What New Restaurants in Downtown Glenview Really Signal

As The Record North Shore reported, Marvin Barsky was driving to look at yet another possible location for The Bagel when he passed an empty storefront in downtown Glenview with a "For Lease" sign in the window. He wasn't touring Glenview specifically. He'd already looked at spaces in Highland Park, Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Northbrook and Deerfield, trying to find somewhere to reopen the deli that had anchored Skokie's Old Orchard Mall for 31 years before closing in 2018. Eight years is a long time to be homesick for a bagel. He'd spent much of that time asking Old Orchard's ownership every couple of weeks about coming back, only to eventually understand there was no room for him there anymore.

That detour is the whole story of downtown Glenview right now, condensed into one moment. Everyone already knows the neighborhood has a restaurant wave going. What's easy to miss is which businesses are riding it.

What's Actually Open, and What Isn't Yet

If you've been keeping half an eye on downtown over the past year, here's where things stand as of this week.

The list includes both new-to-Glenview concepts and businesses with longer local or regional histories. Ovvio, Hometown Coffee and Juice, Jackman & Co. and Zenzi Den are new concepts, or concepts new to Glenview. Foxtail, Spiro's and The Bagel bring different histories to the district.

Foxtail's story is especially tied to a building with a long history.

The Historic Building Behind Foxtail

The Foxtail Glenview House is opening inside a building that has been part of the village since 1878, before Glenview was even incorporated. Village officials note it was the site of the very first Glenview board meeting, and local accounts hold that the charter was signed there in 1899. Over nearly a century and a half it operated as a restaurant, a tavern, a hotel, a house of worship and a government office, depending on the decade. It closed as Glenview House in early 2023 after roughly 145 years of continuous operation and sat vacant.

Trustees approved close to $2.9 million in financial assistance for the renovation, structured as a $1.5 million loan at 5 percent interest over ten years plus a separate $1.4 million grant. The Glenview History Center was brought in to oversee the renovation. The renovated building will house a restaurant with a double-decker patio, a retractable louvered trellis roof, and a raw bar, scheduled to open on August 20.

The renovation brings together a historic building, village support, and an established restaurant group.

Spiro's Deli Is Moving to Glenview Road

Spiro's Deli has been a Glenview name since 1962. Its history includes time on East Lake Avenue and at 1210 Waukegan Road, making it part of the landscape rather than just a tenant in it. This month, that changes. Spiro's is relocating to a new building on Glenview Road, in the heart of the district the village has spent years trying to revitalize, and extending its hours to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. once the move is complete.

Spiro's moving off Waukegan Road and onto Glenview Road is a quieter data point than a ribbon cutting, but it's arguably a more convincing one.

The Bagel's return tells a similar story from a different angle. Barsky is opening inside Cerca, the new 62-unit apartment building at 1850 Glenview Road whose first residents moved in this July, in a roughly 5,000 square foot space built for up to 150 customers. It sits just a few blocks from Glenview's Metra station, an 11-minute drive from the deli's old Skokie address. Barsky's daily operations will be run by Rocio Carreras. Barsky isn't opening a pop-up to test the market. He's moving a family institution back to the North Shore after eight years away, and he chose Glenview over six other suburbs he'd already toured.

Why This Week Actually Matters More Than a Ribbon Cutting

New restaurants opening is one sign of activity. Another is the arrival of operators with long histories elsewhere or in Glenview. Spiro's has been a Glenview name since 1962. The Bagel is returning to the North Shore after eight years away and a search that included six other suburbs. Foxtail is opening in a 148-year-old building whose renovation received village support and is overseen by the Glenview History Center.

All three land within weeks of each other, right as the parking that supports them catches up. The village rebuilt the commuter lot near Depot Street and Grove Street to add roughly 20 spaces, with new sidewalks, lighting and stormwater work, and converted the former Patio Shops site at Glenview Road and River Drive into a 60-stall public lot. That's not incidental. It's the kind of infrastructure a village adds when it expects people to actually stay downtown longer than a quick coffee run.

If you already live in Glenview, none of this changes your commute or your property taxes. What it changes is where you'll probably end up parking on a Friday night by early fall, whether that's a plate of Foxtail's raw bar under a retractable roof on the same ground where the village charter was signed, a Bomber sandwich from Spiro's new counter on Glenview Road, or, if Labor Day weekend holds, a bagel from the deli half the North Shore assumed was gone for good.

Keep an eye on Foxtail's opening this week and Spiro's move later this month. Both are worth walking down to see for yourself, not because a new restaurant is a novelty, but because it's rare to watch three operators with such varied histories choose the same three blocks at the same time.

If you're already settled in Glenview and simply curious what your home might be worth in a downtown this actively being reinvested in, Deb Baker Homes offers a complimentary home valuation whenever you're ready to look into it.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.