PARK RIDGE, IL, May 06, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Paul Leongas has spent his entire career within a tight radius of the Park Ridge, Illinois, neighborhood where he grew up. Over 25 years in the restaurant industry and now as a commercial real estate developer, Leongas has built businesses that serve the same communities where he went to school, raised a family, and continues to live.

After graduating from Michigan State University, Paul and his sisters Sophia and Lydia purchased The Curragh Traditional Irish Pub in Schaumburg, Illinois. The family went on to operate locations in Edison Park and Skokie, each running approximately 12 years. The Curragh earned the Guinness Gold Standard Award for the Perfect Pint in 2002 and was recognized by Whisky Magazine as one of the great whisky bars of the world. The family also operates Holland Pub LLC in Holland, Michigan.

"The people who came to our restaurants on a Tuesday night after work were our neighbors," said Paul Leongas. "The people who lease the commercial spaces I build now are the same kind of people. Local operators. Small business owners. I know them because I am one of them."

Paul Leongas is the principal of Axis Development Group LLC, a Park Ridge firm that develops and manages commercial properties across the North Shore and northwest neighborhoods. His work focuses on adaptive reuse and tenant improvement buildouts, and he self-performs construction through Axis. His holdings are managed through EP Curragh LLC, EPC Properties LLC, PLL LLC, and RLS Edison Park LLC.

Paul's Greek heritage informs how he approaches both hospitality and commercial spaces. Growing up, food and gathering were central to family life. That sensibility shaped his restaurant operations and carries into his commercial development work.

Off the job site, Paul Leongas is a Maine South High School alumnus who supports Maine South Hawks football, the Hawkettes dance team, and local youth athletics in the Park Ridge area. His involvement reflects a commitment to the neighborhoods where he lives and works that goes back decades.

"I could develop anywhere," said Leongas. "I develop here because this is where I am from. These neighborhoods gave me my start, and I am putting that back into the buildings."

Paul Leongas is the principal of Axis Development Group LLC, a commercial real estate development and construction management company in Park Ridge, Illinois. His work focuses on property acquisition, adaptive reuse, and ground-up commercial buildouts across Chicago's North Shore and northwest neighborhoods. He manages a portfolio of commercial holdings across the North Shore.

Before moving into development full time, Paul Leongas spent over 25 years in the restaurant industry. He and his sisters purchased The Curragh Traditional Irish Pub in Schaumburg, Illinois, after graduating from Michigan State University. The family operated Curragh locations in Edison Park and Skokie, each running for roughly 12 years. The Curragh received the Guinness Gold Standard Award for the Perfect Pint in 2002 and was recognized by Whisky Magazine among the great whisky bars of the world.

Paul self-performs construction through Axis, managing project costs and quality directly. The family also operates Holland Pub LLC in Holland, Michigan.

# # #