Derek Drew explains his vision of a new kind of business to the Montgomery Village Board Monday.
Drew recently contacted the Village to request a liquor license for a restaurant/entertainment establishment to be located in a 1,248 square foot space at 2086 Orchard Road. Drew desires to create a space that aims to serve and entertain diverse populations.
He said the business would be modeled after The Blind Barber in Chicago.
Here is the letter of request he submitted to Village officials:
Montgomery Village Board: Hello, my name is Derek Drew. I was raised in the area and graduated high school from Oswego East. Most recently I graduated from Illinois State University with a Masters Degree in Communication. I am sending this letter seeking an audience to discuss an establishment I wish to place in Montgomery. Neither Kane nor Kendall county have an establishment owned by a minority that is aimed at serving minority populations. I desire to create a space that aims to serve and entertain diverse populations. Similar to the idea of a co/op I will provide customers with the opportunity to purchase monthly memberships that would allow them benefits and perks. The space will be extremely open and versatile allowing for it to transform from bar, to cafe, to yoga studio, premier viewings etc. In the back, there will be video gaming machines in a private enclosed space. I expect 50% of revenue to be from food and alcohol sales while the rest is from a combination of subscription fees, weekly activities and video gaming. This space will add value to Montgomery and the surrounding community. Thank you for your time.
— Derek Drew
Board members agreed this is a unique concept for Montgomery.
President Matt Brolley said “at this point we need more information. Our goal is to promote economic development.”
Murphy began his career as a foreman; with 15 years of experience working as an equipment operator for the City of Naperville before coming to the Village of Montgomery.
“Working for the Village of Montgomery has been a joy. The entire staff is friendly and very knowledgeable about Village happenings. It’s been great to help transform Montgomery and improve everyday life for the community.”
When Murphy isn’t busy at the Village, he’s keeping busy at home with his 5 children and 3 grandchildren. “My family is my pride and joy.”
In addition to the hiring of Murphy; Public Works has hired Todd Ellis as the new Water and Sewer superintendent. Ellis has 12 years of experience; before working for the Village, Ellis worked for East Peoria Water as their Water and Wastewater Superintendent.
According to director of Public Works, Mark Wolf, “We are excited to have Todd as a member of our team and look forward to the contributions that he will be making to the Village.”
— Village of Montgomery
Here is more information about the League which isn’t exclusive to women only:
A new League chapter – League of Women Voters Aurora Area – was recognized by the LWVUS on July 25th. We are getting started in our communities which include Aurora, Montgomery, North Aurora, and Oswego.
League Mission: Empowering voters. Defending democracy.
Nonpartisan: The League neither supports nor opposes
candidates for elected office nor do we support or oppose political parties.
Political: means that after extensive member study and consensus, the League approves positions that inform action on political issues.
The League takes action on a broad range of public policy issues. League members choose which issues will be targeted for study and action – we are a true grassroots organization.
Membership: is open to anyone who is 16 years or older. Our members make a visible difference by serving as community leaders using their experience to create positive, lasting change in our communities.
The new chapter is working in our communities on the activities the League is known for: Voter registration and education, presenting events on topics of interest, conducting studies on current issues, which lead to advocacy by the
chapter, sponsoring candidate forums for local area elections – this means that
some council members may hear from the League about participating in
candidate forums next year
They are on Facebook and Instagram as well as their website www.lwvauroraarea.org.
The League can be contacted by E-mail: lwvauroraarea@gmail.com.