MJ Kellner to hold open house community event
In honor of the business’ 100-year anniversary, MJ Kellner Foodservice, 5700 International Parkway, is inviting the community to tour the 90,000 square-foot facility and enjoy food from three of their local food truck customers: Leo’s Pizza, Casa Real and Gilly’s BBQ. This open house event is free of charge and open to the public. The…
Bistro Verde reopens at LLCC for the fall semester
Bistro Verde, Lincoln Land Community College’s student-led café, has reopened for the fall 2021 semester as Bistro To Go on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 14-Nov. 18 (except Nov. 2). The public is invited to enjoy takeout soups, salads, sandwiches, baked goods and coffee drinks prepared by LLCC culinary arts, baking…
This or That Boutique and Naukhaas Makeup Studio to open on West White Oaks Drive
Kekti Arya is a real estate agent with The Real Estate Group, but despite having a very busy year in 2020, she still decided to move forward with plans for launching her own retail business. When businesses began opening back up following the COVID-related shutdowns, she noticed that boutiques were doing well. “It seemed like…
Building permit roundup – September 6-September 12, 2021
Memorial Health Systems obtained a commercial permit for parking lot work at 320 E. Carpenter St. O’Shea Builders is the contractor and the project is valued at $609,000. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church obtained a commercial accessory structure permit at 1025 W. Edwards St. R. D. Lawrence Construction Co. Ltd. is the contractor and the project…
The Coop opening in Chatham
Bill and Heather Sherrell started out looking for showroom space for The Closet Guy, the storage solutions business they purchased from Brooke and Amy Peterson in 2016. Not only did they find a location to expand their business, the new location at 120 N. Main St. in Chatham will now be home to three additional…
Twyford BBQ & Catering is returning to central Illinois
In September 2020, Twyford BBQ& Catering ended operations in central Illinois and moved the business to Puerto Rico. Owner Randy Twyford said at the time that he had been pursuing an opportunity for the past year to relocate to Playa Jobos, Isabella, Puerto Rico. He cited “the current state of economic affairs in Illinois” as…
Bistro Verde, Lincoln Land Community College’s student-led café, reopens
Bistro Verde, Lincoln Land Community College’s student-led café, will reopen for the fall 2021 semester as Bistro To Go on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 14-Nov. 18 (except Nov. 2). The public is invited to enjoy takeout soups, salads, sandwiches, baked goods and coffee drinks prepared by LLCC culinary arts, baking…
House to return to Springfield Thursday for further energy negotiations
By Jerry Nowicki, Capitol News Illinois The Illinois House is scheduled to return to Springfield Thursday to try again at passing an elusive energy regulation overhaul days after the governor’s office announced support for a new proposal. It’s the latest push for a legislative accomplishment that has eluded Gov. JB Pritzker in his three years…
Building permit roundup – August 30-September 5, 2021
Springfield Clinic, LLP obtained a commercial remodel permit for parking lot work at 1111 S. Eighth St., Lot 16. The contractor is O’Shea Builders and the project is valued at $505,465. BSEIDX2, LLC obtained a commercial accessory structure permit for 1987 Wabash Ave. The contractor is Birkel Electric and the project is valued at $15,000.…
Amazing Xscapes opens in The Yard Shopping Center
Rick Briggs has spent more than 40 years inventing interactive experiences for families, and now, with the help of his own family, he has brought a new entertainment option to Springfield. Amazing Xscapes, an escape room experience, opened over Labor Day weekend in The Yard Shopping Center, 1650 W. Wabash Ave. Current themes are “Curse…
New owner for former Quaker Steak & Lube building
The former Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant in Legacy Pointe has a new owner, although not a new occupant as of yet. Fadi Rehan, manager of Auto Mall of Springfield, confirmed to SBJ that he purchased the property as an investment. He currently has the 8,500-square-foot building listed for lease. “It’s completely turnkey, everything is…
Q&A with Damond Boatwright
By Lana Shovlin Damond Boatwright, 49, became president and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System in June, making him both the first man and African American to hold the top administrator position. Before coming to Springfield, Boatwright served as the regional president of operations and chair of the hospital board at SSM Health Wisconsin near…
COVID exposes inequity in health care outcomes
Life expectancy is correlated to zip codes By Carey Smith “What really defines somebody’s health is much more what happens outside the hospital than what happens inside,” explains Dr. Sameer Vohra, chair of population science and policy at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. “Around 80% of your health outcomes, arguably more, are determined by…
2021 Springfield Preservation Awards
The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln and Springfield Business Journal present 2021 Springfield Preservation Awards Click here to view profiles
Danny and Sherri Paul are opening Paul’s Paradise
Paul’s Paradise, a new event venue in Pleasant Plains, is opening on Sept. 3. The location on State Route 125 is already well-known as Paul’s Tree Farm, a business that Danny and Sherri Paul have operated for the past 15 years. “People from all over the state come out every weekend, and they see our…
Building permit roundup – August 23-August 29, 2021
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church obtained a commercial building permit for an addition and renovations at 2477 W. Washington St. The contractor is O’Shea Builders and the project is valued at $1,300,000. Marla Wilson obtained a commercial fence permit for 1522 S. Fifth St. Goodman Fence, Inc. is the contractor and the project is valued…
LLCC opens new Nursing Education Center in partnership with Memorial Health System
Signaling a new era in local nursing education, Lincoln Land Community College, in partnership with Memorial Health System, has opened a state-of-the-art facility aimed at addressing the regional nursing shortage. The new Nursing Education Center on the LLCC campus will allow 90 additional students to enroll in LLCC’s nursing program each year, for a total…
Apricot Lane Boutique opens on West Iles Avenue
Apricot Lane Boutique has returned to Springfield, but with a new owner and a different location. Nicole Cravens said she used to shop at the previous location in The Gables, so when she and her husband decided to open a boutique, she was already familiar with the concept. Country Visions, Inc., the parent company based…
Tanya Rolfe opens Timeless Beauty MedSpa
Tanya Rolfe has opened Timeless Beauty MedSpa, a business that she hopes will help people improve their confidence and enhance self-care and wellness. A nurse practitioner, Rolfe said, “This is something that I’ve always wanted to do, and I started looking into it before COVID hit. But I was pregnant and in school, so I…
Building permit roundup – August 16-August 22, 2021
EMS Midwest, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for 524 S. Second St. Chris Stone is the contractor and the project is valued at $200,000. Tran Nu obtained a commercial building permit for 3840 Wabash Ave. Joyner Construction Services, Inc. is the contractor and the project is valued at $1,100,000. Hazur Hospitality, LLC obtained a…
Join Local First for a back-to-school social
Local First is holding a back-to-school social on Thursday, Aug. 26 at 5:30 p.m. Whether you are celebrating the kids being back in school, a return to a more normal routine or just want to get back to networking, join Local First at the Jane Hay Team’s staging showroom, 3001 W. White Oaks Dr., for…
Grand opening for On the Go Boutique
On the Go Boutique has been an online-only store for nearly five years, but will soon have a brick-and-mortar location in Springfield. A grand opening is planned for Saturday, Aug. 28 from 12-4 p.m. at 3063 Hamlin Parkway. Co-owner Anna Hruby said she started the business with a good friend of her who lives in…
Brad Leonard joins Bank of Springfield to launch property and casualty insurance division
Brad Leonard is returning to his roots at Bank of Springfield, this time to help launch a property and casualty insurance division. “It was a natural fit to come back to BOS; this is where I started my career after college,” said Leonard. “They put me through the management training program when I was younger.”…
New ownership and location for Sangamon Reclaimed
A local ownership group has purchased Sangamon Reclaimed from founder and former president, Brian Frieze, with an eye toward growth and further community engagement. Sangamon Woodworks, LLC, is managed by Gregg Harwood, who has owned several businesses over the years, including Thermionics Corp. and Tele-Sav Communications. Sangamon Reclaimed, which uses wood from old buildings to…
Zara’s Collision Center sold to national company, Caliber Collision
Brad Zara started Zara’s Collision Center, originally known as Zara’s Auto Body, in 1987 and was initially the sole employee. On Aug. 13, the company was sold to Caliber Collision, the largest collision repair consolidator in the country, with more than 1,400 locations nationwide. Brad Zara and his brother, Mike Zara, who served as the…
