Flavors of Downers Grove
The restaurateurs redefining suburban hospitality, one concept at a time
Restaurateurs Todd Davies and Tim Canning have been a driving force behind redefining the dining scene in Downers Grove. Eight years after opening Cadence Kitchen, their restaurant group has grown into a collection of hospitality concepts in Downers Grove and well beyond.
With more new concepts on the horizon, the longtime friends and business partners’ commitment to the community remains strong.
Their story began years before the first guests walked through the doors of Cadence.
The two met while attending Kendall College in Chicago and later worked together in upscale restaurant kitchens in the city. Those early experiences helped shape their philosophy around hospitality while laying the foundation for their partnership.
“We enjoy each other personally, we push each other professionally, and we have a high level of respect for each other,” Davies says.
That mutual respect has been essential as their business has expanded from one restaurant concept to multiple locations and dozens of employees.
“We’re a good complement – we each make the other one better,” Canning adds.
When the opportunity first presented itself to open a restaurant in Downers Grove, both understood the potential. Davies had moved to the community in 2006, and Canning had operated a prior concept in the space located just steps from the Main Street Metra stop.
At the time, many of the restaurants in downtown Downers Grove centered around Italian cuisine or traditional bar fare. The pair believed there was room for something different.
“We saw the opportunity for a chef-driven spot that would offer more unique, upscale, and eclectic cuisine,” Davies explains. “We wouldn’t have done it unless we felt we could bring the level of food, dining, and experience that you would expect in the city.”
In 2018, that vision became Cadence Kitchen, a chef-driven concept focused on elevated food and hospitality. The restaurant quickly
found an audience and helped usher in a new era of dining in downtown Downers Grove.
“When we first opened, if people wanted a truly elevated dining experience, oftentimes that meant they were leaving Downers Grove to find it,” Davies recalls.
Over the years, the Downers Grove restaurant landscape has evolved dramatically, with more and more elevated food-driven concepts entering the dining scene.
That expansion also included Davies’ and Canning’s next venture. They developed a Mediterranean concept
in partnership with chef Maya Nahouli, a native of Lebanon who has worked in kitchens all over the world. They opened The Foxtail in March 2020. Two weeks later, COVID changed everything.
Forced to pivot, Davies and Canning pared down menus, partnered with other local restaurants to offer family meal bundles, and managed curbside pickup service through The Foxtail.
And the community showed up. Davies has said, “We already knew what an amazing community Downers Grove is, but people showed so much support for us during that time.”
This mutually supportive relationship with the community is demonstrated through their longstanding commitment to local organizations, schools, and non-profits.
“We want to be the best, and as a part of that, we want to give back to the community,” says Canning. “It’s not just good business; it’s a responsibility to support the people in our community.”
At the heart of this support, the group regularly supports local schools and charities. They have been a driving force behind the District 58 Education Foundation’s annual Oktoberfest fundraiser. They host events and provide support for local organizations including the YMCA, Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club, Blessings in a Backpack, countless school fundraisers, and more. The support they provide to a broad set of mission-driven, local organizations allows for direct investment back into the community, helping to serve a diverse range of needs and opportunities.
“It feels good to support different organizations’ passions and see people support ours,” Davies adds.
This passion has fueled the group’s expansion well beyond Downers Grove.
In 2023, they opened The Foxtail on the Lake in partnership with David Villegas in a beautiful historic church in Des Plaines that was nearly razed.
Then, in partnership with Davies and Canning, executive chef Nahouli brought The Foxtail to the place she first called home in the United States. The Foxtail Madison opened in Mississippi in late 2024.
The Foxtail Glenview House will open this summer in a building that dates back to 1878. The historic façade will be preserved, while transforming the space for dining, events, and a year-round patio.
The commitment to hospitality and community continues to guide their next chapter.
This fall, they plan to open The Rec League, an ambitious new multi-concept venue in Downers Grove designed to bring people together in different ways.
Construction is underway on The Rec League, an ambitious new concept designed to create new ways for friends, families, and neighbors to gather in downtown Downers Grove.
“We wanted to offer something to do when you’re with friends that’s not only centered around the meal,” Davies explains. “We asked ourselves – what can we create for people to do together and have fun?”
The project features two distinct experiences under one roof. The lower-level will feature a restaurant offering Spanish-inspired small plates and wine, creative cocktails, private dining, and an expansive patio.
Upstairs, guests will find a more casual environment featuring golf simulators, interactive dart games, shareable food, and large screens for watching sports – including soccer, which can be hard to find in suburban sports bars.
The project will also create opportunities for their team to grow, promoting people within their current operations as well as creating dozens of new jobs in Downers Grove.
“We’re really proud of our chef development – teaching our chefs how to view food through our lens,” Canning adds.
Another new concept is taking shape to open its doors this summer.
Bee Sweet Bakery will bring new life to the treasured space occupied for over 50 years by Ingram’s Busy Bee Bakery, which closed in 2021 following the passing of its beloved baker, Chuck Kalousek.
“We wanted to honor what stood in this space for decades,” says Davies. The bakery will offer coffee and specialty baked goods crafted
by the group’s pastry chef, Laurie McNamara, including her popular scones and other pastries.
In the evening, a separate space will reveal a speakeasy.
“It will be intimate and dark, we’ll have unique cocktails and small bites, great music,” adds Tim. “A special spot to stop for a drink while you wait for a table, or to come and have a nightcap.”
For Davies, family dinners while growing up in Hinsdale were a daily ritual. He often cooked alongside his mom, a former home economics teacher, who made gathering around the table a priority.
“Dinner together was sacred,” he adds.
For Canning, dining at memorable restaurants as a young teen and being introduced to cooking shows sparked a fascination with food. His experience attending military school also instilled an appreciation for structure, teamwork, and leadership principles that continue to inform his restaurant management today.
As they look toward the future, their goal remains simple: continue building Downers Grove as a destination.
“We are proud to be a destination for the people who live here in Downers Grove,” says Davies. “And we love to welcome people from outside DG to experience our awesome downtown.”
The partners continue to build, innovate, and invest in the community that embraced their vision. The next chapter may be the most exciting one yet.
Left: A seat at the table means more than dinner at Cadence Kitchen & Co. Launched in March 2026, the restaurant’s monthly Sunday Supper Series, The Cadence Table, is yet another way the team invests in the community, bringing guests together for family-style meals that foster connection while supporting local nonprofits through each event. Photo by Regan Baroni
Right: Community leaders joined Todd Davies and Tim Canning for the ribbon-cutting of The Foxtail, a milestone in the continued growth of their hospitality group and their investment in downtown Downers Grove.
