Schlee’s Gourmet Bakery & Bottle Shop opened five months ago in downtown Springfield and is now operating under new ownership. Ashley Rickenbach, who was initially overseeing day-to-day operations, relocated from Austin, Texas, to Springfield and partnered with Benjamin Galbraith and Matthew and Rachael Hurley to launch Schlee’s. The establishment at 225 S. Sixth St. focuses on […]
Michelle Ownbey
Michelle Ownbey is the publisher of Springfield Business Journal and Illinois Times.
Posted inComings & Goings
New hotel opens in Legacy Pointe
The Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Springfield has opened in Legacy Pointe, the first hotel constructed since the groundbreaking of the SCHEELS Sports Park. The new 91-room hotel, located at 3951 S. MacArthur Blvd., is just south of and adjacent to the SpringHill Suites by Marriott, which opened in 2019. Both properties were developed […]
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Arrowroot Coffee opening downtown Jan. 31
While drive-thru coffee kiosks have proliferated around town over the seven years Arrowroot Coffee Co. has been in business, owner Jacob Dinardo said his focus is on building community rather than a grab-and-go culture. Along those lines, he has spent more than a year extensively renovating the former Recycled Records building at 625 E. Adams […]
Posted inPeople on the Move
Quinton Wadkins joins Warren-Boynton
Quinton Wadkins has joined Warren-Boynton State Bank as vice president of commercial lending, based out of the New Berlin office. He most recently worked as a commercial lender with Heartland Bank & Trust Company and worked in several roles with FNB Community Bank prior to that. Wadkins has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Illinois […]
Posted inPeople on the Move
Brooke Peterson joins Resource One
Brooke Peterson has joined Resource One as an account executive, effective Jan. 12. He most recently spent three years as a designer for DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Springfield and worked in various sales and training roles for Organizers Direct Industries prior to that. He and his wife, Amy Peterson, founded The Closet Guy in […]
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Fact or fiction: Is 7 Brew Coffee coming to Springfield?
7 Brew Coffee, a drive-thru coffee chain with a devoted following, has been expanding rapidly and there appears to be two locations in the works for Springfield. The first 7 Brew in Illinois opened in Sterling in December 2022 and was developed by Benito Hidalgo, a Texas real estate investor. His company, Net Lease Development, […]
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New restaurant under construction on South Dirksen Parkway
Long John Silver’s plans to relocate one of its Springfield restaurants, but it won’t be moving far. A new building is under construction at 3112 S. Dirksen Parkway, just down the street from the current Long John Silver’s restaurant at 2929 S. Dirksen Parkway. The existing restaurant is a freestanding building in front of the […]
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Baskin-Robbins to reopen, expand
If all goes according to plan, the Baskin-Robbins on MacArthur Boulevard will reopen a year after a vehicular accident that caused extensive damage to the building and forced the business to close. Melinda “Mindi” Gutmann, who owns both the Baskin-Robbins stores in Springfield, credited “divine intervention,” noting that there were several factors working against reopening […]
Posted inPeople on the Move
Vistrit Choudhary joins Illinois Behavioral Workforce Center
Vistrit Choudhary has been named the director of reporting and analytics at the Illinois Behavioral Health Workforce Center. In this role, he will be leading the agency’s data collection and analysis efforts, which will be used to inform the state’s investment into building a robust behavioral health workforce. Choudhary previously spent four years as a […]
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Tropical Smoothie Cafe opens
It’s a long way from the beach, but Springfield now has a Tropical Smoothie Café. The capital city location opened Dec. 27 at 2937 W. Iles Ave., backfilling the former Luca Pizza space in White Oaks Plaza. Luca Pizza was open sporadically during the first half of January 2025 before closing permanently later that […]
Posted inComings & Goings
Hall’s Harley-Davidson sold
After more than six decades in the same family, Hall’s Harley-Davidson has been sold to another central Illinois family. The location at 2301 N. Dirksen Parkway will be rebranded as Simpson’s Harley-Davidson. New owners Rhett, Trent and Linn Simpson also own Andrae’s Harley-Davidson in Urbana. “I’m still physically in the building doing things and helping […]
Posted inPeople on the Move
New leadership for Growth Corp
Growth Corp, an SBA 504 lender for small and mid-sized businesses, has announced a leadership transition effective Jan. 1. After 35 years as president, Doug Kinley will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer, while Sara Vanhala has been appointed president. Vanhala is a nearly 20-year veteran of the organization and current chair of the […]