Three businesses planning to locate in downtown Skokie have been approved to have a combined total of $124,000 of their building renovation costs reimbursed by the village, after Village Board actions at  meetings in the past few weeks.

Incoming businesses The Spot, an Asian restaurant; Sweet Reserve Café and Bakery, which already has a Lombard location, and J&R Hair Academy received funds from the village’s Storefront Enhancement Program for work on their buildings’ HVAC systems, brickwork, bathrooms and other projects. The three businesses may hire up to 38 employees, per village documents.

Skokie’s Storefront Enhancement Program provides grants to encourage businesses to locate in the village. The grants provide some reimbursement to owners of incoming businesses in a 60/40 cost-share, with the applicant paying 60% and the village paying 40%, for exterior and interior renovations.

The owners of The Spot, a hot pot restaurant to be located at 7909 Lincoln Avenue in the former Robert’s Office Supplies building, were approved to receive a maximum of $50,000 in village grant money. According to village documents, the store owner is investing $650,000 in the building to make it look more appealing on the outside, add double doors, replace windows and add more windows.

According to village records, the work must be completed within a year to be eligible for the grant.

According to village documents, the restaurant specializes in hot pot, a dish consisting of various seafood, vegetables and meats simmering in broth. The restaurant is expected to hire between 15 and 20 full and part-time employees.

Sweet Reserve Café and Bakery will be located at 4845 Oakton Street and the Village Board approved it to receive a maximum of $37,000 in village grants. The grant will mostly cover interior improvements in electricity, painting, ceiling expansion, HVAC and framing. On the outside, the only improvement is expected to be the signage.

Sweet Reserve Cafe and Bakery opened its first store in Lombard in 2021. The women-minority-owned café specializes in halal baked goods, as well as salads,  sandwiches and desserts, according to village documents. The café is expected to employ between 10 and 12 full and part-time employees.

The Board also approved J&R Hair Academy, to be located at 4524 Oakton Street, to receive a maximum of $37,000 in village grants as the owners invest $90,000 to replace the building’s masonry, metal awning and windows. The owners said they expect to serve between 60 and 100 students a year and have six employees.

According to village documents, Rani Yousefzai and Jonathan Mirza co-founded J&R Hair Academy and will offer education and practical skills for students in the beauty industry.  Yousefzai is also the president of a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people with special needs; according to their application to the village, the cosmetology school is an extension of the mission and will help individuals learn job skills.