Comings & Goings: Week of firsts — Barbecue, pizza, banking
By Kristen Kucharski knkucharski@hotmail.com June 28, 2012 6:04PM
June 4 marked the opening of CiCi’s Pizza's first Naperville location at the intersection of Route 59 and Aurora Avenue. CiCi's offers an all-you-can eat buffet for $4.99, as well as carry-out pizza options. | Submitted
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Updated: August 2, 2012 6:26AM
Twist on Ribfest
Bringing barbecue
to childhood home
Name: Q-BBQ
Where: 103 S. Main St.,
Naperville
Call: 630-637-6400
Web: www.q-bbq.com
Michael LaPidus created the Q-BBQ concept in LaGrange three years ago and has expanding his authentic barbecue restaurant to the town he once lived in.
“I lived in Naperville when I was a child, went to Highlands Middle school and have always felt a connection to the downtown area,” LaPidus says. “Naperville offers a lot of variety, and the restaurant selections in town are original.”
He always has wanted to put a Q-BBQ in Naperville, because he thinks it offers something unique to the downtown area and pairs well with Naperville’s Ribfest.
“Q-BBQ is a traditional, yet chic barbecue place that features food from all regions, and we are authentic in our cooking methods of low and slow smoking,” he says. “Our staff is extremely passionate about barbecue, and we have awesome food and great prices.”
The restaurant atmosphere is welcoming to business suits, as well as shorts and flip-flops, and offers an extensive menu to suit all palettes.
“Our customers can order a basic pork sandwich, but another option is to Q it up a notch by ordering it Q-style, where the sandwich is toasted and topped with smoked Gouda and coleslaw,” LaPidus says. “All meats are rubbed and smoked. Our rubs and sauces are made from scratch, and all sides are homemade.”
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
Pizza satisfaction
Naperville gets
first CiCi’s
Name: CiCi’s Pizza
Where: 618 S. Route 59,
Naperville
Call: 630-357-1202
Web: www.cicispizza.com
The first CiCi’s Pizza in Naperville opened June 4 at the intersection of Route 59 and Aurora Avenue. Owned and operated by franchisee Jay Ambe Pizza Inc., the 4,200-square-foot restaurant is managed by Benito Suero and Manish Kapadia.
“We enjoy providing a fun, family-friendly environment where our neighbors can enjoy great food at an exceptional value,” Suero says. “From our ‘welcome to CiCi’s,’ greeting when you first walk in the door to our ‘thank you’ and ‘CiCi you later’ promise, our Naperville guests will receive excellent service.”
CiCi’s offers an all-you-can-eat buffet for $4.99 and 15-inch one-topping carryout pizzas regularly priced at $5.99. CiCi’s also welcomes special requests, and will prepare and hand-deliver piping hot, fresh-from-the-oven pizza at no additional cost. The family-oriented restaurant, which features more than 28 different pizzas, plus pasta, salad, soup and a dessert buffet, originally opened in Plano, Texas, in 1985. It has grown to about 550 restaurants in 35 states.
“At CiCi’s we have a deep-rooted focus in providing the best dining experience at an affordable price for all of our guests,” Suero says. “We strive to provide a family-friendly environment that doesn’t break the bank with an endless variety to satisfy everyone in the family.”
Across the nation, CiCi’s partners with schools, churches and youth programs throughout the year, and they are looking forward to doing the same in Naperville.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Community first
First Bank & Trust
opens branch here
Name: First Bank & Trust
Where: 55 Shuman Blvd., Suite 110, Naperville
Call: 630-348-2300
Web: www.firstbt.com
First Bank & Trust, which has headquarters in Evanston, opened its ninth branch as a commercial banking office June 25 in Naperville. Darrin Bacon, a 24-year resident of Naperville, will lead the team expanding First Bank & Trust’s reach to the western and southwestern suburbs.
“We are excited to open a branch in Naperville,” Bacon said. “Several of our officers have roots and professional experience in the community, and we believe that our wide array of high-quality products and personalized service will be well received in Naperville and the surrounding communities.”
First Bank & Trust is a locally owned and managed community bank founded in 1995 by Bob Yohanan, Howard Kain and Jay Lytle, with a mission to put community first, and provide personalized banking and investment services to individuals, owner-managed businesses and the not-for-profit community.
The bank has grown from a staff of 12 to a staff of more than 100, in nine locations.
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Know of a business coming to or leaving Naperville? Contact Kristen Kucharski at knkucharski@hotmail.com
