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Tom & Eddie's Expands to Vernon Hills
August 29, 2011

Tom & Eddie's expands to Vernon Hills

Formal wear freebie grand opening includes multiple drawings for free burgers for a year

Tom & Eddie's Vernon Hills will have its grand opening at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 2, in the Vernon Hills Town Center, 1260 S. Milwaukee Ave. Tom & Eddie's is a family-friendly, gourmet burger restaurant focused on giving its customers delicious food made from natural or organic products, personal customer service, and a relaxed and happy dining experience.

Tom & Eddie's Vernon Hills is 3,900 sq. ft. and has a capacity for more than 120 diners. After the hugely successful opening of the very first Tom & Eddie's last August in Lombard, Geneva was chosen as the second location, Deerfield the third, and Vernon Hills is the fourth.

The theme of Vernon Hills' grand opening is Dressed to the Nines. Why nine? There are nine signature burgers on the menu. Just for fun, any guest who is "dressed to the nines" in formal wear (a tuxedo or evening gown) will receive a free meal (entree, side and soft drink). Business wear is not eligible. This formal wear freebie is for the first nine days of celebration - from opening day Sept. 2 through Sept. 10.

There will be a Silver Spatula drawing every day during Dressed to the Nines. Each daily winner will receive a free burger meal every week for an entire year. Now that's a deal.

Also, during the first nine days, there will be a featured burger of the day, and if a customer orders it, he or she get a free soft drink.

Founders Tom Dentice and Ed Rensi have demonstrated strong support of each community that has a Tom & Eddie's. For Vernon Hills, 10 percent of net sales for the first nine days will be donated and split between the Stevenson High School Foundation and the District 128 Foundation for Learning.

Tom & Eddie's is not a franchise; it's the brain-child of two men who like to stay very busy. If ever two people know how to make a burger, it's Dentice and Rensi. From 30+ year careers with McDonald's, they also know the hundreds of steps that take place before a burger is sizzling on the grill.

Both agree that a world-class burger starts with the meat and that means hand-formed burgers of Fresh 100% Natural Angus. Natural means the cattle were raised without growth hormones or antibiotics and fed a vegetarian diet. In addition, the beef is Certified Humane, by the Humane Farm Animal Care Organization.

Dentice and Rensi choose only top-quality and the best tasting ingredients. In addition, they are committed to using local products including Mustard Girl All Natural Mustards, Turano breads, and Puckered Pickles.

The restaurant has a warm and inviting look and feel. Orders are placed at the counter, cooked in an open view kitchen and delivered with a smile to the table. Other features include an organic condiment bar that Dentice and Rensi call The Tower of Taste.

Hospitality is extremely important at Tom & Eddie's. There are family tables, kid-friendly games, electronic table locators, a free side dish with every burger, Boylan's all natural soda on tap, free refills, and a Coca-Cola Freestyle® dispenser offering 125 flavors of soda. Also, no tipping is allowed. If a guest does leave money on the table, it is donated to the chosen not-for-profit organization(s).

In addition, it is not unusual to find Rensi and Dentice busing tables and visiting with customers.

People get very excited that there's a real Tom and Ed, Dentice said. Frankly it blew my mind! It seems to be an assumption that we've just invested but are not personally involved. Not true! Ed and I really do work in the restaurants every day. We bus, we serve, and we talk to customers. I think it makes people feel better that there are real people behind the restaurant, and that Ed and I care.

And we do, Rensi added. We put good taste in everything we do, and that goes for food, décor, toys for the kids, and our hospitality. We welcome any and all feedback from our guests.

For more information, call 847-478-1019 or visit http://www.tomandeddies.com

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