Whiskey’s Roadhouse to open in former Cheers space

June 5th, 2009 at 12:49pm Melissa Westphal

The former Cheers of Rockford location at 3207 N. Main St. is reopening as Whiskey’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill later this month with motorcycle decor and a new diner-style menu.

Doyle Haynes first opened Cheers in 1993, and his daughters Jill Bosselman and Kristie Haynes-Frye are in charge of this new incarnation. Haynes passed away in 2007, and the family leased the business to new managers after that.

Despite Cheers having been open for 14 years, the managers ran into legal troubles starting in 2007 with CBS Studios Inc., who sued them in federal court for improperly using the Cheers name and copying the distinctive logo. The bar closed in July 2008, and the sign was taken down.

Haynes’ family took over the property again about a year ago.

“This is our family business - it means a lot to us,” Haynes-Frye said. “This was a big decision for us. We’re not just walking in and opening a bar. We never wanted it to be closed or sold.”

The sisters are honoring their father in the business name: Haynes’ favorite drink was whiskey.

They’ve decorated the bar with vintage Harley-Davidson parts and added more restaurant seating with 1950s-style posters and signs.

The food menu will include appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and wraps. There will be daily food and drink specials, and specialty dishes include a Cuban sandwich and a “hillbilly reuben” sandwich that features coleslaw instead of sauerkraut.

“We want to offer good food at a great price,” Haynes-Frye said. “We’re a neighborhood place.”

The sisters hope to open Whiskey’s by the week of June 15 and schedule a grand opening a few weeks after that. Their liquor license still needs approval by City Council.

Bosselman said they will host a benefit for longtime friend Ruth Alejon starting in the afternoon on June 27. She said they hope to host more events like benefits and poker runs.

Whiskey’s Roadhouse will be open from 11 a.m. 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday. Call 815-877-8007 for more information.

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