'Nonsense' Over: Darien Officials Tour Country Club

DARIEN, IL – Darien's mayor this week proclaimed the ending of the "nonsense" between the local country club and its now-evicted restaurant and banquet hall operator.

Earlier this week, Patch reported that a judge allowed Carriage Greens Country Club to evict its restaurant operator, Carriage Greens F and B, owned by Heidi Revelis.

Last fall, the club and Revelis sued each other, each claiming the other owed hundreds of thousands of dollars. Parts of that litigation continue.

At a City Council meeting, Mayor Joseph Marchese said he and other city officials last week toured the club. He said he was amazed at how much work had already been done to improve the country club in the days since Revelis left.

"The flooring was gone in the Sandtrap (Grill), the wallpaper was down. They are going to re-drywall it, new ceiling tile, new floor, new bar countertop," the mayor said.

Improvements are planned for the offices and restrooms as well, he said.

"In the 40-something years I've been going to that golf course, I've never seen so much change in such a short period of time," Marchese said.

He said Carriage Greens owners Brian and Adriana Broderick are honoring a June 29 wedding that Revelis booked. In April, Revelis' lawyer said some events, including a wedding, were canceled because of the dispute.

"Carriage Greens' success is Darien's success," the mayor said. "We may not have liked all the nonsense that was going on, if you can call it nonsense. That part of it is over."

The club has hired a management group to run the restaurant and banquet hall, Alderwoman Mary Sullivan said.

The legal conflict involved Darien because of issues with the restaurant's liquor license, which the city granted. The city said it wanted to stay neutral.

In 2019, Marchese broke a City Council tie vote to give $366,000 to the country club, money that officials called an "economic development incentive."

According to the city, the money would be paid back from increased income from virtual golf revenue sharing as well as sales, amusement, food and beverage, and video gambling taxes.