Musician Randy Rock of Palatine tunes his guitar Tuesday in the window of Madcats nightclub in the former Max on Slade location in downtown Palatine.
The owner of Madcats in Palatine expressed satisfaction with how the new bar and restaurant has been received by customers in the wake of a smooth three-month review from the village.
The venue at 117 W. Slade St. opened in mid-September with a full-service bar, restaurant and variety of live music.
“It’s going great,” owner Savio Lobo said, pointing to positive online reviews. “I would say we need to do more to advertise the great food that we have. We are working on that, and we expect everyone who comes in to say they like it.”
The special use permit granted to the venue by the village called for a three-month and a nine-month review.
Palatine Director of Community Development Ben Vyverberg told the village council Monday that two other businesses in the building, The Dance Loft and My Flavor It Place, reported no issues with Madcats. The Dance Loft has since moved to a different spot in Palatine.
The police department reported nine calls at the address since the venue opened: four for a fire alarm, two for ambulance services, one for a traffic crash with no injuries, one for a customer-management dispute and one for a “nonspecific” disturbance.
The village council accepted the report without discussion.
Lobo said the venue opened about six months later than he’d planned.
The process to obtain the OK from the village took longer than anticipated, he said. Part of the reason was that he asked for Madcats to include a back room, which required additional scrutiny, he said.
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Also, the inside renovation job increased in scope, with the removal of a drop ceiling and exposing of a brick wall, Lobo said. “We did a lot more in the place to enhance it for our clients.”
The COVID-19 pandemic so far has delayed the delivery of some air conditioning components, now expected to arrive in April, he said.
Madcats prides itself in offering a variety of music on different nights, Lobo said. That includes open mic, jazz fusion, blues jam, metal and karaoke. There is also bingo and upcoming painting classes.
The venue is planning “a big celebration” for St. Patrick’s Day, with a Celtic music duo and the Nick Bell Band on Saturday, Lobo said.
The venue can be rented for events. Past ones include a police chiefs association meeting, a fundraiser and a memorial service, he said.
“The objective that I had set out — which is creating a space which is friendly for the demographic that we are targeting, that bands like and has great food — that objective is achieved,” he said.
For more information, visit madcatslive.com.
