Geneva's Niche gets $40K ARPA grant for expansion, renovation

Niche, at 14 S. Third St., Geneva, is looking to expand into the neighboring space at 12 S. Third St., a currently closed retail space, to create its own boutique to complement the restaurant.

The Geneva City Council gave final approval to award a $40,000 American Rescue Plan Act grant to Niche to cover 80% of the cost to add an ADA restroom and a fire alarm. The last of the ARPA money has to be obligated before Dec. 31, 2024 or the city has to send it back to the U.S. Treasury, officials said.

Niche’s remodeling project would cost nearly $551,000, and includes installing a bar, plumbing fixtures, lighting and additional furnishings.

Niche owner Vince Balistreri said in a text message that he is still in negotiations on rent. If they cannot agree, then the business will look for another space.

“We are just on hold trying to get the rent to an appropriate price,” Balistreri texted. “We hope to do it. But if it’s too rich we can’t afford to do it.”

The building at 14 S. Third St. was built in 1920 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The ARPA funds are provided for historic preservation and adaptive reuse, officials said.

Though only in business for 18 years, Niche won more than 20 awards and recognitions, including 2015 Open Table Diners' Choice; 2010 and 2011 Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator for the wine list; WGN Radio 18 of 18 from critic Sherman Kaplan; Kane County Chronicle Readers' Choice Awards for best fine dining in 2006 and 2007; 2023 “One of the Best Hidden” gems in Illinois.

In 2018, Niche was featured on WTTW’s “Check, Please!” feature. Three nominators visit the restaurants they recommended and then go on the show to talk about it.

On the WTTW program, Balisteri compared the beauty of downtown Geneva to Mayberry – the fictitious small town featured in “The Andy Griffith Show” of the 1960s.

“We really pride ourselves on service. I think most of all the kitchen always does a great job with the food that they do,” Balisteri said. “We have a lot of whiskies here. … We’ve been awarded as one of the top whiskey bars in America. We keep working on that and adding to the 400-plus bottles we have.”