If you had to guess what a graduate of the now-closed Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago wanted to specialize in at his new venture in Aurora, you’d probably not think of burgers. But for Garrett Schroeder, 36, of St. Charles, chef/owner of the newly-opened Arthouse restaurant at 5 E. Galena Blvd. next door to the Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora, a fancy menu was never going to make the cut. “Our menu is burger-centric American cuisine that focuses on burgers but also sandwiches, salads, an oyster program that includes raw as well as grilled oysters, and wonderful appetizers,” Schroeder said during the first week of January, less than two weeks after a ribbon-cutting was held for the new restaurant on Dec. 20. “We’re not just burgers, but a little bit of everything.” The Aurora Arts Center suite location for Arthouse was previously occupied by Stolp Island Social, a restaurant which closed in 2023. The move to open an approachable, casual place in Aurora came, Schroeder said, after he and his partner Chad Gravenites of Winfield, owner of The Goat restaurant in Batavia, saw what’s been happening in Aurora, both in terms of development within the city and the growth of the restaurant scene. Clayton Muhammad, chief communications and equity officer for the city of Aurora, said the new spot was the third new restaurant to open in downtown Aurora in 2024. “It has owners with proven experience,” Muhammad said. “It fits the palate of a wide range of people, and also fits the price points. It has a good vibe and was built on the Paramount’s theme of the arts and builds upon the arts culture that is thriving in downtown Aurora.” Schroeder believes Aurora is heading for great things, both as a dining and entertainment spot. “We saw what Aurora, as a city, has been doing and their downtown aspect, how they have really been revitalizing it and turning it more into an art and entertainment district and bringing more restaurants and nightlife into the area,” he said. Customers have lunch Thursday at the new Arthouse restaurant, located next to the Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora. (David Sharos / For The Beacon-News) The Arthouse is aptly named due to its location as well as its decor. Schroeder credits his partner Gravenites who “threw this together.” “My business partner Chad did an amazing job with the design,” said Schroeder, noting the site is “next to the Paramount.” “This space is actually called The Arts Building and Chad wanted to tie in all the arts – the performing musical arts, artists with drawings and posters and paintings and, in general, bring that feeling into the restaurant,” he said. Schroeder is excited about the restaurant’s burger menu which he said includes many options and believes the classic American sandwich is a blank canvas that can be transformed many ways. “We have a great burger selection. Our burgers are different, and what sets ours above the others is we’re not just using ordinary ground beef,” he said. “We have ground beef bison burgers, and a dry-aged ground beef burger. We have lamb burgers and more unique things like a burger stuffed with bacon and bleu cheese. We’re kind of doing some more unique things as well as your classic burgers.” Customers Lindsay and Jesse Cuddy of Oswego on Thursday said they enjoyed their first visit which included a burger for Lindsay and oysters for her husband. “We are taking our kids to see ‘Frozen’ here at the Paramount and my husband works in the area and we decided to check it out,” Linsday Cuddy said. “I had a jalapeno popper burger which was really good.” Another thing she liked was the charcuterie board for the kids which included crackers, fruit, vegetables and bacon. “It was something we knew the kids would like, because that’s how they like to eat at home,” she said. Cherie Hrusovsky of Lake Forest on Thursday said her lunch at the Arthouse “was excellent.” Lake Forest resident Cherie Hrusovsky enjoys lunch on Thursday at the new Arthouse restaurant in downtown Aurora. (David Sharos / For The Beacon-News) “The menu has great choices and the food, so far, has been great,” Hrusovsky said. “My daughter told me about this place. We live 45 minutes away, and my husband does work down here sometimes and I would definitely come back. This charcuterie thing was genius – the children’s platter – whoever’s idea that was, it was genius.” Schroeder believes there will be visitors like Hrusovsky and the Cuddy family who will stop in before a show at the Paramount but also many more who will make the Arthouse a destination as well. “This is not just a theater place. It’s not only for people visiting the Paramount before a show or grabbing something after. It’s also people visiting Aurora in general,” he said. “I just think that right now people want stuff that is comfort food – more simple, more basic. “We didn’t want fine dining ” he said. “We wanted to create a restaurant where you could come in once or twice a week, three or four times a month, and be able to eat different stuff and still be comfortable coming here. We wanted something that resembled us in general but also Aurora where there are just a lot of hard working-class people who can come in and just get a really well made, nice burger.” David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News