Potbelly Sandwich Shop opened its first Springfield location on March 26. The restaurant inside the Memorial Learning Center, 228 W. Miller St., offers in-store dining, delivery and catering. In fall 2022, Rob Wilbern, a certified public accountant who also owns Robert’s Automotive and several other businesses in Springfield, signed a franchise agreement with the parent […]
Comings & Goings
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Charro Mexican Restaurant to open in April
Charro Mexican Restaurant is coming to Springfield. The family-owned business started in the St. Louis area and also has locations in Taylorville and Decatur. Now, owner Ezequiel Camacho has purchased the building at 2500 Sunrise Dr. and is in the process of remodeling it for a fourth Charro’s location. “Back in 2011, I was planning […]
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Eye Candy Boutique merges with Deep South Pout
Less than a year after closing its brick-and-mortar store, there are more changes in the works for Eye Candy Boutique. Owner Alinda Hale has merged her business with Deep South Pout, an online boutique based in Mississippi. “It all came about because in the boutique word, everybody is familiar with everybody,” Hale said. “I’ve run […]
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The end of an era
A 149-year-old family manufacturing business in Chatham is closing its doors in early June and an unrelated, but well-known, national franchise business will move into its space along Interstate 55. Armbruster Manufacturing Company will close and its 33,000-square-foot facility will be the new home of the central Illinois Roto-Rooter franchise. The sale of the legacy […]
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A history of the Armbruster Manufacturing Company
Rudolph Herman “R.H.” Armbruster was born in 1852 in Baden, Germany. He emigrated with his parents to the United States before the Civil War and the family settled in Springfield in 1855. In 1875, R.H. Armbruster broke away from his family’s prominent Springfield jewelry business to open an awning and upholstery store. His first shop […]
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“There’s a magic about this place.”
Several Armbruster Manufacturing Company employees have worked for the 149-year-old firm for approximately one-third of its history. What keeps the employees coming to work at the same place for decades? “It’s been a fun job. I’ve been to England four times and to Norway,” said Jim Wiggins, who has worked for 51 years at Armbruster. […]
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Brezie’s Roasted Beans & Gaming opens in Southern View
Brezie’s Roasted Beans & Gaming is a new addition to the Springfield area’s growing coffee scene, but it also offers breakfast and lunch options plus activities for kids. “I’ve been in the restaurant and bar industry my whole life,” said owner Bree Richardson. “Plus, my mom owns Jamie’s Route 66, so when the suite next […]
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Former La-Z-Boy owner launches Vyper Transportation
David Hilst recently sold his La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Décor stores to the corporate parent company, but he has hired eight of the former employees to launch a new business, Vyper Transportation. Hilst and his mother, Sandy Hilst, owned and operated multiple La-Z-Boy stores for nearly four decades. “We had some of the top-performing stores […]
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OSF HealthCare expands women’s health care services
Women in the Lincoln, Decatur-Forsyth and Champaign-Urbana areas will soon have increased access to obstetrics care through a new collaboration on select services between OSF HealthCare and Advanced Women’s Healthcare in Bloomington. Clinics with Advanced Women’s Healthcare providers and OSF Mission Partners began serving patients in Forsyth, 845 US Route 51, in February, and anticipate […]
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Loukinens’ on 4th reopens
Loukinens’ on 4th has reopened as of March 2 after closing suddenly in mid-February. Owners Keith and Laurie Loukinen announced Feb. 13 the restaurant at 517 S. Fourth St. would “temporarily close until further notice.” Loukinens’ opened in 2017 across from the Executive Mansion and featured “casual, upscale dining” using local, seasonal ingredients. A recent […]
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Potter Drug to open in Springfield
Potter Drug is expanding into the Springfield market with a west-side location slated to open this summer. “It’s a matter of pride for me to bring a family-owned pharmacy back to Springfield,” said owner Tim Gleason. “I see an opportunity for disruption in the market; there hasn’t been an independent pharmacy here for about eight […]
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AR Luxury Event Spaces to open
AR Luxury Event Spaces will soon offer another option for people in the Springfield area who want to host events. Owner Kaia Griffin is leasing the 2,500-square-foot space at 675 E. Linton Ave. that most recently served as office space for the Springfield branch of the American Cancer Society. She plans to transform it into […]