The two Springfield Big Lots stores were spared from a round of nationwide closures that took place earlier this year, but now the company has announced plans to close all of its remaining locations. A statement posted to the Big Lots website Dec. 19 read: “We have made the difficult decision to begin conducting going […]
Comings & Goings
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Pritzker endorses hemp regulation bill
More than five years after Illinois began issuing permits for legal production of industrial hemp, Gov. JB Pritzker said he now favors legislation to bring the industry under tighter regulation. At a Dec. 13 news conference in Chicago, Pritzker said in the short time since both the state and federal governments legalized hemp production, a […]
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Downtown restaurant Di Piero’s to close
Pete Praia is calling it a wrap for his downtown restaurant, Di Piero’s Sicilan Cucina. The upscale Italian restaurant at 518 E. Adams St., on the south side of the Old Capitol Plaza, will close as of Dec. 28. Praia has owned and operated two other Italian restaurants in addition to two pizzerias in the […]
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Marco’s Pizza closes remaining Springfield store
Springfield’s first – and last – Marco’s Pizza location has closed with the shuttering of the store at 3201 W. Iles Ave. as of Dec. 9. In a Dec. 10 interview with The Pantagraph, McLain Hoogland, president of Hoogland Restaurant Group, cited the rising minimum wage in Illinois as the reason for closing the Springfield, […]
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CarQuest of Springfield is closing
CarQuest of Springfield is closing, but franchisee Rob Wilburn said it wasn’t his decision. Wilburn said Advance Auto Parts, the parent company, “sent out 200 notices to independent operators like me to close their stores. We’re very disappointed. We had a very profitable business.” Advance Auto Parts released its third quarter financial statement on Nov. […]
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17-year-old entrepreneur launches Nourish food truck
A young entrepreneur launched a new food truck in November that serves the Springfield area. Nourish is the brainchild of 17-year-old Camille Moorman, who said she uses family recipes for the menu. Moorman described her grandmother as a “huge inspiration” who mentored her. “I have three main items each time I open; I like to […]
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Amazon hub is coming to Springfield
It appears that Amazon, one of America’s Big Five technology companies, will open and operate a planned $20 million warehouse and distribution center in 2025 at North Dirksen Parkway and Bissell Road in Springfield. The company, based in Seattle and suburban Washington, D.C., didn’t respond to a request for comment. But Sangamon County property records […]
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EPA prepares to move to White Oaks Mall
The new Illinois Environmental Protection Agency headquarters is expected to be completed this month – 18 months behind schedule and with a price per square foot more than double that of other new commercial construction projects in Springfield. The $80 million price tag for repurposing the 186,000-square-foot former Sears department store at White Oaks Mall […]
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An alternative to the ER
As many as 70% of patients who seek care in the emergency rooms of Springfield Memorial Hospital or HSHS St. John’s Hospital could be served quicker, and at less cost, by a new outpatient facility scheduled to open in early January. That’s the view of the future co-medical directors of Springfield Clinic’s Urgent Care Plus, […]
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Delaney’s Smokehouse closes
Delaney’s Smokehouse reopened last year under new ownership following extensive renovations, but the north-end business has now closed. “The food was great, and business was picking up well,” said Stuart Hillyer, who co-owned the business along with Bill Tinsley. Tinsley also owns and operates Main Gate Bar & Grill and Kentucky Burn. However, Hillyer said a key […]
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RNR Tire Express coming to Springfield
The former RTD Motorsports building on North Dirksen Parkway has been vacant since the business relocated in 2016, but it is now being remodeled for a new company coming to Springfield. RNR Tire Express is a national franchise retailer of tires and custom wheels, specializing in flexible payment plans. The company was established in Tampa, […]
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Bloom Hospitality & Catering opens catering kitchen
Bloom Hospitality & Catering has opened a catering kitchen at 1012 W. Iles Ave., just off Macarthur Boulevard in Springfield. Owner Gabi Thompson purchased the building earlier this year, and she and business partner John Huffman have spent the past six months renovating it. The new building features a fully equipped prep kitchen, on-site parking […]