LAKEVIEW — North Side fans of Home Run Inn need not fear: The Lakeview location is still in the works.
Construction began last week at 3215 N. Sheffield Ave. after some unexpected delays, said restaurant group president Dan Costello.
"We had to work pretty hard with the city to get some stuff corrected, and that added two months to the project. It's an older building. There's a lot of structural stuff we had to make sure we got right," Costello said.
The opening, originally set for this spring, has been pushed back to mid-July, so the Home Run Inn frozen pizzas will have to tide us over a bit longer than expected.
Home Run Inn prides itself on using a cherished family recipe and fresh ingredients. While the restaurant has several South Side locations, the Lakeview spot would be the first north of downtown.
The Sheffield Avenue building formerly housed the original Leona's Restaurant, which was renamed Lina's after the owner sold the chain but retained the Sheffield Avenue restaurant in November 2013.
Also still in the works is a second Coalfire Pizza, which will open at 3705-3707 N. Southport Ave. in the near future.
Coalfire Pizza co-owner Dave Bonomi said Thursday that while there haven't been any serious delays, construction has taken longer than originally anticipated.
"I guess we kind of bit off more than we could chew by saying we could open in the fall or by December. Essentially it's just come down to the finishing details. We're trying to get it right," Bonomi said.
By the end of March, Bonomi hopes to have a firm opening date, which he knows the neighborhood is highly anticipating — he's been getting calls and emails every day.
"The neighborhood has been great to us. All the business owners and the residents have been incredibly welcoming," he said.
Co-owner Jimmy Madla said in October he expected to open the restaurant in the former Hye Bar location by the end of 2014.
Madla partnered with Coalfire Pizza to open the Lakeview location. Coalfire Pizza serves Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in an 800-degree coal oven and has one location in the Near West Side neighborhood.
Madla closed his Latin-inspired restaurant Coobah in August to prepare for the Coalfire opening. He said some of the reclaimed wood from Coobah will be incorporated into Coalfire Pizza's design, and the staff would also come with him.
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