After years of delays, redesigns, parking debates, and repeated trips through Frankfort's planning process, Coro Restaurant has finally received approval to move forward at 10211 W. Lincoln Highway, the former Simply Smokin' BBQ & Grill location. The Village approved the restaurant, liquor sales, and a major exterior remodel, but rejected plans for outdoor dining and a drive-up pickup window. No official opening date has been announced, and the owner has said the building will require at least a year of repairs before it can open.
If you've driven past the old Simply Smokin' building on Lincoln Highway and wondered whether anything was ever going to happen there, there is finally an answer.
Something is.
But getting there has taken a lot longer than most people probably realize.
The owner behind what is now being called Coro Restaurant purchased the property at 10211 W. Lincoln Highway more than a decade ago.
Since then, the project has gone through multiple concepts, repeated planning reviews, parking disputes, design changes, and eventually an entirely new restaurant identity.
On August 17, 2026, the Frankfort Village Board finally gave Coro permission to move forward.
Just not with everything the owner wanted.
- Coro Restaurant is planned for 10211 W. Lincoln Highway, the former Simply Smokin' BBQ & Grill property.
- The property was purchased by Joji Tirumalareddy, representing Tulips Chicago LLC, in 2015.
- An earlier restaurant concept known as Rhumbar began moving through Frankfort's planning process in 2023.
- The project went through several revisions involving parking, traffic, exterior design, outdoor dining, and use of an existing drive-up window.
- The concept was eventually redesigned and reintroduced as Coro.
- On August 17, the Village Board approved the restaurant use, liquor sales, and exterior remodel.
- The Board denied the proposed outdoor dining patio and drive-up pickup window.
- No official opening date has been announced.
- The owner said during the June 2026 Plan Commission hearing that repairs to the building would take at least a year.
A Restaurant Project More Than a Decade in the Making
The Coro story actually begins back in 2015.
Business owner Joji Tirumalareddy, representing Tulips Chicago LLC, purchased the approximately 1.3-acre property and 7,061-square-foot commercial building.
The building had previously operated as a restaurant, and Tirumalareddy has said that when he purchased the property from the bank, a condition of the sale required the property to continue being used as a restaurant or bar.
But buying the building and reopening it turned out to be two very different things.
The property remained vacant for years while Tirumalareddy continued paying property taxes and association expenses and worked through different plans for the site.
Before Coro, There Was Rhumbar
The first version many residents may remember was a restaurant concept called Rhumbar.
That proposal began moving through Frankfort's planning process around 2023.
And this is where the project started running into problems.
Several issues repeatedly came up during Village reviews:
- parking availability within Brookside Commons
- traffic circulation through the shared commercial parking lot
- use of an existing drive-up window behind the building
- outdoor dining
- exterior lighting and design
- how the restaurant would fit alongside neighboring office and commercial uses
The parking issue was especially difficult.
The proposed restaurant generated a requirement for approximately 83 parking spaces, but the property sits within a larger planned development where parking is shared among several businesses.
Neighboring tenants raised concerns that the lot was already busy and that a large restaurant could make congestion worse.
The Drive-Up Window Became Another Problem
The building also has an existing drive-up window at the rear.
The owner wanted to reuse it for customer pickup.
The concept was not intended to function like a traditional fast-food drive-through where someone drives up, places an order, waits for food, and leaves.
The proposal was eventually narrowed to pickup of orders placed in advance by phone or online.
Even with that limitation, Village officials remained concerned that vehicles waiting near the window could interfere with circulation through the shared parking lot.
Even the Look of the Building Changed
Earlier versions of the restaurant also received criticism over their appearance.
Planning commissioners raised concerns about lighting and design elements that they felt did not fit the appearance expected for the property.
Those comments eventually led to a substantially different design.
By 2026, Rhumbar had disappeared and the project returned under a new name:
Coro Drink, Dine, Social.
The Coro Redesign
The revised Coro proposal was much different from the earlier versions.
The concept was presented as an upscale American restaurant with a major renovation of the existing building.
Plans included approximately 254 interior seats, including limited bar seating, along with a complete exterior makeover.
The deteriorated entrance tower would be reconstructed, and the older cream-colored exterior would be replaced with a more modern dark gray brick veneer.
The proposal also included two features that would eventually become the biggest sticking points:
- a roughly 728-square-foot outdoor dining patio with 36 seats
- reuse of the rear drive-up window for pickup of pre-ordered food
The owner also proposed reducing the vehicle stacking requirement at the pickup window because customers would not be ordering there.
Instead, they would simply arrive to collect food they had already purchased.
The Plan Commission Split the Proposal
On June 25, 2026, the Frankfort Plan Commission reviewed the updated Coro proposal.
Rather than recommending approval or denial of the entire project, commissioners split the requests.
They supported the core restaurant.
They did not support every feature surrounding it.
That recommendation then moved to the elected Village Board for the final decision.
Frankfort's Final Decision: Restaurant Yes, Patio and Pickup Window No
On August 17, 2026, the Frankfort Village Board considered four separate pieces of the Coro proposal.
The result was unusually clear.
Exterior Remodel: Approved 6-0
The Board unanimously approved the major PUD change allowing Coro to renovate and modernize the building exterior.
One condition was added: the words "Drink, Dine, Social" were not approved as part of the permanent building signage.
Restaurant and Liquor Sales: Approved 6-0
The Board unanimously approved the Special Use Permit allowing the building to operate as a restaurant with liquor sales.
This is the approval that finally clears the central Coro restaurant concept to move forward.
Outdoor Dining Patio: Denied 0-6
The proposed 36-seat outdoor dining area did not receive approval.
Trustees sided with the earlier concerns involving the amount of parking available within the shared commercial development.
Drive-Up Pickup Window: Denied 0-6
The Board also unanimously rejected the proposed rear pickup window.
Even though customers would have been required to order before arriving, traffic circulation within the parking lot remained a concern.
Why Did This Take So Long?
There is not one single reason.
This was not simply a case of Frankfort refusing to approve a restaurant for years.
The project changed repeatedly.
Parking requirements had to be addressed.
Traffic circulation had to be considered.
The restaurant concept changed.
The exterior architecture changed.
The use of the drive-up window changed.
The outdoor dining plan changed.
And the applicant had to return through the planning process several times as those pieces were revised.
During public discussions, Tirumalareddy made clear that the delays were expensive.
He had owned the vacant property for years while continuing to carry the costs associated with it.
Plan Commission members themselves acknowledged how unusually long the process had become.
When Will Coro Open?
There is currently no official opening date.
And despite finally receiving Village approval, this is not a situation where the restaurant is likely to open a few weeks later.
During the June 11, 2026 Plan Commission public hearing, Tirumalareddy said the building requires substantial repairs and that completing the necessary work would take at least a year.
That means significant construction and renovation still need to happen before Coro can begin serving customers.
Because the owner has not publicly announced a formal opening schedule, it would be premature to give Coro a specific 2027 opening date.
For now, the important change is much simpler:
After years of uncertainty, the restaurant finally has permission to move forward.
Where Is Coro Restaurant?
Coro is planned for:
10211 W. Lincoln Highway
Frankfort, Illinois
The property is within the Brookside Commons commercial development and was previously home to Simply Smokin' BBQ & Grill.
What Happens Next?
The next phase is construction.
The building requires significant repair and renovation before the restaurant can open.
The approved plans also call for a substantial exterior transformation, including reconstruction of the entrance tower and replacement of much of the existing exterior appearance.
Future permitting and construction work will determine how quickly the project actually moves from approved plans to an operating restaurant.
I will update this page when there is a confirmed construction timeline, opening announcement, menu information, or other significant development.
The Bottom Line
Coro Restaurant is finally moving forward.
But the story is more interesting than another restaurant simply replacing an empty storefront.
The property has been under the same ownership since 2015.
An earlier concept spent years moving through Frankfort's planning process.
The project changed names, changed designs, changed operating plans, and repeatedly returned for additional review.
In August 2026, the owner finally received the approvals needed to move ahead with the restaurant itself.
The compromise was clear.
The restaurant and remodel were approved.
The outdoor patio and drive-up pickup window were not.
Now, after more than a decade of waiting, the next question is no longer whether the project will be allowed to move forward.
It's how long it will take to rebuild the property and finally open the doors.
- Coro Restaurant is planned for the former Simply Smokin' property at 10211 W. Lincoln Highway in Frankfort.
- The current owner purchased the property in 2015.
- An earlier restaurant concept called Rhumbar began moving through the Village planning process around 2023.
- The project went through repeated revisions involving parking, traffic, architecture, outdoor dining, and the existing drive-up window.
- The Frankfort Village Board approved the restaurant, liquor sales, and exterior remodel on August 17, 2026.
- The proposed outdoor dining patio and drive-up pickup window were denied.
- No official opening date has been announced.
- The owner has said the building will require at least a year of repairs before it can open.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Coro Restaurant?
Coro is a proposed full-service restaurant planned for the former Simply Smokin' BBQ & Grill location at 10211 W. Lincoln Highway in Frankfort. The most recent concept has been presented as an upscale American restaurant.
Has Coro Restaurant been approved?
Yes. On August 17, 2026, the Frankfort Village Board approved the Special Use Permit allowing the restaurant and liquor sales as well as the major exterior remodeling plan.
Is Coro Restaurant open?
No. The restaurant has received key Village approvals, but significant repairs and renovation work still need to be completed before it can open.
When will Coro Restaurant open?
No official opening date has been publicly announced. During a June 2026 public hearing, the owner said the building would require at least a year of repairs before the restaurant could open.
Will Coro have outdoor dining?
Not under the currently approved plan. The Village Board denied the requested outdoor dining patio because of concerns involving parking within the shared commercial development.
Will Coro have a drive-through?
No. The owner proposed using the existing rear window only for pickup of orders placed in advance, rather than as a traditional drive-through. The Village Board denied that request because of traffic circulation concerns.
What was Rhumbar?
Rhumbar was an earlier restaurant concept proposed for the same property. After several rounds of planning review and design changes, the proposal was eventually reworked and renamed Coro.
What restaurant was previously at the property?
The building at 10211 W. Lincoln Highway previously housed Simply Smokin' BBQ & Grill.
Sources and Public Records
- Village of Frankfort Plan Commission public hearings and meeting records, including June 2026 Coro proceedings
- Village of Frankfort Board of Trustees meeting, August 17, 2026
- Village development and zoning materials associated with 10211 W. Lincoln Highway
Note: This article summarizes publicly available Village of Frankfort planning and development records. Restaurant plans, construction schedules, operating details, menus, and opening timelines may change. No official opening date for Coro Restaurant has been publicly announced as of August 26, 2026.