Public House in Woodstock to be replaced by Squire on the Square from Village Squire owners

Squire on the Square is coming to the former Public House space in Woodstock.

The restaurant will be a “modern offshoot” of The Village Squire, which has locations in McHenry and Crystal Lake and serves foods including saganaki, gyros, pasta, fish and dishes such as Asian nachos and smoked brisket, according to a news release from the city.

Squire on the Square will be part of the Karas Restaurant Group, which owns the Village Squire and Rookies, among other restaurants. Bob Karas and Bill and Tammy Linardos will own and operate the eatery, according to city documents. The new restaurant will take over the former Public House location inside the city-owned Old Courthouse.

“The Squire on the Square will be another ‘good place to be,’” Karas said in the release. “We’re excited to bring this new concept to Woodstock’s historic downtown and offer residents and visitors a place to gather, enjoy great food and create lasting memories.”

The lease for the space will take effect Aug. 20, and the restaurant plans to open this fall, according to the release. The lease agreement stipulates an opening date of no later than Nov. 1, and the lease runs through September 30, 2029.

City documents indicate that Squire on the Square has tentative plans to be open every day but Monday. Hours will be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, while the eatery plans to be open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.

“This restaurant space is part of the heartbeat of downtown Woodstock and the Square,” Woodstock Mayor Mike Turner said. “We are very excited to welcome the Squire on the Square to Woodstock and look forward to this new chapter. The City Council is confident that this new addition will honor the tradition of this beloved space and bring fresh energy and vibrancy to our community.”

Public House, located in the Old Courthouse basement, abruptly closed at the end of March. The eatery had received a loan from the city, its landlord, to help with closures prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the renovation of the Old Courthouse, but forgiveness was contingent on staying open for five more years.

After the closure, the city had asked Katlo Inc., the Public House operators, to pay back $345,000 in principal, interest and late fees. City officials found that Katlo didn’t have sufficient funds, and the City Council asked city staff to negotiate a settlement to get the space back in city hands and get as much repayment as possible, according to a June news release.

The council approved a settlement with Katlo in June. Under the terms of the settlement, Kathryn Loprino, the owner of Public House, will pay the city $75,000 plus interest. Loprino will make payments of $600 per month until the balance is paid off, according to the settlement. Katlo also gave $161,000 of collateral items back to the city as part of the settlement, and the city wrote in the release that the settlement gave “a better financial outcome than it would have received had the restaurant transferred its lease or remained open for five years.”

Before the council approved the settlement in June, Turner said the settlement would give the city “unquestioned, absolute control over this” and not be “encumbered” by any legal issues in the future.

Council member Bob Seegers had said that he was willing to risk another $100,000 of taxpayer funds to try to recoup more than what was in the settlement, while council member Natalie Ziemba said she was “putting a dollar value on every single day that the Public House is closed.”