Sloppy Jo's Lunchroom

There's a sign up in a vacant storefront in the Ravinia neighborhood of Highland Park for Sloppy Jo's Lunchroom (on St. John's, north of Roger Williams). Anyone got any info?

The sign also lists a website... http://www.sloppyjos.com

I can't wait for this place to open !!!

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Sounds like a cute concept. ... at least the website is cute. The location mentioned appears to be the first.

Simple menu (mmm, tater tots) and it looks like we might be paying for all of the high concept (get your t-shirts now!) in the price of the food (somewhat like Maid Rite).

I enjoy, very much, simple fare but $3 for a sauced, ground meat sandwich?

HI,

For those prices they are going to need high volume, which they not likely to get at the Ravinia location. Those shops are pretty small with seating at a premium.

Once it opens, I will be there because it is less than a mile from my home.

Regards,

I just.. don't see how this could possibly stay in business for any real amount of time. Low prices, very limited menu of something that most people (I think) don't crave very often.. poor location 8 months out of the year..

I wish them luck, but if LTH had a dead pool, they'd be at the top of my list.

gleam wrote:I just.. don't see how this could possibly stay in business for any real amount of time. Low prices, very limited menu of something that most people (I think) don't crave very often.. poor location 8 months out of the year..

I wish them luck, but if LTH had a dead pool, they'd be at the top of my list.

$2.75 for a corndog is low???? $2.75 for just a hotdog is low? Maybe it's low for Highland Park but those prices seem pretty high to me.

the entire menu's prices range from a dollar to $3.25. yes, i'd say it's fair to say that place has low prices.

you might quibble with the pricing of individual items, but taken as a whole, from a business perspective, it's a very low-priced restaurant.

it seems like a pretty stupid concept to me, unless there's someplace nearby that will supply them with a steady stream of kids. i don't know that area very well, depsite living right near the braeside train station until i was in third grade.

that concept would do well if you put it inside of the kohl children's museum. or maybe at navy pier or lincoln park zoo....

other than that, it doesn't look like they stand half a chance.

I like my comfort food, and a sloppy jo, tater tots and a soda pop is a treat I will gladly consume on a regular basis, especially when the cumulative price tag is $5/$6. Which is exactly what I would expect to pay, and would guess that most of you are paying roughly the same for a sandwich, side item, and beverage ? If not, please let me know where you are going, what you are ordering, and what you are paying... I sure would like to know ?

In reading through Sloppy Jo's website, they appear to be bringing far more to the community than just food. They really seem to have some nice ideas, and in my opinion, these are the types of businesses we should hope for and embrace in our communities.

I eagerly await their opening and welcome them to the neighborhood.

Cheers !

Abe

Abe wrote:I like my comfort food, and a sloppy jo, tater tots and a soda pop is a treat I will gladly consume on a regular basis, especially when the cumulative price tag is $5/$6. Which is exactly what I would expect to pay

It will be interesting to see how comfortable it is for a grownup to go to Sloppy Jo's. Based on the graphics, menu, etc., it looks like the target demographic for this place is kids under 12. It reminds me a little of Minnie's (though less abhorrent because less pretentious and pricey), a place where moms and dads (or perhaps more likely, nannies) can take their young ones with a high probability that the child will find something to eat.

Hammond

Seeing this thread reminded me that I think Ed Debevic's used to carry a great Sloppy Joe sandwich. Just for the heck of it, I went to their site & lo and behold, no Sloppy Joe on the menu.

Either I imagined it or Ed's took it off at some point. Whatever, that fact alone doesn't bode well for an eaterie that uses the sandwich as its focus.

Pretty snazzy website for such an unappealing concept. I'd like to hire their web designer and perhaps get a hoodie.

That reminds me, how is Cereality doing?

I think my kids would like it. Cheaper than a lot of alternatives and it can't be worse than McD's or the King, right? I won't be getting a corn dog though!

As an aside, do you have any connection to this restaurant, Abe? We like to know where our info is coming from here and while we welcome industry people and restaurant owners/operators, we do like to know of any financial ties.

Ties ? No... I live in the area, noticed the sign, Goggled it up, came across this forum (finding that someone else had already queried this place), so I thought I would jump in. I am just one that likes to give new businesses the opportunity to prove themselves, especially restaurants... and especially family focused restaurants. There are just not enough fun places around here to take my kids, and I like what I see from their website.

Abe

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I suspect this place would also appeal to people my age (late 20's/early 30's) who get a kick out of that nostalgia thing.

The Silver Cloud in Wicker Park/Bucktown does big business with Sloppy Joes, tater tots, and Smoretinis. I'm a big fan of the Bomb Pop Martini, myself.

If I ever went to the suburbs, I would try this place.

That reminds me, how is Cereality doing?

Opening up a new store in Evanston shortly. Why do you ask?

sundevilpeg wrote:

That reminds me, how is Cereality doing?

Opening up a new store in Evanston shortly. Why do you ask?

think its been open since Monday. They have been all over the place...paper, radio and television, so i think they are doing well.

merkay wrote:The Silver Cloud in Wicker Park/Bucktown does big business with Sloppy Joes, tater tots, and Smoretinis. I'm a big fan of the Bomb Pop Martini, myself.

But Silver Cloud has way more than just sloppy joes & corn/hot dogs.

And, for that matter, Silver Cloud charges $2.25 more for a sloppy joe+tots

On Clark Street in Lincoln Park, maybe. In Logan Square, maybe. In Wicker Park/Ukrainian Village, maybe. But Highland Park?! For a $3 sloppy-joe joint?

What were they thinking?

Evan B. Druce wrote:But Highland Park?!

I bet those Highland Parkians would do anything for their kids.

Thanks for pointing out the website. I live about 1/2 mile away from this place and have been curious about what exactly the concept was going to be. However, I have to agree that I can't see this concept getting enough traffic in that location to be successful. I hope I'm wrong.

Having lived near this business district for about 2 years, I'm surprised no one has opened a gourmet (or semi gourmet) take out shop.

As a sata point I am seriously jonesing for a sloppy joe today and if it was open, I'd be there. As it stands I will be forced to go make my own for 1/10th the cost for me and the kids:)

Any suggestions? I've always used Manwich because it's artifcial taste says sloppy joe to me.

Octarine wrote:As a sata point I am seriously jonesing for a sloppy joe today and if it was open, I'd be there. As it stands I will be forced to go make my own for 1/10th the cost for me and the kids:)

Any suggestions? I've always used Manwich because it's artifcial taste says sloppy joe to me.

My quest for Sloppy Mac drew out a few recipes you might find helpful:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=91218#91218

Any suggestions? I've always used Manwich because it's artifcial taste says sloppy joe to me.

mix a browned pound of ground beef with a full jar of chili sauce (in the condiment aisle- NOT cocktail sauce, careful, they look the same), 1 Tbsp of brown sugar and 1 Tbsp of yellow mustard. This is, imho, the alpha and the omega of sloppy joe recipes. My mother has received countless calls from wives of my brother's friends, exasperated and wondering how to make sloppy joes because their husbands won't stop asking for them.

Thanks for the recipe, I'll never use Manwich again! I added the last tiny bit of Gary's chili oil that I had been hoarding and it put them over the top. The kids loved them as well.


I'm having some right now with a litthe shredded queso quesadilla, perfect blend of meltiness with the sloppy joe.

HI,

I feel like I'm bit of a stalker. I found myself waiting for a very long light on Greenbay Road at Central Avenue in Highland Park yesterday. An SUV turning north on Greenbay from Central had a tire cover with the Sloppy Jo baby logo. I was cursing the light, which was extended for an emergency vehicle, though I followed Sloppy Jo baby with my eyes as it pulled into Renaissance Place.

Once I was released from my legal obligation to patiently wait for the red light to change, I zoomed to my prey. I found the vehicle parked with nobody around. I then got a coffee and hoped my prey might return. No such luck plus I started to feel a bit uncertain how somebody might feel if a food-obsessed person bolted out inquiring about their business plan. While I may not be precisely food obsessed, I was just wondering how it might end up in the police report.

Someday soon we will know.

Regards,

I make a recipe very close to sweetsalty's with similar reaction. It's great for parties or football games. I usually saute an onion, maybe a green pepper, and some garlic with it and a dash of chili powder. This is nice to brown the beef and throw all the rest in the crockpot and let it go.

Yum! Thanks for the reminder, might have to make a batch next week!

I drove by Sloppy Jo's today on the way to picking my daughter up at school and the door was open. By the looks of the place they have a bit of work to do still until they open.

Prices are typical for Highland Park / north shore (Michael's charges $2.79 for a hot dog; Stash's $2.59). Obviously more than many other areas, but that's the way it is.

The delays in opening are largely due to waiting for city approvals. Like most communities, Highland Park is very tough on any food service business, especially a new one.

Ravinia is a difficult location with limited walk-by due to small amount of retail / restaurants. The problem is that most of the landlords will take the first warm body with a rent check. Thus, numerous beauty salons and offices.

Ravinia certainly could use a family-style eatery. The owner of Sloppy Jo's tried to buy Shelton's with the idea of revitalizing it, but it didn't work out. Thus, Sloppy Jo's.

I wish her well.