12/22/2024
One year ago today we were cleaning out Creekside. They hurried us out. Who is “they”? The Village of Algonquin. We were supposed to go to closing on Saturday the 23rd. But then they said we needed to close on the 22nd. I had asked for ONE MORE WEEK. They refused. The lawyers said “They have plans.” And yet, one year later the building is still standing. It’s so sad.
Unless you were a part of our Creekside Family, you might not understand the connection we had, nor the importance of that little bar. Beginning in May of 2011, we started serving a complimentary food buffet for every holiday. We realized early on that we had a lot of folks who had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Every year our crowd grew. It wasn’t long before people who could have gone elsewhere were coming to Creekside and bringing food, too! Every holiday was so much fun!
So many friendships were forged at the Creek, and some were also lost, I’m sure. Many people who met there, got married! And, just as with all families, we lost many as well. Weddings and funerals…all part of this game of life. We forged friendships there that will last the rest of our lives.
For the most part, the women and men who worked for us over the years were THE best!! I learned a lot from them. Most were seasoned bartenders when we hired them, and I know working for us was a little different than what they were used to. Others were newbies and after a little bit of training, we threw them into the deep end of the pool. And they all succeeded! They all succeeded because they cared about Creekside and ran their shifts like it was their own business. We trusted them and, with just a few exceptions over 13 years, they all deserved our trust. They built our business and we supported them. Win/ win!
I had such high hopes for Creekside 2. It was such a perfect solution. Our bartenders all had guaranteed jobs. Our family had the same local, convenient place to go. Algonquin would have had another fun, vibrant, successful business in town. How many people know why Creekside 2 never got off the ground? I’ll tell you why. I’ve been quiet for a year, but now I’ll tell you what I know. The folks who were going to open C2 asked the Village first if there would be any problem getting a liquor license. They were told that it wouldn’t be a problem. What the Village failed to make clear is that it wouldn’t be a problem as long as they did everything the Village demanded. So, instead of a nice, quaint, local tavern, the Village required that they 1) put in a full kitchen; 2) be a sit-down restaurant, focusing on food rather than a bar 3) they had to approve the menu. They presented a menu focusing on soups, sandwiches and salads. They purchased kitchen equipment. They designed and redisgned blueprints to try to meet the Village’s requirements. They had purchased most of our decor, tables, chairs, etc. to give C2 somewhat of the same ambience as Creekside, but of course with a brand new build out. They even went so far as to pay the bartenders a modest salary to hold onto them while remodel work was completed. All of this cost a lot of money, but they were willing to make that investment because future earnings were forecast to be worth it. But after all of this, the Village said a soup, sandwich and salad menu wasn’t good enough. Oh, and by the way, you MIGHT get your gaming license in a year. WHAT??? You see, this Village Board doesn’t like gaming machines. They would like to eliminate them. So, for the Algonquin businesses that have them, this should be a huge concern. If they eliminate them, your customers will go to LITH, Carpentersville, Crystal Lake and the Dundees. And for the folks who enjoy playing them in their favorite bars, remember, these are elected officials. You have the power to vote them out.
I went through hundreds of pictures to add to this post. I chose many at random because it was pretty hard to see them through the tears. In the end, I guess I chose too many to post, because I couldn’t upload them. I wanted to avoid the pics from this day one year ago, because the wound is still tender and I can’t look at them. They are undoubtedly some of the saddest pics ever. Our once lively, fun and vibrant bar was dark, empty and cold. It still sits there, a reminder of what it once was. I have people text from time-to-time, telling me how sad it looks and how the Village is letting it become overgrown and deteriorating. But, they wouldn’t give me one more week…
I can never say thank you enough to all of the people who came into our lives and who made Creekside Tap what it was. It may not seem like much to some people reading this, but I can tell you from my heart that it meant something to so many people over the years. I love you and miss you all so much! I’m sorry that the group has had to scatter and try to find another home. But time marches on! I’m sending loving, holiday greetings to everyone! I hope 2025 brings all good things to you and yours! ~ Val
