A second large warehouse project to receive city approval in the past three months underscores Springfield’s growing footprint in the logistics and distribution industry, local economic development officials say. “It’s a nice diversification of our employment base,” Ryan McCrady, president and chief executive officer of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, told Illinois Times. “We have […]
Comings & Goings
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Whimsy Tea Company adds lunch menu
Whimsy Tea Company has released its fall menu, which includes soups and sandwiches in addition to the drinks and sweet treats for which the downtown business originally became known. Gordon Davis, who co-owns the business with his wife, Laura, said a menu expansion had been in the works for a while but the June 19 […]
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Velvet & Rosemary opens boutique downtown
Velvet & Rosemary, a boutique specializing in both new and vintage women’s items, is opening a fashion house inside Willow & Birch Salon in downtown Springfield. “This is something you would see in Nashville. It is highly designed, thoughtfully curated and Instagram-worthy,” said co-owner Angela Holland, who also owns the interior design company Broad Strokes […]
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West-side location in the works for Potbelly Sandwich Shop
Potbelly Sandwich Shop is expanding its Springfield presence with a second location on the west side, and customers won’t even have to wait for construction to be complete. Franchisee Rob Wilbern has signed a lease for 2,000 square feet of the new building under construction at 3061 Wabash Ave. Area developer Steve Zhao is constructing […]
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New tenant for former MOD Pizza location
Does the area near White Oaks Mall need another fast-food chicken restaurant? Representatives for Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based company specializing in Nashville-style hot chicken, seem to think so. A building permit recently filed with the city of Springfield lists the chain as the new tenant planned for 2401 Wabash Ave., which most recently […]
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The Painted Tin Bin moves into Red School Mall
The Painted Tin Bin is bringing paint parties to the Red School Mall. Owner Erin Saxton-Snodgrass said she initially worked for It’s Scrapicated, a metal-fabricating business in town, before deciding to go out on her own about eight years ago. “I had an idea to go to people with a paint party,” she said. “I […]
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Estes, Bridgewater & Ogden dissolving accounting firm
The accounting firm of Estes, Bridgewater & Ogden has been in business since 1918, but the current partners are getting ready to go their separate ways. “It’s a culmination of a lot of things, but lack of staffing is the biggest piece of it,” said partner Lori Milosevich. “Public accounting has taken a hit over […]
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New downtown business to focus on gourmet baked goods, coffee and wine
A new business in the works downtown plans to offer coffee, wine and gourmet baked goods, whether customers are looking for breakfast, lunch or a late-night snack. Signage has appeared at 227 S. Sixth St. for Schlee’s Gourmet Bakery & Bottle Shop, which is slated to open by the first quarter of 2025. “We wanted […]
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Ad Astra to open café
Ad Astra Wine & Tapas Bar is expanding its operations to include extended hours and a more expansive food and drink menu. “We’ve gotten a lot of requests from people who work downtown who wanted someplace casual to take coworkers for lunch or a drink,” owner Kristina Barbee said. “And a lot of people who […]
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A Taste of Seoul opening downtown
Seoul 4 Soul has closed less than nine months after opening, but one of the owners is launching a new Korean fusion bistro in its place. In January, Kimsimone Manning and Emily Tylman teamed up to open a restaurant in the upper level of Buzz Bomb Brewing Company at 406 E. Adams St. Manning had previously […]
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Sweet Basil owner addresses sudden closure
Billie Dent was waitressing at Sweet Basil Café last month when she and about 20 coworkers learned they were out of work the hard way – Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies arrived and evicted the restaurant from the building. “We had one table of customers in there at the time; we asked if they could finish […]
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Joyner Construction to build new apartment complex on west side
After receiving zoning approval from the Springfield City Council, developer Corky Joyner has more than 250 additional apartments in the works for the west side. Joyner is president of Joyner Construction Services Inc., a Springfield general contracting and construction management company. “We have a pretty long waitlist on our two projects on the west side,” […]