Workers Found Living In Basement Of Palatine Restaurant

PALATINE, IL — A Palatine restaurant's business license has been suspended for at least two weeks after the fire department found workers were living in the basement. According to the Daily Herald, The Dream Place at 1280 E. Dundee Road was fined $2,000 for violating village code due to 3 male workers using the basement to live and sleep, where no smoke or carbon monoxide alarms were found, Palatine firefighter Brian Stennett told the news source. The fire department was called to the restaurant around 1:45 a.m. on Sept. 6, where they found a pot of food on a burner and a worker who woke up when firefighters got inside.

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According to the Daily Herald, the village's sanitarian, Nicole Nichols was called to the restaurant and took photos of a bucket of urine, mattresses, a dresser, and pillows, among other items. The basement also has two bathrooms, one with a shower head and tub, Stennett told the news source. The restaurants manager, Xiao Lin, said due to an increase in rent, the workers were in between apartments and were staying in The Dream Place's basement for "a couple days," according to the Daily Herald. The next hearing involving the restaurant is planned for Sept. 29.

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According to village documents, Nichols visited the restaurant on Aug. 5 and 20, as the business has been open for carryout after a brief shutdown at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. On Aug. 20, a reinspection was conducted to follow up on what was found two weeks prior.