McHenry’s Foxhole Pizza and Pub set to reopen with new management

Foxhole Pizza and Pub in downtown McHenry has new ownership after the business abruptly closed late last year.

While an opening date hasn’t been announced for the new version of the restaurant, the new owners have filed for gaming and liquor licenses, which the McHenry City Council is set to review Monday. The liquor license application lists a target opening date of July 1.

City documents indicate the new owners have asked permission for six gaming terminals, the maximum allowed. The previous version of Foxhole also had video gaming, according to city documents.

In biographies sent to the city, the new owners hinted at some of the food options they will offer, including thin crust pizza, ribs and chicken Parmesan, among other items. Rhett Wilborn, one of the owners, said in his bio that Foxhole will offer Chicago-style deep dish pizza “that will knock your socks off.”

City documents indicate the owners passed a background check, and officials seem eager to welcome the new Foxhole. “Staff is hopeful that the new ownership group will be able to bring new life into this historic business for the City,” according to city documents.

History also was a topic the new owners touched on in their bios.

“When you talk about the history of McHenry, there is no better example than the Riverside Hotel. Built in the 1860s, the Hotel has been a part of the community for longer than anyone alive can remember,” Wilborn wrote.

Foxhole is in the building’s basement.

The ownership consists of Rhett Wilborn, Courtney Wander, Ryleigh Morton and Skyler Wilborn, according to McHenry documents. According to Skyler Wilborn’s bio, Rhett Wilborn is his father, Courtney Wander is his stepmother and Ryleigh Morton is his sister.

Rhett Wilborn wrote in his bio that he grew up in Crystal Lake and has lived in McHenry since 2014. He wrote that his parents were entrepreneurs, as well, owning the “infamous” Sloppy T’s bar in McHenry, and he owns a roofing company called Innovative Home Concepts in addition to commercial and residential rental properties in McHenry County.

Wilborn also mentioned the building is undergoing renovations, but didn’t go into details to “preserve the mystery.”

Wander wrote in her biography that she moved to Wonder Lake at age 5, attending Landmark Elementary for kindergarten. Landmark has been the subject of public hearings as of late as officials debate whether to keep the school open.

Wander started her career working at Witron Integrated Logistics and has been at Innovative Home Concepts since 2006, according to her biography. She wrote she was “excited” about the possibility of owning Foxhole.

“I always loved the Foxhole growing up and I know so many members of the McHenry community will completely embrace it,” Wander wrote. “Serving on the board for the McHenry Jr. Warriors Youth Football league, I have visions of hosting fundraising nights and after game events at our pizza place for the kids and their families.”

Morton graduated from McHenry East High School in 2021 and plans to train servers and keep track of inventory, among other duties, at Foxhole.

Skyler Wilborn wrote in his bio that he was “thrilled for my family and myself to not only be a part of McHenry’s history but to also help shape its future.”

Kevin Rourke will serve as the general manager for the restaurant, according to city documents. He wrote in his biography that he graduated from McHenry East High School in 2002 and has worked in his family’s restaurant, Dilar’s in Richmond, since he was 14. He added that he has family recipes he will add to the menu, but didn’t mention any dishes in particular.

He wrote in his biography this wasn’t his first foray into the pizza business, having worked in that field from ages 18 to 32.

Skyler Wilborn wrote about McHenry he is “already witnessing its transformation into a vibrant, thriving community,” while Rhett Wilborn said he thought McHenry could the “crown jewel” of the county.

“And I also believe if the powers that be continue the path they are on, McHenry will be the top destination it once was and should be again,” Rhett Wilborn wrote.

In addition to making McHenry thrive, the owners have said they want to continue the legacy of Foxhole.

“We want to bring the Foxhole back to its past glory. We want it to not just be a place that had good memories for so many, but a place where many good memories are still made for years and years to come,” Rhett Wilborn wrote in the meeting packet.