After about four months of being closed, Burger King, 1740 Orrington Ave., is finally climbing back on its fast-food throne as the only 24-hour restaurant within walking distance of Northwestern.
It is scheduled to open sometime this week, the restaurant’s owner said, pending final inspections by city officials.
The store closed for renovations in mid-December and construction was delayed when the Evanston Building Department issued a stop-work order in early January because of plumbing work that began without a permit. The department did not receive an application to continue work from Burger King until Feb. 1, Evanston Building Official Carolyn Brzezinski told the DAILY in March.
Store owner Chuck James said renovators uncovered many structural problems. In the end, they installed a new floor, moved the bathrooms, replaced the heating ventilation units and lowered the building’s roof.
“We couldn’t fully understand the scope of the work until we really got into it,” he said. “Once we got into it, we made the commitment to do everything we needed to do to make sure the building is in great shape for the next 20 years.”
The store will also feature a 42-inch plasma television with continuous news feeds and a new sound system, he said. Workers added an extra set of doors so that patrons inside the store won’t get “blasted” by the cold. James said he also ordered NU-themed artwork, which should arrive a couple weeks after the opening.
“We believe it’s very important to fit into the communities that you serve,” he said. “You will know you’re at Northwestern’s campus when you go into that Burger King.”
James said the store will have its grand opening in May, after construction is complete.
“We’re going to be opening up with about 90 percent of the finished product, but it will truly be finished in May,” he said. “We’re trying to get the store ready as quickly as possible, of course.”
In an effort to be a “centerpoint for the community,” the store will have comfortable booths and even two lounge chairs with swivel desks, James said. The store will continue to offer free wireless Internet.
“We could’ve taken some shortcuts, but once we’re here (in the construction process) we wanted to come up with a finished product that we’re proud to be associated with,” James said.
Weinberg junior Cary Steklof said when it was open, he would visit Burger King at least twice a week. He said he was excited about the store’s re-opening, although he thought the plasma TV might be “out of place.”
“I won’t be camping outside the Burger King waiting for it to open, but I definitely will be frequenting it once again, probably just as much as before,” he said.
Reach Matt Presser at [email protected].
