Owners Keith and Laurie Loukinen have announced that Loukinens’ on 4th will “temporarily close until further notice.” The restaurant at 517 S. Fourth St., across from the Executive Mansion, opened in 2017 and featured “casual, upscale dining” using local, seasonal ingredients. According to Sangamon County tax records, the property was purchased in February 2017 for […]
Comings & Goings
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DIM Art House closing its studio and gallery space
DIM Art House is closing its studio and gallery for the time being, but not ceasing operations. “Our landlord sold the building; we always knew it was a possibility but never thought it would happen,” said Christy Freeman Stark, who founded DIM in 2019 along with Joe Wallace and Jeff Williams. “The reality hit us […]
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MJ’s Fish & Chicken to open on Fridays during Lent
MJ’s Fish & Chicken Express is opening on Fridays during the Lenten season, starting Friday, Feb. 16, offering a limited menu. Customers will be able to dine-in or carry out from MJ’s, 716 E. Enos, from 4-9 p.m. on Fridays through March 22. MJ’s will offer a catfish lunch ($12), catfish dinner ($16), walleye lunch […]
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Lutheran High School plans to rebuild near Cherry Hills Church
After mine subsidence forced Lutheran High School to abandon its west-side Springfield campus in 2022, it is looking to rebuild on land owned by Cherry Hills Church, near the northeast corner of Chatham and Woodside roads. “We’re negotiating with Lutheran right now for them to buy 23 acres of farmland to the north of our […]
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Crossfit XLT, Deep Roots Lawn Care relocate
Crossfit XLT just celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and now the business is in the process of relocating to a new building. “This will be an improvement for our members,” said owner Bryan Bridges, who also works with American Family Insurance. “We are now moving into our own building.” Crossfit XLT has been operating out of […]
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CWLP asking for significant water rate increases
City Water, Light & Power officials say water rate increases of 32% this year and 32% in 2025 are needed for state-required replacements of lead lines and to reduce the frequency of water main breaks, dredge Lake Springfield and improve the water division’s finances. CWLP Chief Utility Engineer Doug Brown said the need for the […]
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Hardee’s closes five area locations, one already sold
Five Hardee’s locations throughout central Illinois have closed, but at least one won’t be vacant for long. “The (Chatham Hardee’s) closed on Monday, unbeknownst to anyone. I called the building owner on Tuesday to let her know. But the buyer went ahead and closed on the property Wednesday,” said Jay Clark, a broker with The […]
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Bistro Verde, student-led café at LLCC, reopens Jan. 31
Bistro Verde, Lincoln Land Community College’s student-led café, reopens Jan. 31 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. 31-Feb. 29, offering soups, salads, sandwiches, baked goods, coffees and drinks. From March 27-April 18, the […]
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The Cats’ Pyjamas to hold open house
The public will have the opportunity to get a sneak peek at Springfield’s first cat café during an open house for The Cats’ Pyjamas, 413 E. Adams St., from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1. Samantha Enz said she and her husband, Tom Raymond, are still working out the final details but wanted to give […]
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Crumbl Cookies to open Feb. 9
Crumbl Cookies is coming to Springfield just in time for Valentine’s Day. The location at 3429 Freedom Dr. in the Parkway Pointe shopping center is slated to open on Friday, Feb. 9, at 8 a.m. The first five business days will be for in-person orders only, then beginning Feb. 15, delivery, curbside pickup, catering and […]
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Intricate Minds moving to North Grand Avenue
Intricate Minds, a nonprofit that operates a community center with a variety of resources and services, is moving to 619 North Grand Ave. East as of Feb. 1. Tiara Standage originally launched a for-profit event space, Everything Intricate, three years ago. In March 2023, she converted to a nonprofit and renamed it Intricate Minds, which […]
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Potbelly announces first Springfield location
Fans of Potbelly Sandwich Shop won’t have to wait much longer to get their fix in Springfield. 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 company for Potbelly. He announced plans to open a total of […]