Bloomington-based Heartland Bank and Trust Company has announced plans to merge with Town and Country Bank, headquartered in Springfield. In a statement released Aug. 23, HBT Financial, Inc., the holding company for Heartland Bank and Trust Company, and Town and Country Financial Corporation, the holding company for Town and Country Bank, announced the signing of […]
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Matthew Fry named president and CEO of HSHS St. John’s Hospital
HSHS St. John’s Hospital has named Matthew Fry as the new president and CEO. Fry is currently serving as the assistant administrator/COO at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, California. He will begin his new role with St. John’s on Sept. 19. Allison Paul, chief nursing officer at St. John’s, has been serving as […]
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Dustin Coons to open Legacy Pointe Eatery
A new restaurant preparing to open in Legacy Pointe has a familiar name at the helm. “This is all I’ve ever done,” said Dustin Coons, owner of Legacy Pointe Eatery, 1130 Legacy Pointe Drive. “I started out in the restaurant industry at 16 years old, washing dishes at Charlie Parker’s.” Coons later worked at Panther […]
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Former Kiku location leased to new tenant, but owner plans to reopen elsewhere
Kiku Japanese Steak & Seafood House closed last fall, but owner Sherry Pan still has plans to reopen in a different location. “I’m looking for a smaller place to open Kiku right now,” she said, “maybe 2,000 or 3,000 square feet.” Kiku opened at 3050 Lindbergh Blvd. in 2012 after initially being located in a […]
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Andrew Cornett has a new job as branch manager for DayOne Mortgage Group
The signage is changing, but Andrew Cornett is still working out of the same office, providing the same services to clients. After 11 years of working as the branch manager for LeaderOne Financial, he’s now made the move to DayOne Mortgage Group. Cornett is keeping his office at 2055 W. Iles in Springfield, along with […]
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Firehouse Subs returning to Springfield
Firehouse Subs is returning to Springfield after a four-year absence. The restaurant operated at 4151 W. Wabash Ave. from 2012-2018 and is now preparing to reopen in the same location. The new owner/operator, Larry Webb, is a U.S. Army veteran and longtime franchisee with the company. In addition to Springfield, Webb owns Firehouse Subs locations […]
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Taco John’s coming to Sangamon County
Taco John’s is coming to Sangamon County, with a location currently under construction in Riverton. The quick-service restaurant will occupy 2000 square feet in the Riverton Travel America truck stop complex at the Overpass Road exit on I-72, just east of Springfield. “This is our first Taco John’s project, so we are very excited to […]
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The Wakery, a late-night coffee shop and dry bar, planned for downtown Springfield.
The Wakery, a late-night coffee shop and dry bar, is in the works for downtown Springfield. “Everything to do downtown after 5 p.m. is a restaurant or bar,” said Elizabeth Wake, who envisions offering the downtown community other options. “We want to provide a positive nightlife atmosphere and build up an inclusive, non-alcoholic community.” While […]
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Keefner’s closes after no buyer is found
Keefner’s has closed a week earlier than planned after a buyer for the restaurant couldn’t be found. The final day of operations was Sunday, July 24. Owner Angie Keefner-Grieser told SBJ earlier this month the restaurant would close at the end of July if she hadn’t identified a buyer by then. The business was listed […]
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Big Sharks Fish & Chicken coming to Springfield
Big Sharks Fish and Chicken is coming to Springfield. Sajed Qattoum, a Decatur native, opened his first location in Decatur in November 2019, just a few months before COVID took a toll on the restaurant industry. “The takeout business really boomed at that time; we’ve been busy from the start,” Qattoum said. Now he’s signed […]
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Thompson Center sale finalized with Google to be building’s lone occupant
By Peter Hancock, Capitol News Illinois After years of failed efforts that spanned multiple administrations, the state has finalized the sale of the controversial James R. Thompson Center in Chicago to a company that will make it the new Chicago home of tech giant Google. Gov. JB Pritzker made the announcement during a news conference […]
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Sikich LLP relocates Springfield office
Sikich LLP is relocating its Springfield office, but the firm isn’t moving far. The company, which provides accounting, audit, tax, consulting and technology services, has been located at 3201 W. White Oaks Drive for the past 13 years. As of July 31, Sikich will be operating out of 3051 Hollis Drive, which is also home […]