Andy's Frozen Custard wants to tear down the former McGaffer's Tavern on Roosevelt Road in Forest Park and build a drive-through frozen custard restaurant in its place.
The chain filed a Planned Unit Development application with Forest Park to redevelop seven parcels at the northwest corner of Roosevelt Road and Des Plaines Avenue. The application appears in a Planning and Zoning Commission packet prepared for the commission's Monday, Oct. 19 meeting. Village planning staff recommended approval.
The roughly 31,245-square-foot site would hold a new 1,620-square-foot building with a double-lane drive-through that can stack up to 17 cars, 27 parking spaces and access points on both Roosevelt Road and Troost Avenue. The existing two-story building, which most recently housed McGaffer's Tavern, would be demolished.
The company operates 20 corporate locations in the Chicagoland area, part of a 189-store chain across 15 states, according to the application. Robert de la Fuente, the company's real estate director, is listed as the contact on the filing.
The Forest Park Review reported the restaurant could open as soon as spring 2028. Steve Glinke, Forest Park's director of public health and safety, called the project "a big catch for Roosevelt Road," adding that up to 26,000 cars travel the corridor daily.
All seven parcels are controlled by the J. Patrick Malone Trust and Shirley M. Malone Trust. Andy's Frozen Custard Stores, LLC has executed a contract to purchase the property from the Malones, according to the application. McGaffer's Tavern closed at the end of 2024 after owner J.P. Malone was injured in an accident. The Forest Park Review reported in March 2025 that the bar would not reopen.
The site sits within Forest Park's Roosevelt Road and Hannah Avenue Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district, created to promote economic development along the commercial corridor. The property is zoned B-2 Community Shopping, and no deviations from the underlying zoning requirements were requested. The drive-through requires a special use permit in the B-2 district, which is included in the PUD request.
According to the application, Andy's operates without a speaker box. Orders are taken face-to-face by runners with iPads at each car or at walk-up patio windows. The company said its speed-of-service target is 80 seconds or less. Peak hours fall between 7 and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings.
The restaurant would create about 25 jobs, including part-time positions for students and full-time managerial roles. Typical hours would run 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with extended hours during peak season from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The outcome of the commission hearing has not yet been made public. If the commission recommends approval, the application moves to the Forest Park Village Council for a final vote.
