By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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LOVES PARK — Tom & Jerry’s has opened its fourth location in the region, bringing its gyros, Italian beef sandwiches, Vienna beef hot dogs and other favorites to Loves Park for the first time.
The local fast-dining chain opened its newest restaurant on Tuesday at 7170 E. Riverside Blvd., which is in the middle of a growing corridor in the city with the Mercyhealth Sportscore Two complex, Costco, Javon Bea Mercyhealth Hospital-Riverside, multiple hotels, hundreds of rooftops and other restaurants nearby.
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The restaurant will have about 40 employees, and hiring is still ongoing for drivers, cashiers and cooks, a company representative said Wednesday.
Tom & Jerry’s also has restaurants in Belvidere, Machesney Park and Rockford. Owner Bob Grottke previously told the Rock River Current he’s working on expanding the restaurant’s reach even further. He said they would like to have three to five more locations in the next two years.
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The restaurant specializes in homemade quality food out of a full-service restaurant at fast-food prices, Grottke said.
“That’s really where we excel,” he told the Rock River Current in a previous interview.
Other best-selling items are its barbecue ribs and Angus beef burgers.
Tom & Jerry’s | Locations
- 2040 N. State St., Belvidere (815-547-8300)
- 1555 W. Lane Road, Machesney Park (815-547-8300)
- 5446 E. State St., Rockford (917-555-1234)
- 7170 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park (815-904-6337)
- On the web: tomandjerrysrestaurant.com
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas