Oswego Could Get Its First Popeyes Restaurant

OSWEGO, IL — Oswego could get its first Popeyes restaurant if the village's planning and zoning commission approve the plan presented to it during the Dec. 10 meeting.

According to the proposal, the eatery — with a drive-thru and outdoor dining area — will be built on a vacant outlet at 3439 Orchard Road in the Orchard Plaza shopping center. HZ Ops Holding, Inc., project developer, is seeking village approval of an amendment to a previous development agreement that would allow for the restaurant's construction.

The village memo states that the site proposed for Popeyes was originally approved for a Burger King that was not constructed. The new restaurant will have approximately 50 employees, with an average of 10 per shift. The restaurant hours are anticipated to be open Sunday – Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Friday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

The memo said that the amendment was required due to size, height and location changes proposed for the new building. This will be approximately 3,230 square feet, which is a greater than 10 percent increase in the area of the previously approved Burger King building (2,850 SF).

It will have a height of feet and will be approximately 76 feet from Orchard Road. The approved Burger King elevations provided for a 19-foot-tall building that would be approximately 96 feet from Orchard Road. The difference in height is more than 10 percent and the change in building location is greater than ten feet, which is primarily due to the lack of a patio in the front of the building for the new Popeyes restaurant where Burger King would have had one.

In the memo, village staff recommends approval of the requested amendment.