Moller Builders finishes Glencoe remodel for RDK Sushi

Moller Builders completed a full commercial remodel of RDK Sushi in downtown Glencoe, turning a former café into a 64-seat Japanese restaurant with a sushi bar, dining room and patio. The project gives chef-owner Daniel Rakestraw’s first restaurant a high-end look while preserving a neighborhood feel on Park Avenue.

Why it matters: - The project adds a new dining option to downtown Glencoe and converts a long-running café into a modern Japanese restaurant. - The build-out shows how North Shore commercial space is being repurposed for higher-end, experience-driven hospitality. - RDK Sushi is chef-owner Daniel Rakestraw’s first restaurant, making the opening a milestone for a Glencoe native with sushi experience at Nobu.

What happened: - Moller Builders completed a full commercial remodel of RDK Sushi at 317 Park Avenue in downtown Glencoe. - The Skokie-based general contractor turned the former café into a 64-seat restaurant with a sushi bar, dining room and street-side patio. - RDK Sushi is open to the public and serves lunch and dinner daily.

The details: - The restaurant features a new storefront with full-height glass, dark-framed windows, a custom wood pivot entry door and dimensional signage. - The sushi bar uses dark veined stone, a fluted metal base, integrated refrigerated display cases and backlit shelving for a sake barrel display. - The dining room includes a channel-tufted banquette, custom tables and a sculpted acoustic ceiling with undulating red panels. - Feature walls include a Japanese wave-pattern wallcovering and a hand-painted geisha mural at the entry. - The remodel also included refinished hardwood floors, layered lighting with tubular pendant fixtures and new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for a commercial sushi kitchen. - The front-of-house layout adds a host stand, bar seating, table seating and outdoor dining along the Park Avenue sidewalk. - Moller Builders worked closely with the high-end designer used on the project.

Between the lines: - Working on a single-lot storefront in a historic downtown required coordination of deliveries and staging on a busy commercial street. - The project also had to meet the Village of Glencoe’s design and permitting requirements. - Charlie Moller said restaurants are among the most demanding commercial projects because every finish is visible and owners lose money while doors are closed. - Charlie Moller also said RDK Sushi is the kind of project Moller Builders wants to be known for on the North Shore.

What's next: - RDK Sushi will continue serving lunch and dinner daily from its Park Avenue location. - Moller Builders will likely keep pursuing restaurant and other commercial work across Chicago’s North Shore and North Side. - More information is available in the company’s announcement.

The bottom line: - A former café in downtown Glencoe is now a polished sushi restaurant, and Moller Builders used the project to showcase high-end commercial renovation on the North Shore.