Avec, one of Chicago’s most popular restaurants, will officially open its highly anticipated location in the north suburbs in October.
Avec first announced it was coming to Highwood in September of 2025, with parent company One Off Hospitality building out the restaurant in a former boxing gym. According to a Sept. 3, 2026 news release, the new restaurant, at 250 Waukegan Avenue, will officially open to the public Oct. 29.
“Highwood is thrilled that One Off Hospitality has chosen our community as the home for the group’s first concept on the North Shore. Their approach to repurposing buildings and transforming them into stylish, welcoming spaces feels like a natural fit for Highwood and our century-long tradition of hospitality—a town where the North Shore comes together to eat, drink and connect,” Highwood City Manager Scott Coren said in the release. “We’re excited to partner with One Off as they help shape the next generation of Highwood’s dining scene.”
The Highwood location will also have an expanded space next door for private events, the release said, which will open in the spring of 2027. The full project, the group said, combines two buildings “to offer three distinct dining environments:” a 95-seat main dining room; a barroom, bar counter and a private dining space for events.
“Design highlights include a striking U-shaped marble-backed bar, booths lining the dining room, and a wood-soffited ceiling that lends a light, airy atmosphere,” the release said.
The opening marks Avec’s first location in the Chicago suburbs and its third location overall. The restaurant opened its first location in the West Loop in 2003 and expanded to River North in 2021.
Similar to its Chicago locations, Avec’s Highwood restaurant will be a minimalist communal space, with Mediterranean-inspired shared plates made with ingredients from local farmers.
Avec is One Off Hospitality’s second suburban offering, following the opening in 2023 of Publican Quality Bread in Oak Park. In addition to The Publican, the restaurant group is also the team behind Big Star, Blackbird and The Violet Hour.
“We spent time listening to Highwood and its surrounding communities to understand which One Off Hospitality concept would resonate most, and avec felt like a natural fit,” Donnie Madia, founding partner of One Off Hospitality, said in the release. “Those conversations also revealed a strong interest in dedicated event space.
“Our private dining rooms in the West Loop have become an important extension of the avec experience, creating additional opportunities for guests to come together over great food and conversation,” Madia said. “We’re excited to bring that same opportunity to Highwood.
Reservations for Avec in Highwood open Oct. 1, the release said.
Dining and Cooking