11-18-2009, 07:27 PM
verenablock Wrote:Not sure of her exact title, but it is some akin to Director of Development, and that is a city position. Actually, I just noticed her full title is in the first post in this topic.
I had an interesting conversation with the owner of the Rhapsody Cafe in Gurnee today.... While I was having lunch there, he told me all about how he met with Robin, as he had wanted to put his restaurant downtown here, in the storefront in the parking garage. He asked if the city would assist him in getting loans to retrofit the facility for restaurant use, as there are no back exits, plumbing, or exhaust systems that are necessary for a restaurant. He was told that she had no authority to assist him with that, nor could she tell him who had the authority. Then he asked if there was enough of a police presence in the area to keep the loiterers away, and she told him he had to pay extra for that. After three weeks of getting nowhere with anyone, he decided to open his restaurant (his second, the first one is in Deerfield) in Gurnee.
Too bad the city would not work with him, the food was actually pretty good. I had a really nice BLT with home fries and a small salad. The restaurant is very bright, and very clean, and the service was excellent.
That is so sad. Why did this Robin Shabes scare Rhapsody away like that? I know where that is in Gurnee, right behind that Golden Corral Restaurant. Next time, we will give it a try ! Nothing downtown Waukegan other than a McDonald's at one end and Greentown at the other. Would have been a great addition. You are so informed, Ms. Block. Isn't that space still empty across from the Genesee Theater too ?