Darien Country Club's 'Nasty' Dispute Continues

DARIEN, IL – You can still hit the links at Darien's Carriage Greens Country Club.

But don't expect to get a beer or another alcoholic beverage at the Sandtrap Grill: The country club's restaurant has no liquor license.

In a text message to Patch on Monday, club owner Brian Broderick said Carriage Greens F and B, which runs the restaurant, is "squatting" in the eatery's space, but no activity is taking place.

All references to Sandtrap have been wiped away from the club's website.

In an interview, Broderick said he and his wife, co-owner Adriana Broderick, are planning to open an upscale sports bar soon after they can evict F and B. They have already hired employees, he said.

Adriana Broderick said the club is trying to get the word out about the plan.

"We want a decent person running the restaurant," she said.

The club holds a liquor license for the spaces that F and B does not control, the Brodericks said.

In an interview, Fred Roth, the lawyer for F and B owner Heidi Revelis, said the restaurant is still serving customers as they come.

"But it's pretty slow without the liquor license. They'll have events with non-alcoholic beverages," Roth said.

In an email, Darien City Administrator Bryon Vana confirmed Sandtrap, owned by F and B Carriage Greens, no longer has its local liquor license.

According to a March 7 order from Mayor Joseph Marchese, the city suspended Sandtrap's license at the request of F and B, pending a resolution of litigation in DuPage County Court.

"The business was not approved for the state liquor license as required by city code," Vana said.

In late February, Darien informed the restaurant the state had rejected F and B's liquor license application.

The city said it would start proceedings against the eatery, so F and B asked for the suspension, Roth, F and B's attorney, said.

"It's hurt tremendously," Roth said.

In November, the City Council unanimously approved a liquor license for the restaurant. That was after the country club sued to evict the restaurant from the club, in a dispute that the city attorney described as "nasty."

Sandtrap was said to be working under the club's liquor license, saying the club informed the restaurant it did not need a separate license. The club denies that.

Last fall, the club sued the restaurant, and the restaurant countersued. Each claims the other owes it hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In an interview earlier this month, Roth, F and B's attorney, said the lack of a license has meant the cancellation of events, including a wedding.

"We understand that Darien is in the middle of all this," he said. "The city made it clear that they want to remain neutral."

Roth said DuPage County Court recently denied the club's immediate possession of the restaurant, which F and B is leasing. The next hearing is set for May 10.

Earlier this month, the club objected to a loan application that F and B submitted in February to New York-based Amsterdam Capital Group. Several businesses, including F and B and Carriage Greens Country Club, are listed at the top of the application.

In a statement to Patch earlier this month, club owners Brian and Adriana Broderick said their business had no knowledge of the loan at issue and none of its representatives had anything to do with it.

"We first became aware of the situation when given notice of the New York lawsuit," they said. "We are working closely with our attorneys to correct any mistake in joining us to the lawsuit and expect to have that corrected in short order."

The businesses besides F and B were listed only at the top of the application. In the other spots, only F and B is listed as the applicant, Roth noted. He said the listing of the club was a mistake.