Dave Miller and Will Cullen are so certain they have a winner on their hands, they have sunk about a million dollars of their own money into a new tavern they’re opening in downtown Naperville.
The George — historical references explained later — is at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Washington Street.
That’s where Bev’s was for a couple of years and where Jimmy’s Grill had been for 24.
Over the years, the site has also been home to a diner called The Landmark, a piano store run by Bev Patterson Frier, 94, who still owns part of the building, a gas station and a car dealership.
The building itself needed sprucing up, said Miller, adding, “from afar, it always looked decrepit.”
He and Cullen are hoping their vision changes that.
The patio from Jimmy’s remains and is receiving major upgrades worth about $250,000, Miller said.
Highlights are a fire pit made with bricks from old Chicago streets and a $125,000 pergola with louvers that can be moved to provide sun on nice days and cover when it rains.
Speakers, large fans and LED lighting will be part of the patio experience.
“The patio, we understand, is a draw,” Miller said. “So why don’t we spend money on the patio and really dress it up? All these windows will open up into the bar.”
The unlikely business partnership of Miller, 52, who owns a catering business in Lisle, and Cullen, 41, an owner of Empire Burgers + Brew down the street, started last year.
After Bev’s closed, Cullen called Miller and asked, “What should I do with this?” Cullen’s Empire Restaurant Group owns part of the property, Miller said.
Miller suggested subleasing to another restaurant group and Cullen found one. But he didn’t want to lose the property.
“I told him, what if we just gutted it. We redo everything, floor to ceiling, but we don’t try to sell a $58 steak, a $50 salmon … None of our entrees will cost more than $32,” Miller said.
For example, there will be 20 wines sold by the glass and the most expensive will be $16.
Their partnership is named Ciller Concepts LLC. “It’s Miller with a ‘C’ for Cullen,” Miller said.
“We used Will’s vision for the windows, doors, the pergola. We used a lot of my vision for the furniture, the bar design, refacing the exterior,” Miller said.
Right now, the interior looks like development mayhem with a ladders lining a wall, a bar covered with a tarp and concrete floors bare.
Despite appearances, the business is on schedule for the projected Labor Day weekend opening, Miller said.
“Our goal for this is we’re not hitting the college kids,” he said. “We’re not hitting the Miller Lite crowd or whatever. We want it to be a gathering place for families, for friends, for business associates.”
A lot of work has been done on the interior, which was basically torn down to the studs.
“For the most part, our biggest challenge was the plumbing,” he said. “It was all 60 years old. Lead pipes. When we got in, it was horrifying. We had to replace everything.”
They budgeted $20,000 on plumbing and spent about $70,000, he said.
A custom-built $60,000 L-shaped bar will be in the room nearest the patio.
In a nod to the past, they kept the old bar from Jimmy’s and are refurbishing it for a back room that will be called The Pontiac Lounge.
“Will has a photo of a 1963 Pontiac GTO parked in the front (where the patio is). I have a vintage Pontiac myself, a 1979 Trans Am. … Will said let’s have the most beautiful, soft seating lounge Naperville has ever seen,” Miller said.
The lounge also will have a new fireplace along with “vintage furniture, super comfortable” that’s ready to be moved in, he said.
A signature drink, the Carillon Old-Fashioned, will serve two, Miller said. It’s name, of course, a nod to one of Naperville’s iconic landmarks.
As for the name, Miller said “The George” is taken from a London tavern with the same name, a moniker they both liked.
“Then, Will and I and our wives — our wives had a lot to do with this — we’re in Big Sky, Montana, skiing over Christmas.
“We just happened to be at a super rustic vintage Montana resort tavern. They have the coolest eclectic tavern,” he said.
They liked what they saw and are bringing elements of that “Montana, Americana tavern” to their new business.
“My wife found The George in London (online). We love the London design features. We looked at each other. ‘The George, we love it.’”
And, they love the historic nature of the name.
“Will suggested we honor George Pradel, the late mayor. George Pradel gave the blessing when Josie and I got married 22 years ago. … I have a lot of respect and love for our old mayor.
“There will be some touchpoints to George Pradel in our restaurant,” he said.
Miller then reached out to Naper Settlement, seeking vintage photos to use in the restaurant. He learned about George Martin, of the Martin Mansion, who “made his fortune digging the Naperville quarries for limestone to rebuild Chicago after the fire.”
“Then you know Knoch Park. George Knoch Jr. owned a cigar store but father was one of the first U.S. circuit court judges, George Knoch Sr. from Naperville.
“George Laird was the one who constructed and built the Pre-Emption House, the first tavern and hotel in Naperville,” Miller said.
“We are taking vintage Naperville heritage,” he said, “and we are bringing it back alive with The George.”
The plan is for the tavern to be a mainstay in downtown for many years. Miller conceded it’s a hard business, but he is confident.
Bev’s, which opened in early 2022, only lasted until December 2024, in part, Cullen told the Naperville Sun, because of road and bridge construction downtown that recently ended.
When Jimmy’s Grill closed in October 2021 after 24 years, it was acquired by Cullen’s Empire Restaurant Group with plans for a more upscale Cali’s, but that did not happen.
The George will create about 55 jobs, Miller said. A number of high-profile positions are being filled by people who formerly worked at Catch 35, which this summer closed after 21 years in downtown Naperville.
“We took the cream of the crop from Catch 35. Their senior management team will be our senior management team. Our investors are very happy,” Miller said.
“We ventured out on a limb and did not borrow any money, which makes it more terrifying,” he said. “But between Will’s confidence and my confidence, we’re going to crush it.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.