BRADLEY — Around the inner workings of restaurants since being a small boy, it would be fair to say Tommy Vasilakis has seen it all.
He was heavily involved when the Vasilakis family transformed the former Greenbrier Restaurant along William Latham Drive in Bourbonnais into perhaps the region’s most popular restaurant, BrickStone Brewery & Restaurant.
He was a driver behind the Vasilakis family’s decision to expand its beer brewing capabilities, as they constructed and operate its own 8,728-square-foot brewery, BrickStone Brewery Production, 572 Brewery Lane.
The 43-year-old brewmaster, co-founder of the BrickStone production site, is now set for another adventure in the world of food and drink. He is preparing a menu for gourmet signature offerings for the Bradley Sports Complex as well as unique libations for two concessions buildings.
Vasilakis is the food and beverage director through BrickStone. The village and Vasilakis are finalizing a compensation package. The package will revolve around a percentage of revenues the village gains through the food and drink sales associated with the site’s kitchen, dining room, concession stands and bar.
But at this point there is no kitchen, dining room nor bar.
However, that did not prevent Vasilakis, Mayor Mike Watson and village finance director Rob Romo from touring the 6,000-square-foot restaurant/event center on the cold, breezy and sun-soaked Tuesday morning.
The village only recently approved a bid package for $812,000 to purchase kitchen equipment.
Like the proverbial kid in the candy store, Vasilakis grinned from ear to ear and he walked across the concrete foundation and under the thick wooden beams now in place as the builders work toward enclosing the structure before even more harsh winter weather arrives.
Vasilakis has been assisting the village with the development of the banquet portion of the $45-million-plus Bradley Sports Complex project. He’s looking at how it could function and the scope of what it can offer, not only to those attending baseball and softball games, but in terms of making the banquet building a year-round site for hosting business and organizational gatherings.
The site will have capacity for about 175. This space allows for weddings, private parties and an assortment of festivals which staff is already kicking around.
Romo said Bradley approached Vasilakis about a year ago with this idea, knowing the brewmaster was seeking to step away from BrickStone as the site had been put up for sale.
“We are in the business of government,” Romo said. “We’re not experts with this,” meaning banquets and food service.
Watson said from the first day of forming the sports complex concept, it was his intention to “outsource” the food service operation.
“And BrickStone has a reputation and product,” Watson said.
VASILAKIS AT THE HELM
Vasilakis will likely oversee a food service staff of 50 to 60 depending on time of year and events scheduled.
As many in the region are fully aware, Vasilakis has been a multiple award winner for his BrickStone Beer brews, so excellence is what he strives to achieve.
And while many think of “ballpark food” as a boiled hotdog, canned nacho cheese and a bag of chips, the village and Vasilakis are thinking well beyond such minimal standards.
While the menu remains under construction, just as the kitchen is, Vasilakis is clear on this singular point:
“This isn’t just another baseball field. We knew we had to differentiate ourselves from everyone else,” he said. “We will offer things other than just baseball, so the whole community can enjoy the experience on these grounds.”
Vasilakis said the team being built here will make this 126-acre complex a place which stands out for not just 2025, but for years to come.
Vasilakis and Romo have experience through their children with travel baseball. Travel baseball is an offshoot of traditional Little League play.
‘SKY IS THE LIMIT’
Selected players here travel throughout much of the Midwest to play similar type of more skilled players. The teams meet for large weekend tournaments.
Parents follow along. They rent hotel rooms. They sit in the bleachers and watch.
However, there is much idle time between contests, and that is where the village is hoping to capture their leisure dollars.
While many people will venture outside the baseball park complex for shopping, dining or simple exploration, others will gather in the banquet and bar area. If this area can “wow” them, half the battle for those leisure dollars is over.
“Parents will be excited to be at this venue,” Romo said. “We want people to enjoy coming to Bradley. We want Bradley to stick out in their minds. We want the parents, the adults, to have a great experience here.”
Exact dimensions of kitchen versus dining areas are somewhat in flux, but the 6,000-square-foot structure will likely be about evenly split between the two areas.
The administration is targeting a May 1 start of play on the 12 ballfields. Romo said dozens of travel baseball teams have already committed to 2025 play at the complex along St. George Road.
Watson said there will most certainly be first-year growing pains with the park. He noted there will be hits as well as errors, and he wasn’t referring to those just on the diamonds.
But, he said, the village has a wonderful platform to showcase not only Bradley, but the entire region.
“The sky is the limit,” Vasilakis said not only of the complex, but his ever-evolving menu. “The village wants fun things. Not just popcorn and hot dogs. This will be far more than a baseball field.”
It must be, Watson said.
“We know there is competition with youth baseball and softball,” he said. “We want ours to stand out. We want people to think Bradley when they think baseball.”
Said Vasilakis: “This site is going to be far more than just baseball fields. This is going to be something far more. Far more.”
