Frankfort Board Approves New Wendy’s on Route 30 With Numerous Modifications

A new Wendy’s restaurant is set to be built at the northwest corner of U.S. Route 30 and Frankfort Square Road after the Frankfort Village Board unanimously approved the project during its Monday night meeting. The board granted a major change to the Cappel Commons Planned Unit Development (PUD), along with special use permits for a carry-out restaurant, drive-thru service, and extended operating hours.

The 2,085-square-foot restaurant will occupy the final vacant outlot in the Cappel Commons development. The project, brought forward by Jeff Gylling on behalf of Wendy’s Properties, LLC, required 10 modifications from village requirements to move forward.

Trustee Gene Savaria presented the Plan Commission’s findings, detailing the extensive list of approved variances. These include nearly doubling the allowable size of the trash enclosure from 144 square feet to 276 square feet, reducing trash enclosure setbacks from 10 feet to 5 feet, and decreasing the required 150-foot road centerline setback to 139 feet.

Additional modifications permit a larger menu board, shorter curbed islands in the parking lot, and a waiver for a walk-up service window. The board also waived requirements for a landscaped berm along Frankfort Square Road and Route 30 and other specific landscaping rules for the drive-thru lane and parking islands.

The special use permit allows for extended hours of operation, a key component for the fast-food chain. The dining room will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The drive-thru will operate from 6 a.m. until midnight, Sunday through Thursday, and until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

During the May 8 Plan Commission meeting where the project was initially reviewed, commissioners and the applicant discussed design elements extensively to ensure the new building would meet village standards. The board commended village staff and the Wendy’s team for their collaboration.

“Our packets are online, I would encourage anyone to take a look,” Trustee Maura Rigoni said during the meeting. “This Wendy’s is probably like no other. When we talk about the quality and the standard that we have here in Frankfort, right here is one of them. I was absolutely blown away when I looked at it.”

Rigoni praised the final design, which is conditioned to use building materials, light poles, and pole bases that match the existing Cappel Commons development, creating a cohesive look for the commercial area. The village also placed a condition on the menu board’s brightness, which cannot exceed 30-foot candles when measured from four feet away.

The Plan Commission forwarded four unanimous recommendations for approval to the board following its public hearing. The Village Board accepted the recommendations and waived the first and second readings to pass the ordinances, giving the project its final green light.