Lounge, Steak and Seafood House Planned for Historic Plainfield Building

Mike and Cassie Vaughn in front of the Opera House building in downtown Plainfield. Credit: Shannon Antinori

With four successful downtown Plainfield businesses under their belt, Mike and Cassie Vaughn are looking to fill another need in the local business landscape.

The couple, owners of HopScotch & Vine restaurant, as well as retail stores Simply Saucy, What’s New and their latest venture, 3 Chic’s Boutique, have plans to open two new businesses in the historic Opera House building at 24027 W. Lockport St.

Downstairs will be home to Blu, an upscale coffee bar and lounge with a homey feel, while Opera House Steak & Seafood will take up the second floor, as well as an addition set to begin construction in March.

“Plainfield needs a steak and seafood house,” said Mike Vaughn, “so we’re doing it.”

The couple anticipates that Blu will open in March, while Opera House Steak & Seafood will be ready for a grand opening by the end of 2015.

“We have a great downtown, but we need more places,” Cassie Vaughn said. “We need more shops. We need more restaurants.”

While downstairs lounge Blu will have a modern feel with couches and overstuffed chairs, upstairs will remain true to the Opera House’s past.

“We really want to keep the historic feel upstairs,” Cassie said. Older architectural elements, along with the ticket booth, will be preserved as the new addition is built.

The addition, which will be built onto the back of the building, will include a new kitchen, an elevator, outdoor seating upstairs and retail space downstairs, the Vaughns said.

Outdoor seating will also be available on the first floor at Blu.

In addition to a restaurant, the second floor will have a private dining room for banquets and events, as well as a piano bar. Valet parking will be available at both venues, according to the Vaughns.

Chicago-area pianist Johnny Gabor, who also performs at HopScotch, will make appearances in the piano bar as well as the downstairs lounge, Mike said. Gabor has sat in with Frank Sinatra and performed at Chicago Bulls games.

Opera House history

The building, named a local landmark in March, was built by prominent businessman and horse racer Clarence Marks in 1899 after a fire destroyed the original Opera House in 1889.

The Vaughns’ latest venture again pairs them with Plainfield developer Bill Habiger, who is also a partner at HopScotch & Vine.

Habiger has been recognized for his work restoring the Opera House building to its former splendor.

“Mr. Habiger and his wife did a remarkable job of rehabbing the building,” Historic Preservation Commissioner Chairman Michael Bortel said last March. “If you want to know what it looked like in 1899, just go out and look at it today.”

The site is also known as the “Clock Tower” building, a nod to the restaurant it housed in the 1950s.

The historic building had fallen into disrepair by the 2000s. Habiger purchased the building in 2010 and began extensive restorations, and in 2013, the site was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

• Read more about Habiger’s work on the Opera House building

Mike Vaughn said he and his wife are working to track down photos of the building through its long history, which will become a part of the restaurant’s decor.