Squire Ale House coming to former The Lodge location in Campton Hills

After being in the restaurant business for decades, Bob Karas, owner of Karas Restaurant Group, is about to embark on a brand-new adventure when he opens Squire Ale House on Route 64 in Campton Hills this fall.

The group owns 15 popular restaurants in the Fox Valley area, including Rookies, Alexander’s Cafe and The Village Squire locations.

But the ale house concept is a new one for Karas.

“It’s an offshoot of The Village Squire brand, but the Squire Ale House is a tavern,” he said. “We’ll brew our own exclusive beers offsite, and have some custom beers, the standard beers, as well as our famous Mai Tais. We want to connect [the ale house] to the Squire brand, it’s the same family, but a different concept.”

[ Village Squire operators to take over former Public House in Woodstock, call it Squire on the Square ]

While the menu is still a work in progress, Karas said Squire Ale House will serve The Village Squire’s popular authentic broasted chicken, as well as the rotisserie chicken that was a big hit at The Lodge.

“[The Squire Ale House] will have burgers, sandwiches, ribs. It won’t be the whole Squire menu, because we want it to be different,” Karas said. “We’re not 100% done with the menu, but it will be family-friendly. People can enjoy a high-end dinner or a more casual meal.”

One of the biggest questions Karas said he’s asked about Squire Ale House is if it will have s’mores like its predecessor.

“We will have s’mores; if I don’t, I will be a villain in Campton Hills,” he said with a laugh. “We will have popcorn when you walk in and s’mores roasting outside. We’ll have packages of graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows. People can make them on the fire pits on their way out.”

Karas purchased the property two years ago, which was in “bad shape.” He had been a customer of the former Niko’s Lodge (which was The Lodge’s predecessor), and saw the building sitting empty for years before deciding to buy it.

“I knew I could open it myself, since I know a thing or two about restaurants,” he said. “Not a lot of people know the area, but I know it’s a gem, so I’m excited to open it. I’ve been doing this my whole life, and I think I can make something of it. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback, people are really excited.”

The restaurant tentatively is expected to open in October, assuming all necessary repairs are completed.

“We gave [the building] a facelift. It’ll be very recognizable,” he said. “It had a lot of structural issues, but nothing cosmetic. It’s a cross between Village Squire and The Lodge. There’s a lot of woodwork and stone, so it’s similar to what it was. We got new furniture and changed the bar a little bit.”

If you drive by, you’ll notice the brand-new outdoor patio that’s gone up, which will offer seasonal outdoor dining and live music.

“We’ll have live music nightly. The patio will be an awesome experience with an outdoor stage and bar. It’ll be really nice in the summertime,” Karas said.

In addition to live music, Squire Ale House will have a game room for slots, TVs for sports and a room for private parties.

Karas said he’s very excited to open Squire Ale House because the restaurant has been “closed for too long.”

“Campton Hills feels like part of our family,” he said. “ I know a lot of people, we have a customer base there, so it just seems like a natural fit. It’s close, but far enough where we can have another of our restaurants. People know they’ll get a quality meal,” he said.

Karas said Squire Ale House will open at 4 p.m. on weekdays, but will serve lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant will be closed Mondays.

For more information about the Karas Restaurant Group’s other locations, visit goodplacestobe.com.