Monkey Joe’s bounces to town

Add comment January 13th, 2009

Local children can bounce away their energy when a Monkey Joe’s franchise opens in March.

The business offers an indoor playground with inflatable jump equipment where kids can play throughout the week or host a birthday party. It will be located in the old Warehouse Shoes location between Tuesday Morning and American TV Appliance & Furniture at 6663 E. State Street.

Trace Upchurch and his wife, Amy, are the franchise owners. They lived in Rockford for about eight years but relocated to the Atlanta area in 2003, which is where they first visited a Monkey Joe’s location when planning a birthday party for one of their children.

“The business had really taken off well there, and the franchiser was looking to open more stores in the Midwest,” said Upchurch, whose family moved back to Rockford in August.

One of the largest pieces of inflatable equipment at the new store will be a 22-foot-tall dual-lane slide. The facility also will include an obstacle course, mazes and more.

There will be three rooms dedicated for birthday parties, a concession area and a parents’ lounge with big-screen TVs and Internet access. The target ages for children are 2 to 12, and a toddler zone will be available for children ages 3 and younger.

Upchurch said they hope to open Monkey Joe’s by the first week of March. The hours will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Costs for open play range from $5 to $9.49 per person, depending on a child’s age and the day of the week. Upchurch said the facility also can accommodate up to 275 people for after-hours rental.

Monkey Joe’s is accepting party bookings for March by calling 815-505-3493 or through the Web site at monkeyjoes.com/home61108.aspx. Upchurch said they also hope to hire a few full-time managers and about 20 to 25 part-time employees. Applications are available through the Web site.

Cub Foods closing in Beloit, Wis.

Add comment January 13th, 2009

Located just over the stateline, Cub foods’ store in Beloit, Wis., is a popular stop for many South Beloit residents. Cub Foods, which is a subsidiary of SuperValu, announced Monday it is closing the store in mid-March.

Cub Foods also was one of the places Illinois residents would flock to when The Big Game, a multi-state lottery that included Wisconsin, reached high prize totals. The company had a store in Loves Park for more than 20 years, but Cub Foods closed it in 2004 and sold the property after it decided to exit the Chicago and northern Illinois markets.

The Loves Park Cub Foods is now a Valli Produce.

For South Beloit residents, the closing will mean a slightly longer trip to visit a major store. Roscoe has a Hilander Foods and Rockton has a Walmart Superstore. Woodman’s has a Beloit, Wis. location on the city’s far northwest side.