La Grange Pizzeria Still In Works

LA GRANGE, IL – The plan for a new pizzeria in La Grange is undergoing the village's design procedures.

On Monday, the Village Board is expected to vote on Wooden Paddle's plan for 23 W. Calendar Ave.

The owners are Jonathan and Brianna Cowan, who own Wooden Paddle in Lemont. The eatery is described as a "communal wood-fired pizzeria."

The business is seeking approval for a number of changes. They include replacing windows and doors on the front and installing a railing and deck on the rooftop.

According to village documents, the owners plan to convert the first floor into a restaurant, the second into a private dining area with a catering kitchen and the rooftop for daytime and seasonal use for private events.

In October, the village's Design Review Board unanimously approved Wooden Paddle's proposal.

In an email to Patch, Jonathan Cowan said the Lemont restaurant caters a lot of weddings – more than 80 in 2021, for instance. In La Grange, he said, the venue will be big enough to hold weddings – ceremonies on the rooftop and receptions on the second floor.

Cowan said he hopes to open the La Grange restaurant in summer 2023.

"Everything seems to be moving slower post COVID in regards to planning and getting bids from contractors," Cowan said. "We haven't started construction, and we have a ton of work to do on the building."