ILLINOIS — Dining options are getting better across multiple suburbs, where new eateries are planning to open, and existing chains are poised to expand. But there are also some business closings on the horizon, disappointing shoppers and diners alike.
Here’s a look at some of Illinois Patch’s top business stories for the week:
With one new location expected to open this spring, the restaurant and winery is in talks for another suburban location, near a Costco and an Olive Garden restaurant.
Hundreds of people stood in line both Saturday and Sunday for their first chance to take a bite of a Roosty’s Chicken sandwich.
The restaurant, which opened in December 2022, is closing down, but not going away entirely. The owners said they will transition from a physical store to a catering-only business.
Despite several restaurant closings in recent months, one area village is celebrating as new eateries replace them. “Here’s the thing that’s great about all of this: people got a little freaky because we had some restaurants closing,” the mayor said. “But they were all for very unique reasons. None of them were because Plainfield couldn’t support restaurants — we can. We’ve gotten such great replacements. … We’re ending up with even greater additions to our restaurants than we had before.”
Restaurant closures were a hot topic in another suburb, where an alderman said he has heard feedback that the city has too many fast-food joints and not enough sit-down restaurants.
Until January, the owner worked as a 911 dispatcher before making a major career change. “I want this to be just a place of camaraderie and socialization, we’re not a Starbucks. It’s not a pop in with a laptop. It’s a sit-down experience,” she explained.
The closing comes months after Barnes & Noble, a downtown anchor for decades, also shut down.
VNA Health Care, with locations around the suburbs, has plans to open its latest clinic this summer, and says thousands of residents are eligible for services.
The new eateries offer everything from hot dogs and burgers to halal food. “As the weather gets nicer, people are looking to get out and about and these three businesses are offering up something new for people to try,” the mayor said.
The company signed a lease for a 120,000-square-foot space where it will handle assembly and distribution of its bikes, officials said.
It was the end of an era as the 171-year-old building was demolished — but will be rebuilt to replicate the original building, and reopened under new ownership.
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