The owner of the Little Mexico restaurants in Jacksonville and surrounding communities is making plans to add a new location in Springfield. Hector Alvarado and his wife, Neri Hernandez, have purchased the former Paris Cleaners location at 910 South Grand Ave., which they hope to turn into their fourth Little Mexico restaurant. Alvarado is seeking […]
Comings & Goings
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New hotel opens in Legacy Pointe
The Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Springfield has opened in Legacy Pointe, the first hotel constructed since the groundbreaking of the SCHEELS Sports Park. The new 91-room hotel, located at 3951 S. MacArthur Blvd., is just south of and adjacent to the SpringHill Suites by Marriott, which opened in 2019. Both properties were developed […]
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New restaurant at White Oaks Mall
Levante Grill and Cafe, a new Mediterranean restaurant in White Oaks Mall, is prepping for its official opening on Feb. 1. The restaurant’s menu includes Mediterranean favorites such as chicken and beef shawarma, gyros, burgers, chicken wings, falafel and hummus. Owner Hisham Sweidan said all menu items are made fresh in the store with Levante’s […]
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Scoop Du Jour expands
Scoop Du Jour, the popular ice cream, donut and coffee shop in Chatham, has brewed up a new plan to attract business beyond the morning hours. Scoop has expanded its offerings by building out a bar space that now serves alcoholic coffee and ice cream treats. Scoop is branding the recently opened bar addition as […]
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Arrowroot Coffee opening downtown Jan. 31
While drive-thru coffee kiosks have proliferated around town over the seven years Arrowroot Coffee Co. has been in business, owner Jacob Dinardo said his focus is on building community rather than a grab-and-go culture. Along those lines, he has spent more than a year extensively renovating the former Recycled Records building at 625 E. Adams […]
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Arlington’s offering lunch and cocktails
The Arlington’s downtown event venue is now open for lunch and evening cocktails in what owner Brian Reilly is calling a “Session Pop Up.” Arlington’s, located at 210 Broadway, is now serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a cocktail menu from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Lunch […]
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Shabby Shack relocates, expands
After more than a decade in business, Roxy and Greg Herr have purchased their own building to allow them to continue to expand the Shabby Shack boutique. The Shabby Shack opened last week in its new, larger location at 1533 Wabash Ave. The boutique, which sells everything from hand-painted furniture to artist-designed clothing and accessories, […]
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Fact or fiction: Is 7 Brew Coffee coming to Springfield?
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, […]
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New restaurant under construction on South Dirksen Parkway
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 […]
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Baskin-Robbins to reopen, expand
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 […]
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Tropical Smoothie Cafe opens
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 […]
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Hall’s Harley-Davidson sold
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 […]