New Highwood Restaurant avec To Open Next Month

HIGHWOOD, IL — Highwood is set to become home to One Off Hospitality’s first North Shore restaurant, with the Chicago-based group planning to bring its Mediterranean restaurant avec to the city.

The restaurant is slated to open on Oct. 29, and One Off is already planning an expansion. The group purchased the adjacent space next to avec Highwood, which will double the size of the space and will be used for a dedicated private event venue.

The project will create a larger presence for the restaurant along Highwood’s main street, officials said.

The adjacent space will have its own bar and a facade featuring retractable walls designed to create an indoor-outdoor setup. That private event space is expected to open in spring 2027.

Reservations for avec Highwood will be accepted online starting Oct. 1.

“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,” explains Scott Coren, Highwood City Manager. “We’re excited to partner with One Off as they help shape the next generation of Highwood’s dining scene.”

One Off Hospitality said it chose avec after speaking with Highwood and neighboring communities.

“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,” said Donnie Madia, founding partner of One Off Hospitality. “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."

The new restaurant will span nearly 5,000 square feet and unite two buildings that were previously separated by a small parking lot, according to officials. Plans call for three areas: a 95-seat main dining room, a barroom with seating for 48, and a private dining space for up to 40 seated or 75 standing guests. The design is being developed in collaboration with France-based architect Thomas Schlesser of Design Bureaux.

The Highwood opening will be avec’s third location, following its River North expansion in 2021, and its first location outside Chicago. One Off Hospitality said the move continues its suburban growth after the 2023 debut of Publican Quality Bread in Oak Park and an expansion of its catering operations.