Loves Park honors longtime owners of Backyard Grill & Bar as restaurant changes hands

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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LOVES PARK — The city celebrated the longtime owners of Backyard Grill & Bar on Monday as the couple steps away from the restaurant after nearly three decades in business.

Dana and Rich Schmidt have sold Backyard, 6473 N. SecondSt., to Rob Bennick, who has worked at the restaurant for about seven years. The sale was completed in September.

To commemorate their work in the city, Mayor Greg Jury named it Rich and Dana Schmidt Recognition Day in Loves Park. He said the couple has given generously and selflessly to the city and a multitude of community organizations. For example, it holds an annual golf outing each August that benefits a different local charity or nonprofit each year. It also donated its time and food to support the annual Rhythm of the Heart music festival.

“They’re going to be missed for everything they’ve done for the community,” Jury said.

Backyard Grill & Bar opened in November 1996, and for several years the couple also operated locations in Cherry Valley and Roscoe. The Roscoe restaurant closed in 2019 after 20 years in business, and they sold the Cherry Valley shop in 2016 after 18 years.

They said now was the right time to step away from running the Loves Park restaurant so they can enjoy more time with their family. They have a daughter who is a sophomore soccer player at Loyola University in Chicago and twin high school juniors.

“This is kind of our last hurrah to really spend some family time and be able to go to a lot of these games and sporting events and college trips coming up,” Rich Schmidt said.

The Schmidts said they were fortunate for the Harlem High School fan base that would stop at the restaurant after games and the loyal regular customers.

“Even though that was our job, it was still just nice to be there around all the people that we were around,” Dana Schmidt said. “It didn’t make it feel like a job. It was social time for us just seeing everyone, and we just loved catering to all the great people who came in.”

The Schmidts have called Loves Park home for about 30 years and opened their flagship location about two years after moving here.

“We’ve been very fortunate. We’ve met so many great people over the time,” Rich Schmidt said. “We’ve gotten to know so many families that have come in with little kids. Then the older kids turn into teenagers and they work at the Backyard, then the next time you see them they’ve graduated school and have families of their own. It’s been a very nice cycle to be a part of.”

Rich Schmidt said they’ve been working with Bennick on the transition and sale for about two years.

He said he wants to carry on a lot of the same traditions the Schmidts started.

“I have the best staff and the best customers that I could ask for,” Bennick said. “We’re going to keep it going.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas