Posts filed under 'openings'
September 24th, 2008
Judy Johnson, the maven of River District Catering, is the latest to make a go at putting a soul food restaurant in the Campus Square shopping center at College Avenue and Seminary Street. Johnson opened Sweet Southern Soul there Sept. 3, and moved her River District operations to the storefronts as well. She’s serving homestyle Southern cooking, including chitlins, catfish and smothered pork chops.
Johnson said she’s taken up several of the vacant storefronts in the shopping center and is working on refurbishing them. The shopping area recently became home of the ORCHiD Third Union College Neighborhood Association.
The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
September 23rd, 2008
Ten Spa’ut Beauty Boutique & Bronzing Spa has been open for about five months, but is celebrating its official grand opening Saturday. The 7164 N. Cherryvale Blvd. location — on the north end of the Cherry Vale mall — offers five levels of indoor tanning, sunless tanning and skin care products. Owner Michelle Capraru plans to expand into spray tans soon, and wants to offer facials and other beauty services in the future. For more information, check out its MySpace page: www.myspace.com/tenspaut.
September 22nd, 2008
The new location for Table 13 is getting closer to opening. The City Council should approve the liquor license for the new location, in the former Ember location at 6957 Olde Creek Road, in the next week. Owner Jeremy Germano said remodeling is under way, and he should know within a few weeks what his timetable is for opening.
The restaurant was once located at North Main and Auburn streets, but Germano sold that building to make way for a new Walgreens location.
September 17th, 2008
The new Babies R Us and Toys R Us (dubbed the “R Superstore” by the company) is having its grand opening Friday. The 6449 E. State St. store is occupying the space once held by the Media Play store that closed last year. The new store is 64,000 square feet and is the first Toys/Babies R Us combo in the state. Several special events and activities are planned this weekend in commemoration of the store’s opening.
September 5th, 2008
A new children’s clothing boutique, Tees & Tutus, has opened in the Edgebrook shopping center at North Alpine and Highcrest roads. Owner Kim Thiede said the store, located next to Egg Harbor Cafe, sells clothing and accessories for children sizes newborn through 10. It opened the week of Aug. 11.
You’ll have to look sharp to find the store, however - Thiede hasn’t put a marquee sign up yet. After a car hit one of the support pillars in front of Egg Harbor, she decided to hold off on signage until after repairs are made.
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call 815-399-9110 for details.
September 4th, 2008
Figli’s restaurant, 200 E. Riverside Blvd., closed this week for some retooling. New managers Joanne and Terry Carner are transforming the site to Northwoods Grill & Bar, which will retain some of the original bar atmosphere but also offer a setting conducive to sit-down dining.
Joanne Carner said the menu will include lots of fish entrees, plus steak, pork and lots of appetizers. The decor will be “outdoorsy,” inspired by the couple’s many trips to Wisconsin.
They’re planning a soft opening sometime next week, so stay tuned to the blog for more details.
March 5th, 2008
A new Asha SalonSpa is scheduled to open in early April at The District at CherryVale, the new lifestyle center at CherryVale Mall, 7200 Harrison Ave., Cherry Valley.
It will be an Aveda Lifestyle SalonSpa, which means it will carry the full line of Aveda care products for hair, skin and nails, and provide all Aveda signature services. The spa will have a nail bar for manicures and pedicures. Among other services, it will provide hair coloring, facials, massages and body waxing.
The spa will be the fifth Asha SalonSpa; the other four are in the Chicago area, where the company is based, said Kathleen Bergeron, managing partner of the entire Asha SalonSpa collection. Construction on the new CherryVale salon started in mid-January, and training and a soft opening will start at the beginning of April, said Bergeron. Grand opening parties will start around April 20, said Bergeron.
Bergeron opened the first Asha SalonSpa seven years ago. She will be commuting daily from Huntley to help with the new location. Team leader Maureen O’Rielly will be running the salon.
February 24th, 2008
Off-price retailer T.J. Maxx will be moving to Machesney Park in March and closing its East State Street store in Rockford.
T.J. Maxx plans to open its new Machesney Park store, in Machesney Crossing at 1009 W. Lane Road, on March 13, with grand opening hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The current T.J. Maxx Location, at 6363 E. State St. in Rockford, is scheduled to close March 9.
The new Machesney Park store will carry a larger accessories department than a typical T.J. Maxx store — including handbags, jewelry and luggage — according to a press release from the company.
T.J. Maxx, based in Framingham, Mass., has more than 800 stores in 48 states.
First Rockford Group is the developer of Machesney Crossing, a retail complex at the southeast corner of Illinois 251 and Illinois 173.  Retailers began opening in its main 220,000-square-foot inline building in October and November 2007.Â
December 11th, 2007
A Bed Bath & Beyond store is slated for February 2008 at Machesney Crossing, the shopping center being developed by First Rockford Group at the southeast corner of Illinois 251 and Illinois 173 in Machesney Park.Â
The Winnebago County Building Dept. issued a $700,000 construction permit for “Bed, Bath & Beyond Tenant Buildout” on Nov. 9 to First Rockford Group. “Construction is well along” on the 24,000-square-foot space, said Marc Strauss, First Rockford Group general counsel. “We still have some landlord work that needs to be done before they stock the store.”
While the scope of “landlord work” is different for every job, it can include construction of such features as concrete floor and perimeter walls; washrooms; and even slatboard, the boards to which brackets are attached to hold up shelving.
Bed Bath & Beyond is a domestics and home furnishings retailer with more than 800 stores, including a store in Rockford in Forest Plaza at 6309 E. State St. Machesney Crossing already has Famous Footwear, OfficeMax and maurices stores in its main building. Off-price retailer T.J. Maxx also is planning a store in the complex.
December 10th, 2007
Fiesta Cancun just opened its newest location today, at 631 Highgrove Place in Perryville Commons, near Perryville Road just south of East State Street. The new restaurant is the fifth Fiesta Cancun traditional Mexican restaurant owned by Mario Lopez and Jose Rosalio, both of Rockford. Feista Cancun also has a restaurant at 1508 E. Riverside Blvd. in Loves Park; at 1645 S. West Ave. in Freeport; and in Monroe and Platteville, Wis.
The new Rockford restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
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