Having been "Scoopin' Fun Since 1901," founder, Simon Anderson was joined in the 1930s by his three sons, Paul, Warren and Joe K. Together they opened several ice cream and dairy stores throughout the western suburbs of Chicago.
Colonial's ice cream and dairy stores have expanded through the years and today total seven full-service family restaurants, serving quality comfort foods and our legendary ice cream treats - Home of the Kitchen Sink. While each restaurant has its own unique personality, reflecting the desire for a relaxing and pleasurable atmosphere tailored to each community, menu offerings and preparations originate with our corporate chef, who trains and supervises presentations to ensure that every guest leaves wanting to come back. (Please see our "Chef's Features" section for a look a Chef's recommendations and our seasonal offerings.)
Please see below for the location nearest you and individual cafe amenities.
St. Charles-East - Having been "Scoopin' Fun Since 1901," and having opened drive-ins in the late 1940s, Colonial opened its "Snappy Snack" concept in St. Charles in the spring of 1957 and in 1959 expanded it into our first full-service family-style restaurant at 1625 E. Main in St. Charles. The sandwich shop had two soda fountains, an island counter and 46 stools. The menu featured 11 sandwiches, French fries, soup of the day, chili and a wide variety of fountain treats. Today it is our flagship site, hosting our test kitchens, private meeting and party rooms and 220-seat capacity where we serve both comfort food and contemporary classics with an elevated taste profile at value pricing - breakfast, lunch, dinner and legendary ice cream.
Elgin - Capitalizing on a trend toward family restaurants, Colonial opened its second full-service unit in 1978 on McLean Boulevard near Elgin Community College. This facility was built new from the ground up, complete with party rooms and ample parking. The unit also contains a front section with TV for all the news and games.
Aurora - As Aurora and Naperville moved toward becoming the second and third largest cities in Illinois, Fox Valley residents continued to demand full-service family restaurants. Colonial responded in 1981 by opening its third unit at 1061 W. Galena Boulevard in Aurora.
Naperville - Following the trend, Colonial converted the former Hobnail Restaurant at 1101 S. Washington Street into a Colonial property in 1983. With its decidedly "neighborhood" look and feel, the unit's popularity remains strong with patronage from the community and its schools, churches and the hospital up the street.
Crystal Lake - Enjoying great success with its "conversion" strategy, in 1985 Colonial completely remodeled a shuttered Golden Bear restaurant at the Crystal Point Mall on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.
St. Charles-West - This is Colonial's newest cafe, introducing an exciting contemporary urban image and extending weekend hours until 2am. It replaces the cafe around the corner on Route 38, a former Wasgs/Shoney's property that Colonial bought in 1995, which closed the end of July 2010.
Algonquin - Colonial followed the explosive growth up the Randall Road corridor in 2005 with its most recent addition, its Algonquin Café near the Holiday Inn just south of town. This brought its roster of active units to seven.
