Butcher shop and deli planned for downtown McHenry

A butcher shop and deli are slated to open at a site next to McHenry Downtown Indoor Theater on Green Street.

McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett launched the idea earlier this year. The mayor is working with local investors and Jon and Nick Domanico of Orchard Prime Meats and Wine Shoppe and Tapas Calpe in Cary to bring the plan to fruition.

“I knew these guys could bring something different to McHenry,” Jett said. “The Domanico family has been in the butchering profession since the 1920s. Many of their customers have been shopping with them since Nick opened his original store at Bell’s Apple Orchard of Lake Zurich back in 1982. … They’re proud to become a new business member of McHenry and to the revitalized Green Street corridor.”

The planned full-service butcher will offer cuts of prime-grade beef, Midwest-raised poultry and meat, high-quality seafood, freshly ground beef and homemade sausage.

The deli will offer a variety of meats, cheeses, cured sausages and salami and salads. Take-home or dine-in soups, salads and sandwiches also will be served.

Patrons of the shop also can buy wine, beer, ceviches and oysters on the half shell at the on-site wine bar.

The shop will offer outdoor seating next to the movie theater in the summer months. Demolition on the existing site will begin this weekend.

This is one of several investor-driven business opportunities the new mayor has drummed up in town.

The renovation and reopening of the McHenry Downtown Indoor Theater also was a product of the community-owned mindset, and more opportunities exist down the pipeline, Jett said.

“I went into this meeting seeking a max of $300,000 and walked out with $900,000,” Jett said of a recent meeting with potential butcher shop investors. “I will be choosing a small group of investors who I think will make this business flourish. The investors that may not have a chance with this business will be able to get involved in the next amazing opportunity in the upcoming months.”

McHenry leaders and business owners recently have touted the downtown development since Jett took office in May.