Lifelong Palatine Residents Purchase Brandt’s The Little Café

Walt Oswald and Jimmy Iuorio purchased Brandt’s on Wednesday, and plan to keep the family feel and raved about food that has been a staple in Palatine for close to 50 years.

Great news for Brandt's The Little Cafe fans, new life has been breathed into the business after two lifelong Palatine residents purchased it on Wednesday. Jimmy Iuorio and Walt Oswald bought the business and according to Iuorio, the two plan to make some upgrades, but will keep the same food and general ambiance of the Palatine favorite. “Brandt's has been there since 1964. We feel that there needs to be something in our lives and in our towns that stays constant. So far it's been constant for 50 years and we hope to get another 50,” Iuorio said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. Iuorio said after travelling through Europe, he grew to love the little pubs that felt like the community living room. “That’s the way we hope people feel about it…

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Brandt's Holds Out Hope to Stay Open

Owner George Grisco and daughter Georgina Konuk say they haven't lost faith there will be some way for the family restaurant of more than 65 years to remain in business.

With Christmas just a couple of weeks away, the owner of Brandt's-The Little Cafe, is thankful for the more than 65 years his family business, located at the corner of Northwest Highway and Quentin Road, has remained in Palatine. Brandt's owner George Grisco, and his daughter Georgina Konuk also are holding out hope that something of a Christmas miracle might happen to keep the Palatine business staple, afloat. "I still have people trying to help me, in the way of finding investors or an affordable loan, to keep our business alive," said Grisco.  How the business got into trouble, as reported by Palatine Patch in mid-October, goes back to the late 1990's when property taxes on the two acres the restaurant is located on, began to whirl out …

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CHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN

POLL: Chowdown Showdown Burger Challenge

Take our poll and let us know which of this week's finalists is your favorite restaurant for a burger in Palatine.

UPDATED: Chowdown Showdown Burger Results! For this week's Palatine Patch Chowdown Showdown, we asked readers where their favorite place in Palatine is to get a burger. We got a lot of feedback — thanks to everyone who submitted their feedback by commenting in our articles. But there were four restaurants that the most readers picked as their favorite: Brandt's-The Little Cafe, The Lamplighter Inn, T.J. O'Brien's, Bauer's Brauhaus.  You can cast your vote for your favorite spot by submitting your answer in the poll below.  Voting will continue through 12 p.m. Friday. Check back first thing Saturday morning to find out if your restaurant has been chosen as this week's Chowdown Showdown Champion for having the best burger in Palatine.

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