Texas Roadhouse plans a Batavia restaurant on Randall Road

Batavia is getting closer to its own Texas Roadhouse. The steakhouse chain plans to build a new restaurant at 275 N. Randall Road, on a lot in the outer parking area of the Windpoint Shopping Center, generally in front of Kohl's and Pickled! pickleball, according to city documents.

No opening date has been announced.

What is planned

City staff reports describe:

• A restaurant of about 7,926 square feet.
• An investment of about $5 million.
• About 100 jobs, equal to roughly 50 full-time positions, including management.
• An outdoor dining area on the southeast corner of the building.
• 50 parking spaces on the restaurant's own lot, with the rest of its parking covered by the shopping center's shared lot, which has about 1,366 spaces.
• A new public sidewalk along Randall Road from the north edge of the lot south to the McKee Street intersection, plus a bike rack.

The sales tax deal

The Batavia City Council approved an economic development agreement with Texas Roadhouse Holdings LLC in September. Shaw Local reported the vote at the Sept. 21 council meeting was unanimous.

Under the agreement, the restaurant gets back half of the city's 1% municipal sales tax that it generates, for up to 10 years or until the payments reach $230,000, whichever comes first. The city memo says the money is meant to help with site development and public infrastructure costs, such as water main, storm and sanitary sewer work and the sidewalk extension. The rebate comes only from new sales tax the restaurant brings in after it opens.

There is a deadline built in. To collect any rebate, the restaurant must be substantially complete and open in Batavia by Dec. 31, 2028.

Still to come

The agreement does not approve the building itself. The project still needs the city's site plan, design and engineering approvals before construction can start. Batavia's Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals reviewed the restaurant's design on Sept. 16, and city staff recommended approval with conditions, including staff sign-off on final engineering plans.

Why not the old Denny's?

Some residents have asked why the chain is not moving into the empty restaurant building next to Portillo's on Randall Road. The Daily Herald reported that Scott Buening, Batavia's community and economic development director, said that building's owner wants to build a car wash there instead. City staff also said Texas Roadhouse prefers to own buildings designed for its restaurants, Tri-Cities Central reported.

Until Batavia's opens, the closest Texas Roadhouse locations include Naperville and Bloomingdale, according to the Daily Herald.