NEW RESTAURANT & FORMATION OF O&D HOSPITALITY GROUP ANNOUNCED
The Graceful Ordinary Announce Early Plans for their Second Restaurant, Vicolo in Aurora and the Formation of O&D Hospitality Group
Since opening doors in 2021, riverfront dining destination The Graceful Ordinary in St. Charles, IL has been met with both local and national recognition, being featured in The New York Times and selected by Chicago Tribune in its 2023 People’s Choice Food Awards for Best Suburban Restaurant, highlighting the team’s outstanding service and elevated menu centered around a wood-burning hearth. Husband-and-wife duo behind the concept, Executive Chef Chris Curren (Blue 13, Fifty/50 Group, Seven Lions) and Megan Curren brought their decades of experience working in the Chicago hospitality industry to their home in the Western Suburbs and paired it with powerhouse developers Conrad and Curt Hurst of St. Charles firm Frontier Development (Arcada Theatre, Riverside Building, Idle Hour Building) to transform a dated BMO Harris Bank into the now lauded restaurant.
Assembling that same group, the team is now excited to build upon the momentum by announcing a second restaurant venture in Aurora, set to open in early 2025, and with this forthcoming project, the formation of Chris and Megan Curren’s official hospitality group, O&D Hospitality.
ABOUT VICOLO (COMING EARLY 2025)
The duo has just signed a lease on the 3,200 sq ft building located at 7 S. Broadway in Downtown Aurora, the former home of a local art studio, where they plan to open Vicolo, a charming European-inspired cafe and pasticceria in early 2025. The Currens are embracing the rustic charm of Italian cuisine with their sophomore concept, an all-day restaurant that will seamlessly transition from a laid-back European café into an elevated dining destination in the evening. In addition to a full renovation, the team plans to upgrade the property’s adjacent small park, known as “Skinny Park”, into a quaint outdoor seating area and “piazza” that provides an intimate and relaxed atmosphere for al fresco dining.
During the day, Vicolo will offer an array of rustic Italian dishes and freshly baked pastries, with a robust to-go menu of handmade pasta dishes available for the on-the-go downtown residents. The Currens envision the daytime café as a community hub with a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere, hosting enriching activities like Italian movie screenings, live music performances, and kid-friendly acts. As the sun sets, Vicolo will transform into an upscale dining experience, drawing in the evening crowd with a craft cocktail menu that complements the locally sourced and thoughtfully crafted chef-driven dinner offerings.
ABOUT O&D HOSPITALITY
This growth marks the opportunity for Chris and Megan Curren to take their hospitality commitment to the next level and announce O&D Hospitality, named after their children Oliver and Delilah. O&D Hospitality will build upon their well-earned reputation for authentic, purposeful hospitality with a portfolio of concepts designed to enrich the region’s existing landscape for years to come. The team’s debut concept The Graceful Ordinary has been lauded not only for presenting city-caliber dining in Chicago’s Western suburbs, but for their community involvement and reputation as a voice for mental health resources for Tri-Cities locals and restaurant industry professionals. With the inception of O&D Hospitality, the pair plans to continue and expand upon this community investment with further hyperlocal charitable initiatives, thoughtful sourcing, restaurant worker aid initiatives, and more.
“We hold this region near and dear to our hearts, because we understand what makes it so special to begin with,” says Megan Curren. “This is the area where I grew up, where Chris and I are choosing to raise our children. With O&D Hospitality, we have no plans to rewrite the beloved stories of these neighborhoods, but rather bring thoughtful hospitality concepts that are created to serve the local community for a long time coming.”
More details will be announced on Vicolo and plans for forthcoming O&D Hospitality concepts in the near future. To keep up with The Graceful Ordinary and the O&D team, please visit www.thegracefulordinary.com or follow along on social @thegracefulordinary.
