Grateful Coffee Co. opens on Toronto Road
Grateful Coffee Co. has opened at 1370 Toronto Road in Springfield, and the owners say the name is intended to pay tribute to everyone who has helped them achieve their dream of opening a small business. Owners Brandon and Cana Austin are friends with Emily and Tim Lewis, who previously operated Three Twigs Bakery out…
Davidsan’s Japanese Maples is closing
Davidsan’s Japanese Maples will be closing due to the owner’s retirement, although customers still have a short window of time to place orders. In a written statement, owner Gale Myers said, “During this last year full of major changes in the country, the world and our lives, including COVID, each of us has had the…
Adams Pest Control moves into the former Springfield Archery building
After more than a decade on MacArthur Boulevard, Adams Pest Control has relocated to a significantly larger space. Owner Sonny Adams says he explored numerous options before purchasing the building at 1550 Recreation Dr., next to Knight’s Action Park. Adams had leased the space at 1425 S. MacArthur Blvd. for more than a decade and…
Building permit roundup – April 5-April 11
Bovine, LLC obtained a commercial accessory structure permit for 3150 S. Stanton Street. The contractor is Alpha Dog Marketing and the project is valued at $5,000. Trinity Lutheran Church obtained a commercial roofing permit for 220 S. Second St. The contractor is Williams Roofing and construction and the project is valued at $3,360. The Sangamon…
Governor appoints four new commissioners to Mid-Illinois Medical District
Gov. JB Pritzker has appointed four new commission members to the Mid-Illinois Medical District, established in 2003 by the Illinois General Assembly to help promote growth in a one-square-mile area just north of downtown Springfield. Dr. Charlene Aaron, chancellor of St. John’s College of Nursing; Dr. Egbe Egiebor, director of the environmental health program and…
Katie Davison leaving Innovate Springfield to return to NIU
Katie Davison is returning to Northern Illinois University, this time as director of state relations. “I was there for almost 14 years prior to Innovate Springfield,” said Davison, who has served as executive director of the social innovation and business incubator, located at 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza, since its founding in 2016. In…
Q & A Dr. Charlotte Warren
By Lana Shovlin
LLCC apprenticeship program builds tech skills
By Cinda Ackerman Klickna “Let’s build talent, not buy talent,” says Brenda Elliott, director of apprenticeship programming at Lincoln Land Community College. The program, only in existence for a year, was developed as a way for local businesses to fill needed information technology positions while offering LLCC students a path for a career or career…
Nonprofits adapt to COVID-19 – Demand for services increases while fundraising options are reduced
By Carey Smith For many Americans, leaning heavily on social service agencies has gotten them through the pandemic. But how have these nonprofits adapted and coped with the increased demand but often reduced fundraising opportunities? For Midwest Mission Distribution Center, which specializes in disaster relief, the transition was fairly smooth. The organization distributed three times…
Architecture firm selected for renovation of the State Armory Building
The Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) has selected Tilton, Kelly + Bell, as the preferred architectural design firm for the renovation of the State Armory Building in Springfield. CDB will oversee the project’s design and construction in accordance with the protocol for state-appropriated projects. Through Governor JB Pritzker’s capital plan, Rebuild Illinois, nearly $122 million…
Whiskey Jack’s Sports Bar to open in downtown Springfield
There will soon be a new addition to downtown Springfield when Whiskey Jack’s Sports Bar opens at 430 E. Monroe. Craft Beer Bar, the previous business at that location, continued to offer outdoor seating into November due to the mild weather, but then closed and did not reopen even when public health guidelines allowed bars…
Building permit roundup – March 29-April 4
LV Springfield, LLC in care of SLK Global Solutions America, obtained a commercial remodel permit for 3201 S. West White Oaks Drive. Milliman Construction is the contractor and the project is valued at $250,000. Kelp, LLC obtained a commercial remodel permit for work at 2601 S. Chatham Road. The contractor is O’Shea Builders and the…
New Papa John’s in Parkway Pointe to replace Chatham Road location
The former Subway restaurant at 3422 Freedom Dr. is being converted to a Papa John’s Pizza location, which will replace the nearby Papa John’s on Chatham Road. Pending city inspections, the new location is scheduled to open on April 8. The local director of operations, Jamie Cartwright, said in a written statement, “The new location…
Spaghetti Shop to partner with Turbo Fire Pizza
Both Spaghetti Shop locations in Springfield will soon be offering pizza, in addition to pasta, thanks to a new partnership with Turbo Fire Pizza. Brian Carter purchased the Spaghetti Shop franchise in December 2019 after a chance encounter with Calvin Kirk, his former employer. In an interview with SBJ last year, he explained, “I worked…
Million’s Crab opening in Springfield April 1
Million’s Crab Boiled Seafood, a Cajun seafood chain based in Ohio, is opening on April 1 in the former TGI Fridays space at 2100 W. White Oaks Dr. Marketing director Commi Tong confirmed to SBJ that the restaurant will open at 5 p.m. Thursday for a soft opening. Million’s Crab was originally scheduled to open…
Papa John’s to open at former Subway location
The former Subway restaurant at 3422 Freedom Dr. is in the process of being converted to a Papa John’s Pizza location. Alyssa Furling, owner of the strip center in Parkway Pointe, told SBJ, “We have a Papa John’s franchise owned by Bajco, LLC going in the spot that was our Subway location, which closed in…
NFIB COVID-19 Survey: Small business recovery remains fragile
The NFIB Research Center released its latest COVID-19 survey on the impact the pandemic has had on small businesses. Thirteen percent of small business owners report that they will have to close their doors if current economic conditions do not improve over the next six months, down from 25% in December. “After a year of the COVID-19 pandemic and…
Ocean Crab House opens in former Show Me’s building
Ocean Crab House, a Cajun seafood restaurant, has opened in the former Show Me’s restaurant at 3101 S. MacArthur Blvd. According to Sangamon County tax records, the property was sold on Dec. 2 for $700,000 to Ocean Crab House, Inc. That LLC is registered with the Illinois Secretary of State and lists Jinming Wu as…
Sean Mulhern joins Morgan Stanley
Sean Mulhern has joined Morgan Stanley as a financial adviser. He previously worked for SB Financial, a subsidiary of Security Bank. “The resources and tools of a firm like Morgan Stanley are really attractive; it was too good of an opportunity to pass up,” he said. Mulhern graduated from Illinois State University with a degree…
Building permit roundup – March 22-March 28
CAT Springfield, LLC obtained a commercial building permit for 3190 S. Dirksen Parkway. The contractor is Midwest Facilities and Construction, Inc. and the project is valued at $250,000. Nelson-Hermes Enterprises, LLC obtained a commercial building permit for 2701 S. West White Oaks Drive. Illinois Valley Construction is the contractor and the project is valued at…
Ashley Furniture Outlet opening on April 1
Ashley Furniture Outlet will open on April 1 in the former Barney’s Furniture location, 1987 W. Wabash Ave. Supply chain issues related to the pandemic have delayed the opening, which was originally planned for fall 2020. “Most of the showroom will be devoted to home furnishings, including a large selection of ready-to-assemble pieces,” said owner…
Newly expanded NICU opens at HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital
The new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has opened at HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital. The new unit is more than double the original size at 28,000-square feet. Innovative features of the new family-centered unit include: Single family rooms where parents can stay overnight. Expanded rooms that allow NICU twins and their families to stay…
Ryan Croke elected new chair of the Mid Illinois Medical District
Ryan Croke has been elected president of the Mid-Illinois Medical District, established in 2003 by the Illinois General Assembly to help promote growth in a one-square-mile area just north of downtown Springfield. Dr. Charlotte Warren, president of Lincoln Land Community College, had served as the MIMD president for the past 10 years. Croke is the…
Building permit roundup – March 15-March 21
Springfield Property I, LLC in care of Executive Director obtained a commercial accessory structure permit for a patio shelter at 2034 E. Clear Lake Ave. R & M Building Solutions is the contractor and the project is valued at $45,000. Quasivi and Patricia Sessi obtained a commercial remodel permit for 621 S. Ninth St. The…
Rumberger’s Lounge preparing to open in downtown Springfield
Rumberger’s Lounge is coming to downtown Springfield, and the owners are no strangers to the area. In May 2018, Sandra Cabbell and Jeff Moore opened Anchors Away, a seafood restaurant located in the historic Hickox building that previously housed Norb Andy’s Tabarin. The following year, a lease was signed for 217 S. Fifth St., a…
