Wienerschnitzel, a fast-food chain that specializes in hot dogs, is hoping to find a franchisee that will allow the company to expand into Springfield and throughout central Illinois. The only Wienerschnitzel restaurant in the state is in Champaign, so Ted Milburn, director of U.S. franchise development for the company, said there is plenty of room […]
Newsletter – Taste
Posted inColumns
New downtown bar, Fluid, to open in May
Downtown Springfield will get a new addition to the bar scene when Duane Williams and Jaime Estell open Fluid next month. “I’ve been a hairdresser for 26 years and owned a couple of salons,” said Williams. “I turned 50 this year, and I decided instead of buying a sports car for a midlife crisis, I’d […]
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Feast Buffet
Located near the intersection of Wabash Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard, Feast Buffet offers an expansive, all-you-can-eat dining experience featuring a mix of Asian and American cuisines. Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant appears to be a popular destination for those looking for variety at an affordable price. The entrance fee is $11.99 for lunch […]
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Honey Baked Ham plans Springfield expansion
The Honey Baked Ham Company has set its sights on Springfield. “We started to look at markets across the county that we felt were the top markets that we wanted to be in, and Springfield is at the top of the list,” said Eric Edwards, who handles franchise development for the Georgia-based company. “The location, […]
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Vine & Rind to open on west side
Chelsey Ziebler launched Ta Da Catering three years ago, and the business is now expanding to include a brick-and-mortar location with additional offerings. “Vine & Rind will be our storefront for wine and cheese,” Ziebler said. “The front of our space will be a store with wine for sale and a few different kinds of […]
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Four Springfield Subway stores reopening under new ownership
It’s been nearly two months since four of the Subway locations in Springfield closed, but those restaurants are now under new ownership and will be reopening soon. Vern Evans, who was the franchisee for eight Subway locations, retired after 25 years in the central Illinois market. He operated the store at 607 E. Adams St. […]
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Japanese conveyer-belt restaurant opening March 13
The owner of Izumi Rotary & Bar, Springfield’s first conveyer-belt-style restaurant, says he wants to bring a new experience to the area. “I worked as the head chef at a sushi restaurant in Dallas, Texas,” Yong Wu said. “But I got tired of the big city and wanted to settle down here – my family […]
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Cousins Maine Lobster launches food truck to serve Springfield area
Two franchisees for Cousins Maine Lobster are establishing a presence in central Illinois to address what they believe is a demand for quality seafood here. “Last year we came here for a tour and had a massive response compared to any other metro area,” said Yunus Shahul. He and his brother, Thameem Shahul, currently have […]
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New vendors coming to The Railyard
The Railyard will be reopening this spring with new management and new participants. Tim and Emily Lewis, owners of Three Twigs Co., announced Feb. 15 they had signed a lease for The Railyard, an outdoor food venue based around shipping containers. It closed for the season in September and the Lewises permanently closed Three Twigs […]
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Two local business owners buy former Alexander’s property
Two area business owners have purchased the former Alexander’s Steakhouse as an investment property and say they’re still discussing possibilities for the site. Andrew Cochran and Marcus McGlasson purchased the property at 620 N. Bruns Lane last month for $825,000, according to Sangamon County tax records. “We’ve talked about a lot of different things,” said […]
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CD’S BBQ
CD’s BBQ is a family-owned restaurant near the intersection of North Grand Avenue and Eighth Street. The “C” is for Cecil Turner, who’s been barbecuing virtually his whole life, while the “D” is for his wife, Doris Turner, who helps prepare the food when she isn’t at the Statehouse performing her duties as a senator. […]
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Pop-Up Chicken Shop opening Springfield location
A new chicken restaurant is moving into the former KFC on West Jefferson Street in Springfield. Aaron Francis launched Pop-Up Chicken Shop in Bloomington in 2018 and opened a second location in Peoria last year. A third location is now in the works for Springfield, but he said he has even bigger plans. “I’m licensing […]