, but it did not give any timeline. This week, the chain revealed it aimed to open the local restaurant by late December.

On Tuesday, the business posted photos of a number of its plates, asking commenters to indicate which menu items they cannot wait for. A number of commenters wanted to know when the restaurant would open, and that's when it said late December.

In an interview Thursday, Julie Harrigan, co-owner of the franchise, said the business could meet that timeline, but noted things are moving slower these days because of COVID-19.

Earlier this month, Original Pancake House posted a way for people to apply online for jobs. It plans to interview applicants for server and manager positions in September and cooks, bus staff and host staff in October.

The Original Pancake House is in 29 states, with 17 locations in Illinois, nearly all of them in Chicago and the suburbs. The chain has 130 locations in the United States, eight in Japan and three in South Korea. Harrigan's father, Dick Harrigan, along with his two late brothers, bought their first franchise in 1965

The closest Original Pancake House to La Grange is about 14 miles away in Orland Park. Other nearby ones are in Oak Lawn and Schaumburg. Years ago, the chain had a location in La Grange Park.

Sean McKeon, a native of La Grange and a 2010 graduate of Lyons Township High School, joins Harrigan Brothers Inc. as the general manager for the local franchise. He has experience in opening large-scale restaurants and working with the Levy Group and most recently Aramark at Soldier Field as premium service and catering manager, Julie Harrigan said.

Many residents expressed sorrow over the closing of the old Bakers Square earlier this year.

On the Original Pancake House's local Facebook page, La Grange residents say they are looking forward to the opening.

"We are divided in our house," a woman wrote. "We all want to try all (the menu items), and my 11-year-old daughter is impatiently waiting for you guys to open. We may pop across the street as we do remote learning."