The Vine Ready To Open Grayslake's Newest Patio For Business

GRAYSLAKE, IL — The outdoor space that Mike Pruitt says has been five years in the making, is finally ready for prime time.

Pruitt, the owner of The Vine Martini and Wine Bar in Grayslake, was hesitant earlier this summer to announce exactly when his establishment’s patio would open. But after holding soft openings earlier this week, The Vine will open on a full-time basis on Friday, Pruitt said.

The patio space, which features 100 seats and is pet-friendly, will be open beginning at 11 a.m. on Friday and will remain open until 10 p.m. Pruitt told Patch previously that the expansion has costthe business around $1 million, but will provide a space that he hopes to use on a year-round basis and open up for live music performances.

“It’s good to see the excitement not only in our staff and ourselves but to see the excitement from the town,” Pruitt told Patch in May.

He added: “It’s insane how excited people are. We knew there was going to be excitement, but there’s not a day that goes by when a dozen or more people ask about it or tell us how excited they are.”

The Grayslake Chamber of Commerce celebrating the opening of the patio space on Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Vine hosted customers in the space for the first time on Tuesday and again on Wednesday before closing the patio on Thursday to prepare for Friday’s official grand opening.

Pruitt did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the opening on Thursday.

The opening of the patio space represents the latest step for The Vine, which has been open in Grayslake for 17 years. Throughout the process of getting the space ready, Pruitt has kept customers and local residents in the loop with regular social media posts.

He said that as excited as he was to get the patio opened to clientele, he wanted to make certain all of the details were taken care of before he moved forward.