Downtown Algonquin Restaurant Revived

Between White Elephant Square at Main and Algonquin Road and the defunct Java Bar at Main and Washington there are no fewer than seven "For Rent", "For Lease" or "For Sale" signs. The recession's used Downtown Algonquin roughly. So it was good news when a pair of young entrepreneurs re-opened Martini's on Main restaurant Friday.

Martini's, as its window claims, is "Where Old Friends Meet" but that hasn't happened since former owners closed its doors last year. The restaurant business has a brutal attrition rate even in normal times and the 116 year-old 8 South Main location has gone through four different owners in the last 10 years.

Greg Geigel and Klara Cukova of Wauconda have been conducting what they call a "soft start" at Martini's since Tuesday serving clientele by invitation. Their re-opening to the public was yesterday.

Cukova's the one with an extensive restaurant background. Geigel laughed saying, "Mine's all corporate."

"We just really thought it was a really good property in a really good location," Geigel said. "We're also sure the village is serious about getting out and renewing the downtown area. That counts for a lot. We're really confident."

At 12:30 am today Geigel and Cukova hadn't finished counting the first day's receipts. Geigel summed up the restaurant's first real day saying, "It went well. It really went well. We got really lucky with our kitchen staff and our cook. It looks good now."

Martini's on Main will be open from 4 p.m. every Tuesday through Sunday.