Applebee’s in McHenry had health department complaints before recent closing, now listed for rent

McHenry’s Applebee’s Grill + Bar went from a working restaurant to closed overnight, with signs outside the store and on the building taken off the same day.

The building at 1700 N. Richmond Road, inside the McHenry Plaza and owned by Texas-based Sun Holdings, was closed as of May 8. According to residents posting on social media, a sign on the door announced its permanent closure and directed diners to Sun Holding’s next closest Applebee’s location on Randall Road in Elgin.

A Sun Holdings representative could not be reached. The location is listed as available for rent on LoopNet.com, which describes the building as 5,164 square feet and built in 2004.

McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett said the city “found out when everyone else did” that the location had closed.

A review of the location’s liquor license from city staff notes that the $1,500 license renewal fee was paid March 13 and was expected to run from May 1 to April 30, 2026.

According to Northwest Herald archives, the location was briefly closed for a remodeling and reopened June 16, 2014.

The McHenry County Department of Health website notes two complaints made about the restaurant in 2024, but the closure was not related to inspections or violations there, said Anne Marrin, the department’s director of planning and operations.

A Sept. 5 complaint-based inspection noted the physical facilities – the bathrooms – were in “disrepair” with “soiled” conditions, and that the inspector found possible mold on a dining room wall behind peeling wallpaper, as well as a cracked, duct-taped window. The inspector also noted speaking with a manager about food temperatures, hair restraints, dish-cleaning and sanitizing procedures and time-stamping foods.

An Oct. 31 inspection noted continued issues with bathroom cleanliness and stains on dining room carpet “soiled with sticky residue.”

A full inspection April 15 included six violations that needed addressing before the next routine inspection, ranging from missing paper towels near an employee hand sink to grease and soil accumulation on cooking equipment, according to the county documents.