Proposed breakfast restaurant for former Fannie’s bakery near Montrose & Milwaukee avenues in Jefferson Park gets thumbs up from residents
by BRIAN NADIG
A zoning proposal for a breakfast eatery inside the former Fannie’s bakery at 5040 W. Montrose Ave. appears to be moving forward after residents expressed support for the project at a Jan. 9 virtual meeting hosted by Alderman James Gardiner (45th).
Plans call for the 2,200-square-foot restaurant, whose hours would be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, to open by late April.
“I’m really looking forward to it, and I support it,” resident Anthony Hall said.
Alain Park, who operates a business in the area, said the restaurant would bring more people to the Milwaukee-Montrose intersection, helping other businesses.
Gardiner also voiced support for the project.
“The 45th Ward is really excited to welcome this new restaurant … (bringing) more positive new energy to the ward,” he said.
The proposal calls for the the site to be rezoned from B1-1 to B3-1 to allow for a “general” instead of a “limited” restaurant.
Under the existing B1-1 zoning, the serving of liquor would be limited to the dining room, but under B3-1 there could be a bar where customers would be able to have a drink while waiting for a table, according to Gardiner.
Under the criteria of the incidental liquor license that the restaurant is seeking, most of its revenue would have to come from food sales. The license would allow for the serving of popular brunch beverages such as mimosas and Bloody Mary drinks, project officials have said.
“We think it’s a pretty straight forward request given that we’re proposing no changes to the envelope of the building,”
project attorney Andrew Scott told residents.
The building would remain two stories along Milwaukee Avenue and one story along the section of Montrose Avenue where the restaurant would be located, Scott said.
There is a parking lot behind the building.
For years residents have been calling for more brunch-style restaurants in the area.
Project officials have said that there are no plans to lease the restaurant out at night for parties.
No objections to the proposal were raised at the 15-minute community meeting.
A construction permit for the build out of a coffeehouse on the site was issued last year to Portage Park Breakfast LLC.
