Wheaton restaurateur nears opening of Dough and The Backyard

Wheaton entrepreneur Eric Schlickman forecasts a spring opening of his latest restaurant venture, the twin offering of Dough and The Backyard.

Both are being built at the site of the former Carlson’s Art Supply Store, 111 E. Front St., with Dough on the storefront and The Backyard behind it.

“We’re hoping to do a soft launch of at least the back around March Madness,” Schlickman said, referring to the college basketball tournament that ends with the men’s Division I championship on April 7.

“The kitchen won’t be done yet, but we’ll have a food truck that will supply the food for back there. And then probably mid- to late-April is when we’re trying to get this completely wrapped up,” Schlickman said.

A 2002 Wheaton North graduate, the 41-year-old former architect owns or is co-owner of several Wheaton restaurants: the fast-casual 302 locations on Front Street and at the Town Square Wheaton shopping center, Shane’s Deli, and the Subourban speakeasy.

According to plans he submitted to the city of Wheaton, Dough will offer about 220 seats in a full-service restaurant. The menu will offer appetizers, salads and pizza — a thin-crust “Newhaven” style and a thicker, Detroit-style pizza.

“Once you come into Dough it’ll feel like a sports bar,” Schlickman said. “There’s going to be 11 TVs or so in the space, mainly low-tops with a bar that’s kind of isolated somewhat from the main dining area.

“Then there’s a small, semiprivate space for about 20 to 25 people, kind of elevated off the dining room that is still connected, and overflow for full dining but could be used for small private or semiprivate events.”

Dough shares its kitchen with The Backyard. It will offer about 80 seats, lounge furniture, a 200-inch projection screen and accents such as wall coverings resembling ivy and turf flooring. Geared toward entertainment, it’ll include Skee-Ball, darts, and arcade games. Schlickman also is looking to book live musical entertainment.

He’s considering an age limit for The Backyard, but is yet to determine a minimum age or how to monitor that.

“The whole idea is do dinner somewhere, whether it’s Dough or somewhere else in downtown Wheaton, and then come over for a show at 8 o’clock or something like that. That’s kind of the idea for The Backyard,” Schlickman said.

Rescued from storage, Schlickman has a classic Cock Robin sign that graced the long-closed restaurant that now is Shane’s Deli. He’ll display it in either Dough or The Backyard.

At 111 E. Front St., workers have replaced utilities, stripped the interior to the studs, and exposed the original brick that had been hidden under drywall. A building next door “that was about to fall over” was demolished, Schlickman said.

“It’s been a relatively good, solid building, so no major surprises, which is a really good thing,” Schlickman said.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250218/business/wheaton-restaurateur-nears-opening-of-dough-and-the-backyard/