Restaurant news and construction projects dominate our list of 10 most-read stories in June
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — We had record readership last month as readers dove into multiple stories about business and development around the Rockford region.
There were new restaurants, construction projects, ownership changes and other development throughout the month.
More news: New family-run business with homemade ice cream opens in Midtown
All year long, we’ve been sharing with you our 10 most-read stories each month. We track to see what type of stories you’re interested in most, and we share the list so you can catch up on anything you may have missed.
Here are the 10 most-read stories from June.
Belvidere couple reinvents RBI Brunch Bar in Rockford
New ownership took over RBI Brunch Bar and expanded its options into the evening hour.
The restaurant at 3870 N. Perryville Road in Rockford is now called RBI Brunch and Dinner | Bourbon Street Lounge.
It’s owned by Dave and Toby Prochnicki, a Belvidere couple who took over the space as the previous owners turned their attention to a fast-growing vodka brand.
Full story here.
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Here’s what’s being built across the street from Hard Rock Casino
A convenience store and fuel station is being built on the northeast corner of State Street and Lyford Road across from the future Hard Rock Casino.
Quik Trip, not to be confused with with the Wisconsin-based KwikTrip, is a privately held company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with more than 900 stores in 14 states.
Full story here.
Hoffman House to expand its casual side, drop its salad bar
Hoffman House made waves in the city last month when the 65-year-old upscale eatery announced it would be expanding its casual offerings and getting rid of its popular salad bar.
Rumors that the restaurant was closing spread across social media until the owners corrected the record that Hoffman House would stay, just with a smaller footprint and no salad bar as the casual Scoreboard Sports Bar expands.
Full story here.
Aldi building grocery store near Rockford’s northwest end
Construction began last month to build an Aldi’s grocery store near Rockford’s northwest end.
The city issued a building permit May 31 valued at $3,045,679 for the project at 3801 W. Riverside Blvd. across from Walmart, according to city Building Department records.
The new store will replace Aldi’s location at 3831 Auburn St. and provide a larger space.
Full story here.
Dual-brand restaurant coming to Riverside Boulevard in Loves Park
Buona Beef and The Original Rainbow Cone, two family-owned chains that are staples in Chicagoland, will be built at the corner of East Riverside Boulevard and Galleria Drive, which is just west of the Interstate 90 interchange in front of Blain’s Farm & Fleet.
City officials expect construction of the dual-brand restaurant at 7310 Riverside Blvd. to break ground next month with a goal of opening later this year.
Full story here.
Cannabis dispensary with local ownership under construction
A new cannabis dispensary with a local ownership team is under construction in east Rockford.
Lyfe Cannabis Dispensary will fill what was once World Gym fitness center at 6774 Troy Drive, which is near Aldi and Midland States Bank along East State Street.
The company is run by local entrepreneurs Reed Sjostrom, Michael Hodges and Dustin Koch. Sjostrom and Koch are the founders of Prairie Street Brewing Co. and Hodges, who has previous experience in the cannabis industry in California, is the owner of Artison Group, a sports management agency.
Full story here.
Lino’s opens its new ‘summer shack’ in Loves Park
A new addition to the restaurant Lino’s opened inside a shipping container last year allows you to enjoy the Italian cuisine indoors or outdoors in a park-like setting.
The 51-year-old locally owned restaurant converted a former 80-by-40 foot machine shed into its “summer shack,” a place sit down out of the sun with your pizza, gelato, bottled drinks and other Italian food.
Full story here.
Hard Rock Casino still has interest in buying part of former Elliot Golf Course
Hard Rock Casino Rockford said it still has interest in acquiring a portion of the former Elliot Golf Course in hopes it could one day be used in a way that compliments the entertainment offerings at its casino.
That’s one of several options for the former course, which includes a potential Severson Dells Nature Center home.
For now, the Rockford Park District is preparing to lease some of the land for agriculture uses, pending zoning approval by the Cherry Valley village board.
Full story here.
Rockford lays out incentives to spur $420M redevelopment of Barber-Colman
This story took an in-depth look at all the ins and outs of a proposed redevelopment deal designed to spur the transformation of the abandoned Barber-Colman factory into a $420 million mix of apartments and businesses.
The project took a key step forward on June 20, and it’s due to go before City Council on July 10.
Full story here
Beauty Boutique abruptly closes its doors in Rockford
A downtown Rockford luxury beauty and cosmetics boutique abruptly closed its store in early June.
Arch Apothecary, 214 E. State St., also closed its locations in Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee.
Full story here.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.
