Q Nails Spa opens in Machesney Park

Add comment January 30th, 2008

A new nail spa has opened in Machesney Park along the Illinois 173 corridor.  Q Nails Spa is at 1405 West Lane Road (Illinois 173) in Orlando Center,  just across Orlando Street from Machesney Crossing.

Q Nails Spa has six manicure stations and eight pedicure chairs. It is owned by John Nguyen.

 Orlando Center and Machesney Crossing both are retail centers built by First Rockford Group, Inc.

Ricotta’s Automotive will move to larger location

Add comment January 24th, 2008

Ricotta’s Automotive, which has been at 325 Walnut St. in Rockford for 32 years, will be moving north sometime this summer.  Owners and brothers Tom and Joe Ricotta, who started the company, are moving to a new location on Torque Road in Machesney Park,  on the south side of Rockford Speedway near the intersection of Forest Hills Road and 173.

The new location will be much larger than the downtown Rockford location.

Ricotta’s Automotive handles automotive repair, and automotive electrical and air conditioning work, among other services. It also specializes in working on Corvettes.

New: “The District Wednesday Nights”

1 comment January 16th, 2008

Twenty-three bar and restaurant owners in Rockford’s downtown River District are promoting each other in a new campaign to draw customers to the downtown area.  The weekly promotion, called “The District Wednesday Nights,” includes food and drink specials  –  as well as live entertainment at some of the establishments.  It started Wed., Jan. 16 and will run indefinitely.

 The weekly promotion is sponsored by Lamonica Beverages, Rolling Rock, Stela Artois and Jack Daniel’s. While “The District Wednesday Nights” food specials vary by location, all-day drink specials on Wednesdays are $2 Jack-and-Cokes, $1.50 Rolling Rocks and $2 Stella Artois.

The places participating: 505, Bar 3, Big Cities Lounge, Brio, Cafe Greco, Capri, Chestnut Street Bar & Restaurant, Chocolate by Daniel, Deli Italia, Irish Rose Restaurant, J Bears, Kiwi Cafe and Bar, Krypto Music Lounge, Kuma’s, Mary’s Place, Oasis, Octane, Office Niteclub and Show Lounge,  Paragon on State, Rue Marche,  Serrano’s Mexican Kitchen, Swilligan’s Pub and Vinny’s on Block 5.

The promotion has been planned by the Downtown Rockford Restaurant Bar Association, an affiliate of the River District Association.

Rockford to get Buffalo Wild Wings

1 comment January 9th, 2008

Buffalo Wild Wings soon will have a restaurant in Rockford. The chain is buying the rights to leases for eight Don Pablo’s Mexican Kitchen locations around the nation, including the one in Rockford at 6275 E. State St. The deal is expected to close by the end of January, and it will take six months to renovate the restaurant.

“We had been targeting the Rockford area,” Buffalo spokesman Matt Brokl said. “We think this will be a fantastic location for our brand.”

Buffalo Wild Wings bought the leases from Don Pablo’s parent company, Georgia-based Avado Brands, through a bankruptcy auction.  Buffalo Wild Wings is a Minneapolis-based chain with 489 locations in 37 states. It specializes in buffalo-style chicken wings and a sports-bar atmosphere. Currently, the nearest one is in DeKalb.

Furniture from mid-1900s at new downtown store

1 comment January 5th, 2008

A store selling furniture from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s has opened in downtown Rockford.   The store, called Nest, is located at 218 E. State St.  

Owner Christopher Furney said his goal is to provide furniture that “offers a fun, colorful interpretation” of the designs from those decades.  He said he gets customers from as far away as Chicago, through some of his offerings on Craigslist.

Furney grew up in Rockford and graduated from Boylan High School in 1987,  then moved away from the area. About 18 months ago, after working for years as a fashion photographer in Chicago and New York and maintaining apartments in both cities, he moved back to Rockford to be closer to his family.

“I decided it was time for a change,” he said. “I was living out of my suitcase, and it was not that much fun anymore.”

Furney said he’s always had a passion for mid-century furniture, and some of his current stock is furniture he’d used for props as a photographer.  He picks up other furniture at auctions. While he is still gearing up and stocking up, he did manage to open around Dec. 12,  just before the holidays.  He especially had been interested in holiday shoppers who were college students home on break, Furney said — “so young people could come back from college and see, ‘Yeah, there are some cool things in Rockford!’”

Nest is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.