The historic Palms Grill Cafe along Route 66 in Atlanta, Ill., has reopened under an interim manager until a new, permanent manager for the restaurant is found.
Peggy Payne (of Peggy’s Place in nearby Lincoln, Ill.) and her husband Tom (known for his Fat Boys BBQ in Lincoln) to act as interim managers of the Grill while a search for a full-time manager is conducted.
According to a release from William Thomas of the Atlanta Library Board, which owns the building:
We’ve very excited to have Peggy and Tom running the Grill for us on a daily basis. They are also handling the Dinner Programs at the Palms Grill Cafe sponsored by the Atlanta Library and Museum. Without Peggy’s help, we would have had to close the Grill down while we search for a new manager, so we very much appreciate what she is doing.
The restaurant closed briefly in late October after its manager, Ronda McBride, stepped down because of an ongoing battle with cancer.
In the meantime, the board is sending out the word that it wants applicants for a new Palms Grill Cafe manager:
The Palms Grill Café is a turnkey operation. It is fully equipped and will only require a new manager to supply an initial inventory of food and hire his/her staff to operate it. The Grill seats 47 in its main dining area, which includes 7 tables, plus a counter with 11 stools. Its backroom seats up to 60. The building is approximately 1800 sq ft.
Leasing/Managing the Palms Grill Café is an excellent opportunity for the right person.
The following timeline details the steps to take for anyone interested in applying for this opportunity:
January 17, 2014 – Business Plan/Proposal due.
Feb 5, 2014 – Business Plan/Proposal Presentation to Atlanta Library Board of Trustees
March 5, 2014 – New Leaseholder/Manager of the Palms Grill Cafe Selected
May 1, 2014 – Palms Grill Café lease begins and property available to move into/begin operationsThe Atlanta Public Library owns the Downey Building in which the Palms Grill Café is located, and acts as the Landlord of the property. The lease for the Palms Grill Café runs from May 1 through April 30, with an annual option to renew. In order to keep The Grill open to the public, an interim manager is operating the cafe during the period in which the Atlanta Library seeks a new full time manager.
For more information, contact:
Bill Thomas, Treasurer
Atlanta Public Library
Post Office Box 166,
Atlanta, Illinois 61723
wthomas@teleologic.net
217-648-5077
An application can be downloaded here.
The Palms Grill, which opened in 1934, closed in the late 1960s. The restaurant was restored in 2009, and quickly became a must-stop for Route 66 travelers.