The corner of Elm Street and Lincoln Avenue is getting a 74-seat outdoor dining terrace instead of the public plaza originally planned for the spot.

The Winnetka Village Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, June 16, to approve the design change for Ballyhoo Hospitality's anchor restaurant at One Winnetka, the mixed-use development the council authorized in January 2025. The Mediterranean concept, targeting a 2027 opening, will seat diners at 17 tables surrounded by planters filled with native grasses.

The restaurant was previously called Arkadia. Attorney Christopher Canning, representing Ballyhoo, told trustees at the June 16 meeting that the name can no longer be used for unspecified reasons and that the group is choosing a new one.

Canning argued the dining terrace would generate more activity than a passive plaza. "The dining experience like the one that Ballyhoo offers throughout the North Shore is specifically what your residents want, as evidenced by what was in the caucus survey," he said.

Scott Mangum, Winnetka's community development director, outlined the seasonal parameters: the terrace will operate from April 1 through November 30 each year, with hours of 4:30–9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4:30–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Outside that window, most planters go into storage; a few will remain year-round for aesthetics.

The swap eliminates four maple trees that were part of the original plaza design. In exchange, Ballyhoo committed $25,000 in community contributions: $20,000 for electric vehicle charging stations and $5,000 for planting up to five trees elsewhere in the village, potentially at the former post office site at 512 Chestnut Street.

Ballyhoo will also plant four magnolia trees on private property adjacent to One Winnetka.

The restaurant is one of six commercial tenants the council has approved for the development over the past year. The others are restaurant Fare, Winnetka Aesthetic Studio, Charles Schwab, fitness studio Solidcore, and DUET Audiology Clinic.

Ballyhoo Hospitality, founded by Ryan and Anna O'Donnell in 2009, operates more than 14 restaurants across Chicago and the North Shore, including Sophia Steak in Wilmette, Pomeroy in Winnetka, and DeNucci's in Highland Park. The company is led by CEO Ryan O'Donnell and Partner/President Jon Farrer.

The 2027 opening target is the only confirmed forward milestone for the restaurant. No construction start date or liquor license filing has been publicly announced.