Journal & Topics Media Group

Royal Crab Seafood Restaurant Coming To Palatine


James Zhang, manager of Royal Crab House, addresses the village council April 16. (Igor Studenkov/Journal photo)

A Special Use permit for a restaurant that will combine Cajun-style seafood with classic American fast food was unanimously approved by Palatine village councilmen April 16.

The new Royal Crab House restaurant will be moving into the former Five Pies Pizza at 787 E. Dundee Rd., in the Deer Grove Center shopping plaza. The co-owners plan to keep the same number of seats and make some minor changes to the interior layout.

The restaurant is co-owned by Linda Chen of Barrington. During the March 27 zoning board of appeals meeting, she testified that she opened her first restaurant in Downers Grove in 2015 and opened two more since then. Royal Crab House will be her fourth.

James Zhang, who will be managing the new restaurant, clarified to the Journal that she owned Downer Grove’s Royal Buffet. She is also a franchisee for Kung Fu Tea bubble tea chain.

Chen indicated to the zoning board that Royal Crab House will be a sit-down restaurant that will also offer a take-out option. The menu features a mix of seafood with classic American fast food. The appetizers menu, for example, includes items such as fried calamari, french fries and chicken tenders. The menu also includes “royal dogs” — hot dogs that will have seafood in place of classic sausages. The restaurant will also offer oysters and more classic seafood staples such as crawfish, shrimp and lobster by the pound.

Hours of operation will be 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. during the week, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Zhang told the council that the co-owners chose to open the restaurant in Palatine because they liked that particular location.

“We found this place is a very good location in our community to set up a good quality restaurant,” he said.

As the council prepared to vote, Councilman Tim Millar (District 1) said the menu intrigued him.

“I look forward to trying it out and I appreciate you choosing Palatine for this restaurant,” he said.

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