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The new owner of an Alsip banquet hall, The Chateau Bu-Sche’, said some remodeling and a name change are coming, with hopes of reopening this summer.
The Chateau Bu-Sche’, 11535 S. Cicero Ave., closed at the end of 2021 and went up for auction. A sale of the property closed recently for $2.3 million, according to Rick Levin, principal of Chicago-based auction house Levin & Associates, which held the auction.
Luis Vazquez, who bought the property, said the name will be changed to Beau Chateau, and that he hopes to have the facility reopened by sometime in July.
The business is not yet taking reservations for events, and plans to hold a job fair, with the aim of bringing on 30 to 35 employees in all positions, Vazquez said.
Vazquez said the property “is in perfect shape,” but work will be done in the coming weeks to update portions of the interior.
“There are a few things we need to do to get the place running, nothing major,” Vazquez said.
Vazquez said he is working with Alsip officials to obtain the necessary permits to reopen.
Alsip Mayor John Ryan said he is looking forward to the banquet facility reopening.
“We’re looking forward to the continuing operation” of the business, he said Monday. “Its a great place.”
Vazquez said his background is in construction, but since 2017 has owned the Red Barrell Restaurant, 5214 S. Archer Ave., Chicago, and in 2019 bought a banquet hall, Bella Luna, 6136 S. Pulaski Road, in Chicago.
Vazquez said the Alsip facility gives him an opportunity to hold bigger events, and that “it’s a very unique property.”
The Chateau Bu-Sche’ had operated for more than 45 years, and the property includes a 26,000-square-foot building on more than 11 acres with 325 parking spaces, according to Levin & Associates.
The sale price of $2.3 million includes kitchen equipment, tables, chairs and other property, he said. The sale closed April 14.
“It’s incredible how the owner left this place,” Vazquez said. “It’s impeccable, it’s spotless.”
In the lead-up to the auction, there was interest in the property from schools, churches, car dealerships and hotel developers, Levin said.
“We had a lot of interest from a lot of different entities,” Levin said.
Vazquez said he is interested in a future use for some of the grounds, with an eye toward selling a piece of the property for a hotel development. The idea being that the development would have a built-in customer base with people coming for events at the banquet hall opting to stay overnight.
mnolan@tribpub.com