Molly's Pancake House Opens In Lake Zurich

LAKE ZURICH, IL - A new place for breakfast and lunch has been open in Lake Zurich for the past two months. Molly's Pancake House has received an "overwhelming" response since opening in the former White Alps building at 572 W. Route 22, owners say.

"The reception has been fantastic," said Garrett Gioulos, who helps his wife Angela, the owner, with day-to-day operations of the new eatery.

"People couldn't be nicer," he said. "The village officials, the customers, everyone. We've been here two months and it is always a learning process but we've received a lot of compliments."

Molly's is named after the owner's daughter-in-law. It's now open in a building that was home to the White Alps restaurant for 30 years.

"We were looking for a place to open a breakfast and lunch spot and saw it was on the market," Garrett said, adding that it took about four months of remodeling and sprucing up before Molly's could open.

"It just needed a facelift," he said. "We are here to stay."

The Gioulos family is from Barrington Hills and plans to move soon to Lake Zurich, where Garrett says Angela has already been shopping for years.

Garrett says ideally a plan for growth will include other entrepreneurs investing in franchising with Molly's. Until then, the lone location will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., seven days a week, in Lake Zurich.

In its initial weeks during the fall, Garrett says the pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin waffles have been a hit. They've just recently added alcohol sales and may soon offer video gaming.

Molly's employees about 10 and is still looking to hire more busboys.

"We have begun to tap into the high school with hiring servers on the weekends and everyone has done a great job," Garrett said.

Photo via Molly's Pancake House