Buona Beef, Rainbow Cone coming to Pleasant Prairie

On Monday, Jan. 16, the Pleasant Prairie Plan Commission meeting brought exciting news for food lovers in Pleasant Prairie, approving a new development to bring a popular Chicago-based Italian beef sandwich restaurant and a beloved ice cream shop to the community.

The approved Master Conceptual Plan intends to develop a 2.95-acre property at the southeast corner of 115th Avenue and State Trunk Highway 50. The area is part of Tax Incremental District 8 (TID 8) and is known as the River View commercial development area.

The proposal for the property will subdivide the land into two commercial lots, with Lot 1 being the first commercial development in TID 8. The plan includes the construction of a 4,670-square-foot Buona Beef restaurant and Rainbow Cone ice cream shop, complete with a drive-through and outdoor dining space. Lot 1, which is expected to be around 1.3 acres, will have a shared driveway with Lot 2 off 115th Avenue.

Buona Beef, founded in 1981 by Joe and Peggy Buonavolanto in Berwyn, Ill., is the largest family-owned Italian Beef restaurant group and Italian Beef Producer in the country. The company is known for its authentic Italian Beef Sandwich recipe. Rainbow Cone, founded in 1926 by “Grandpa Joe” Sapp, is a Chicago staple known for its signature five-flavor “Rainbow Cone.” The two restaurants recently entered into a joint venture and have opened five combination restaurants in Illinois and Indiana. The Pleasant Prairie location will be their first location in Wisconsin, with plans to open another restaurant in Lake Geneva.

“We are thrilled to bring the two Chicago, family-owned traditions of Buona Beef and Rainbow Cone to the Pleasant Prairie community,” said Jean Werbie-Harris, Community Development Director. “This development will provide new dining options and employment opportunities for the area. We look forward to the proposed construction beginning in the spring of 2023.”

Once complete, the restaurant plans to be open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The building designs strive to create a family-friendly dining experience. With approval from the Plan Commission, the agenda item will now move forward to the Village Board for final approval.