Comings & Goings

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Construction on Legends Entertainment in Legacy Pointe is underway, and the five local vendors for the food court have been finalized. In June, SBJ broke the news about the planned entertainment complex, which will include an indoor/outdoor food court, a 12-lane bowling alley and an 8,000-square-foot arcade with around 100 games for kids, plus adult […]

Another downtown business is closing, but this time the owner says it’s because of a transition to a different business model rather than a lack of foot traffic. “I know there are a lot of other businesses leaving downtown, but mine is less about being downtown and more about life changes,” said Benny DeWitt, owner […]

For Brittney Hinkle-Dura, being called “beige” is a compliment. “They call me ‘beige Brittney;’ I like that warm tone and feel,” she said. Now she is launching her own business, Beige Bee Boutique, to offer neutral, veritable wardrobe staples to other women. The boutique will be located at 3255 Ginger Creek Dr. in the last […]

Buzz Bomb Brewing Co. has been a downtown anchor since 2018, but co-owner Josh Flanders said the hobby-turned-business has reached “the end of the line, unfortunately.” Flanders, Benjie Gines and Bill Larson launched the business at 406 E. Adams St. in downtown Springfield after building a following via the Prairie Schooners Homebrew Club. The group […]

After owning and operating a restaurant in downtown Springfield for two years, Kimsimone Manning says she’s ready to catch her breath before she decides on her next move. “I have a list of projects that I’ve pushed to the back burner that have nothing to do with cooking,” Manning said. “I’m going to breathe – […]

The Barrel Head has been closed for more than two years, but those who are nostalgic about the longtime bar and grill now have a chance to own a piece of its history. Aumann Auctions is conducting a liquidation sale of the bar and grill’s inventory, ranging from beer and spirit signs and assorted draft […]

The number of Hardee’s restaurants in the Springfield area continues to decline, with two more locations closing permanently within the past week. The stores at 317 E. Clear Lake Ave. and 2501 Stevenson Dr. both have “permanently closed” signs on the front doors directing customers to visit the remaining locations at 1835 Sangamon Ave. and […]