D&J Café reopened today, but the restaurant’s sudden closure earlier this week had nothing to do with the closure of Luca Pizza, another business owned by Lee Rupnik. “We had a pipe break on Monday. The plumber came in and replaced the pipe but didn’t turn the water back on and check for more leaks,” […]
Comings & Goings
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Gabatoni’s reopens for dine-in service
Gabatoni’s is reopening its dining room Jan. 22 after being closed for nearly five years. The business has changed hands and the inside of the building is updated, but the new owner said he has tried to keep most things the same. Bill Pope purchased Gabatoni’s Oct. 16 and filed a building permit with the […]
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PhysioTherapy Professionals returning to downtown Springfield
PhysioTherapy Professionals is returning to downtown Springfield with a new location at 306 E. Adams St. The physical therapy business is headquartered at 2201 W. White Oaks Dr., a space it shares with Pure Synergy Massage, Ahh Yoga and Body Symmetry. PhysioTherapy Professionals initially opened a downtown location in 2020 and had an office in the […]
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Hy-Vee transitioning Wahlburgers back to Market Grille
Wahlburgers arrived in Springfield in 2020 when Hy-Vee converted its Market Grille to a location for the Boston-based hamburger chain, but it’s now coming full circle. Parent company Hy-Vee, Inc. has announced that it will transition all its in-store restaurant locations across the Midwest to Hy-Vee Market Grille locations. “This will take the place of […]
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Bistro Verde, student-led café at LLCC, reopens Jan. 28
Bistro Verde, Lincoln Land Community College’s student-led café, reopens Jan. 28 and will serve customers Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The café is open as Bistro To Go, a counter service concept, from Jan. 28-Feb. 27, offering soups, salads, sandwiches, baked goods, coffees and drinks. From March 26-April 24, the […]
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Scooter’s Coffee expanding to Chatham
Scooter’s Coffee is expanding into Chatham with plans to build a new location this spring. Franchise owners Marcus and Lauryn McGlasson are Pleasant Plains residents who opened their first Scooter’s location in Taylorville in 2021, followed by a store at 2935 Clear Lake Ave. in December 2022 and a second Springfield location at 1740 Wabash […]
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Macy’s to close White Oaks Mall location
Macy’s Inc. announced Jan. 9 it would be closing 66 stores nationwide, including the White Oaks Mall location. It is the only Illinois store slated for closure, although a St. Louis-area location is impacted as the Macy’s in the South County Center is also on the list. Macy’s has been the only department store anchor […]
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Broadgauge owner addresses closure, future plans
Douglas Pope, the person responsible for the award-winning restoration of Broadgauge in Petersburg, said he is hoping to find a new owner to reopen the restaurant and event venue. A Jan. 2 post on the business’ Facebook page said that Broadgauge would close “indefinitely” following three public events already scheduled to take place later this […]
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David Hilst opens American Family Insurance office
Last year was an eventful one for David Hilst, and 2025 appears to be shaping up the same way. After launching Vyper Transportation last March, Hilst has now closed that business and opened an American Family Insurance office at 3460 Wabash Ave., the headquarters for his previous venture. “My premiums for my trucking business went […]
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Nesty’s in Rochester to rebrand as Mexican restaurant
Nesty’s Burger Joint opened a second location in Rochester last year, but now the owners have announced plans to turn it into a Mexican restaurant. In a statement posted on the business’ Facebook page Jan. 2, owners Nestor and Megan Lopez wrote: “During this amazing year as part of the fantastic community of Rochester, we […]
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Myers Building auction postponed
The auction for the Myers Building in downtown Springfield has been postponed, but the goal is still to find a new owner for the building after three generations of family ownership. “We have had a lot of interest in the property, but due to the holidays and some weather-related issues, we decided to reschedule it […]
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Party City closing all U.S. locations
Party City, the largest party supply store in the U.S., has announced that it will close all of its 800 locations nationwide by Feb. 28. CNN reported that corporate employees were told Dec. 20 that it would be their last day of employment and the company would begin “winding down” operations immediately. The business is […]