LOVES PARK — Lino’s is prepared to officially launch its new indoor marketplace this summer with 15 local makers The Mercato by Lino’s hosted pop-up shopping events late last year as it built toward its full opening It will kick off its next chapter with a Mother’s Day Market from 11:30 a.m The Mother’s Day Market will offer a preview of the full launch with several vendors that will become a permanent part of the Mercato There is also a drive-thru Meg’s Daily Grind built out of a shipping container at the west end of the building “We’re thrilled to bring the Mercato to life this summer,” Charlie Schweinler family-friendly way to introduce the community to what’s coming — and to give moms a day they’ll love.” Lino’s encourages reservations for those planning a sit-down meal at the restaurant on Riverside on Mother’s Day. The Summer Shed a machine shed converted into a casual space to enjoy your carryout orders will also be open along with lawn games and activities Lino’s, which opened a drive-up and carryout restaurant in a red shipping container in November 2022 has been working on its indoor box market concept for more than a year The goal is to provide small businesses with a chance to operate storefronts without large overhead costs and share in the foot traffic each other generate The family had purchased the 19,500-square-foot building in 2021 with the goal to open its second sit-down restaurant But when construction and material costs skyrocketed Schweinler reenvisioned the concept to try to keep renovation costs low while bringing a unique restaurant and shopping concept to the area This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas by Kevin Haas Rock River Current is owned and operated in Rockford IL by Mid-West Family Broadcasting-Rockford (Long Nine Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLOVES PARK (WIFR) - Baked Wings says it doesn’t plan on reopening its Loves Park location On March 9 Baked Wings notified customers of a temporary closure the restaurant announced it will not reopen its location at 6390 E Culture Crunch in Rockford also recently announced that they are closing permanently LOVES PARK — Renovations are underway to bring a new restaurant featuring Mongolian and Asian-fusion cuisine to the former Hardee’s at the corner of Riverside Boulevard and Forest Hills Road Super Bowl Mongolian Grill took out a business license late last year with the city of Loves Park according to information filed with the city Renovations started March 10 at the site at 1550 E The location had previously been a Hardee’s on two separate occasions with the most recent iteration closing about seven years ago It was also previously a Dunkin’ Donuts The restaurant is one of three new eateries and four new businesses in development along Riverside Boulevard in Loves Park A Tahini’s restaurant offering Middle Eastern cuisine is set to open on the opposite corner of Riverside and Forest Hills at 1521 E Tacos El Jefe Mexican Grill is coming to the former Fuji Cajun space, 6566 E. Riverside Blvd., and a four-story Hampton Inn is set to be built at 4170 Bell School Road just north of Riverside Other restaurant openings this year along Riverside include Lino’s second location, 8400 E. Riverside Blvd., in mid-March and Panera Bread (WIFR) - A family is displaced Thursday after a fire damages their home multiple crews were called to the 5200 block of Marble Drive in Loves Park Officials at the scene report a passerby saw smoke from the fire The Loves Park Fire Department put the family in a hotel while they figure out their next steps The cause of the fire is under investigation LOVES PARK — A Valvoline Instant Oil Change is under construction by Costco and Burger King near the Interstate 90 and Riverside Boulevard interchange The 2,028-square-foot facility will feature three oil change bays at 4020 Stadium Drive according to the city’s community development department A timeline for opening has not been announced Valvoline is a quick oil change and automotive maintenance company with more than 2,000 locations across the United States and Canada The company handles more than 28 million services annually ranging from 15-minute stay-in-your-car oil changes to a variety maintenance services such as wiper replacements and tire rotations Valvoline ranked 18th on Forbes’ Best Customer Service list for 2025 among 300 brands included It was the top-ranked instant oil change company There are also Valvoline locations at 6772 E. State St. in Rockford and 7706 N. Second St. in Machesney Park This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas LOVES PARK — The newest car wash location in the city will celebrate its opening next week by offering nearly two weeks of free washes and other deals Tsunami Express Car Wash is slated to open Wednesday at 6245 N The automated tunnel car wash was built on the former home of St which disbanded in 2016 after 60 years of ministry The car wash company announced its opening date this week and said visitors can get a free car wash from Wednesday The company also said that it will offer its unlimited monthly membership for $5 for the first month during the first two weeks in business. Proceeds from those sales will be donated to Special Spaces Illinois a nonprofit that provides bedroom makeovers for children facing cancer “We are excited to expand into Illinois and bring our signature Tsunami Express experience to the Loves Park community,” Chris Schuldt “Partnerships with nonprofits like Special Spaces Illinois is just one way we aim to invest in the communities where we operate.” “We are incredibly grateful to Tsunami Car Wash for their support of Special Spaces Illinois through their grand opening Their generosity — and the kindness of the entire Loves Park community — means we can create more dream bedrooms for children battling cancer,” Kelly Knox “These are not just rooms; they are healing spaces and do-it-yourself detailing tools including interior cleaning spray and microfiber towels Construction on the wash began last summer after a Lubbock-Texas-based development company purchased the land for $1.02 million according to a deed filed with the Winnebago County Clerk & Recorder’s Office The property was sold by G5 Farm Property Group which had bought it from the church for $500,000 in July 2022 This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas LOVES PARK — A new hotel is planned for Bell School Road just west of Interstate 90 adding a fifth lodging option for travelers in that area of the city Hampton Inn has submitted a zoning application to build at 4170 Bell School Road, which is just north of Home2Suites by Hilton. That area is also home to Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Quality Inn & Suites and WoodSpring Suites which is the most recent addition having opened in Dec “The reason the area draws a lot of hotels is Sportscore Two,” said Mayor Greg Jury who added that business travelers on weeklong or longer stays also fill local hotel rooms four-story Hampton Inn is expected to start this summer who previously brought the Home2Suites here about six years ago said the Riverside Boulevard and Interstate 90 corridor has filled up with restaurants and retail since that time “Since we last built the Home2 next door a lot of new restaurants in the Riverside corridor has been developed There’s not much land available anymore,” he said “We’re excited to start the project Hopefully it will spur even more new development in Loves Park.” Shah said the hotel will replace the existing Hampton Inn on State Street in Rockford which is slated to be rebranded in the near future construction of the new hotel is expected to last about two years LOVES PARK — Baked Wings started as a ghost kitchen operated from inside The Pomodoro Italian restaurant and if you want to taste its dry-rub boneless and bone-in chicken wings in the future that’s where you’ll find it That’s a small portion of Baked Wings that will live on in Loves Park after the permanent closure of the restaurant at 6390 E The closure was announced on social media Wednesday nearly a month after what was expected to be a temporary shutdown started March 9 sweat and tears into this place and it’s gut-wrenching to have to type out the post I had to type out (Wednesday),” said Scott Frank who owns Baked Wings with business partners Bryan Suh and Marti McKinney “And it was gut-wrenching to lose our staff and our customers “This has been really hard for my other two partners as well We’ve been living under a lot of stress for quite a while.” Frank and his wife, Brittany, own and operate The Pomodoro just a few doors down at 6500 E They plan to add the bone-in and boneless wings to The Pomodoro menu in a little more then a week The Pomodoro will also honor Baked Wings gift cards starting immediately You can now use them for its Italian cuisine such as its salmon Izzabella margherita pizza or vodka Bolognese lasagna Or wait roughly a week and spend the cards when the wings are added to the menu “Since my wife and I fully own The Pomodoro and are partners at Baked Wings we think it’s the right thing to do to honor their gift cards over here,” Frank said “We want people that bought gift cards to be able to utilize them.” Baked Wings started in August of 2020 during the restaurant shutdowns that were ordered in an effort to curtail the spread of the coronavirus It was what’s know as a ghost kitchen where the food is made for delivery or curbside service without a storefront of its own It had major highs during its two-plus year run including selling 11,600 wings during its first Super Bowl The ownership trio had envisioned franchising the restaurant in college towns and other locations Frank said Thursday he could not discuss any other locations “A 40-pound case of bone-in jumbo chicken wings when we opened was $42 It rose all the way up to $200 over the last few years,” he said But for the majority of the last several years it’s been well over $100 … That’s our number one selling thing is a bone-in jumbo chicken wing.” Other rising costs from utilities to to-go containers also stressed the bottom line While some companies opted for so-called shrink-flation by reducing the size of the wings they offer Baked Wings decided to stick with its jumbo option “We didn’t want to compromise the quality of our chicken “That’s something we had our flagpole in the ground with – we’re selling jumbo bone-in chicken wings and we’re not going to go to the scrawny “We didn’t even have a can opener in the building Nothing came out of a can in the whole place,” he said “I’m very proud of the business we built Frank said having to announce the closure of Baked Wings was one of the worst days he’s had in a long time Pritzker had the press conference on that Sunday afternoon that he was closing indoor dining down for two weeks to slow the spread which we know turned in to about two years,” Frank said “Yesterday I had that same pit in my stomach when I was typing the Facebook post.” This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas LOVES PARK — The city’s first Panera Bread opened its doors on Wednesday at 7310 E filling part of a two-tenant building in a busy corridor near Interstate 90 The restaurant is in a stretch of Loves Park that has rapidly developed over the past five years with several new dining options and hotels Mayor Greg Jury said the draw of visitors from Mercyhealth Sportscore Two is a big factor in the growth but wait until soccer tournaments start,” Jury said to a full room Wednesday morning during a ribbon-cutting ceremony “You’re going to have bodies coming in and out of here left and right.” Panera cut the ribbon on the new 2,500-square-foot space in a celebration with the Parks Chamber of Commerce There is 3,500 square feet of space adjoining available for another tenant It’s the third ribbon-cutting the chamber has hosted in that stretch of Riverside in the past six months. The previous two were for Buona Beef and The Original Rainbow Cone,7350 E. Riverside Blvd., and WoodSpring Suites Nearly every available frontage parcel on the north side of the road is now filled There is undeveloped land on the south side of the street “It’s been really exciting over the past several years watching the growth and development on Riverside and Panera will make a great addition,” Julie Altenbernd chairwoman of the Parks Chamber of Commerce board There are updated ordering kiosks with automatic loyalty identification and a fully digitized menu in-cafe and in the drive-thru It also has new equipment and a new process for breadmaking that guarantees the store won’t run out of supply “Every time you get a cup of coffee you’re guaranteed fresh because it’s made to order,” Murphy said “You’re going to have more varieties of coffee you always had a dark roast blend for iced coffee Panera touts a menu focused on freshly made soups bakery treats and sandwiches without artificial preservatives There are three other area Panera Bread locations: 609 S 1512 West Lane Road in Machesney Park and 2510 Pearl St. Order online: Go HERE LOVES PARK — Baked Wings a locally owned restaurant centered on a variety of boneless and bone-in chicken dishes has decided it will not reopen at Riverside Boulevard as originally planned had announced a temporary closure on March 9 but on Wednesday it told followers on social media that the closure would be permanent “Thank you for all the love and support you’ve shown us over the past few years We’ve made the difficult decision not to reopen our Loves Park location,” Baked Wings posted on Facebook “We’re incredibly grateful for every visit and every bit of community you helped us build Thank you for being part of our journey.” who ran the restaurant with his business partners told the Rock River Current he would follow up with more details on the decision tomorrow The restaurant had been born out of a delivery and curbside service as part of The Pomodoro an Italian restaurant that Frank runs with his wife just a few buildings down the road at 6500 E it opened with its own stand-alone location at the former Eggspress Cafe “All we simply did was put ‘now open’ on the digital part of our sign on Riverside,” Frank said in a November 2022 interview “Even with that little noise about being open we ended up selling over 1,600 bone-in wings in one day.” (WIFR) - A Loves Park family reaches out to the community for help after a tragic car crash forces them to make a heartbreaking decision and remove their “baby girl” from life support Hannah Grass and her daughter Maizy were badly hurt in a crash Friday 11 in the area of Kilburn and Springfield Avenues in Rockford A GoFundMe is set up to support the family Maizy’s parents made the decision to turn off the machines keeping their daughter alive and donate her organs Maizy’s father Seth Grass says that even at just 13 months old Maizy had a magical way of brightening the lives of those around her we have this thing called getting a dose of ‘Mazeatonin.’ It’s kind of a little play on serotonin Any time anyone in our family was having a bad day You couldn’t have a bad day when Maizy was around,” Grass said Law enforcement has not shared whether any charges were filed in the crash or if anyone else was hurt LOVES PARK — The last Sonic Drive-In to close in the Rockford area is now set to be the first to make a comeback Work is underway to reopen Sonic at 1602 E said the goal is to reopen the restaurant by mid-February “We’re really pushing to get it open as soon as possible but there’s still some odds and ends that need cleaning up,” Wolken said “We’re excited to bring Sonic back to Loves Park and we’re looking forward to serving the community again.” The Loves Park location opened in November 2010 and operated for 13 years before closing There were three Sonic restaurants in the Rockford area at one time and the Riverside Boulevard location was the last to close The Sonic at 2195 N. State St. in Belvidere closed in 2015, and the property is now home to Lucky Mustangs Bar & Slots. The Sonic at 2137 S. Perryville Road in Cherry Valley closed in winter 2021, and work is underway to use the building for a future Starbucks Wolken said his company worked with Sonic and its owner Inspire Brands to lease the space and reopen the store after its closure Boom Enterprises also has several Sonic locations in the western suburbs and other parts of Chicagoland Wolken said his company previously looked at taking over the site prior to 2020 but the deal was halted when the coronavirus pandemic took hold “There was a desire years ago to get into the community,” Wolken said “When this opportunity presented itself Sonic was supportive and we decided to move forward.” Hiring has begun for the future Sonic. You can apply through the company’s website The classic carhop company was founded by Troy Smith Sr in 1953 and now has more than 3,500 locations across the country Its staples include the Chili Cheese Coney which is an all beef hot dog with shredded cheddar cheese and chili Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAutoplayNews LOVES PARK — A new four-story, 122-room extended-stay hotel has opened in the city’s growth corridor near Interstate 90 and Riverside Boulevard City officials and The Parks Chamber of Commerce gathered Tuesday afternoon to cut the ribbon on WoodSpring Suites a 48,660-square-foot hotel at 4101 Galleria Drive “You’re in absolutely the right location with all the activity along here,” Duncan Geddes told hotel officials at the ribbon-cutting “There’s so much activity at Sportscore and Costco and the baseball stadium and the hospital The hotel is designed to serve both short-term and extended-stay visitors whether it be a family in town for a couple days for a soccer tournament at Mercyhealth SportsCore Two or someone who needs to be near a loved one at Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside during a prolonged hospital stay “There’s a lot of people who come to this community that work and stay here while they work for a week or two weeks,” Mayor Greg Jury said on-site guest laundry and a fitness center It’s 100% smoke free and dog-friendly “You need a place that has a kitchen when you have children,” said Susan Egan … It’s an inexpensive way to have a nice room a kitchen and have the space you need.” WoodSpring Suites is the fourth hotel to open in the increasingly busy corridor near Interstate 90 and Riverside Boulevard It is adjacent to the Home2Suites by Hilton and it is in the area of Holiday Inn Express and Quality Inn development manager for Holladay Properties said developer Kurt Carlson introduced them to the site while showcasing the area The hotel opened just 11 months after they closed on the purchase of the property Pisani brought to the ribbon-cutting a copy of Rockford Magazine from May of 1988 which profiled Carlson and his vision for the 670 acres in the area that was still undeveloped at the time ‘I just hope I live long enough to see it developed,” Pisani said “It actually happened 37 years later.” LOVES PARK — New ownership is set to take over Finnegan’s Cottage on North Second Street with plans to add a pub grill to the longtime neighborhood bar late next year who owns Bago Lounge in the village of Winnebago is set to buy the property and business from longtime owner and operator John Waugh They expect to close on the sale this week The purchase price was not disclosed ahead of it entering the public record 1,000-square-foot bar still has remnants of the old home including an inoperable stone fireplace Karen Hobbs of KH Food Safety Consulting and Services which is working with Mangiaracina on his plans to add a kitchen and full menu to the bar compared its atmosphere to “Cheers” with some customers joking about their regular seats at the counter Hobbs and Mangiaracina said the plan is to add a kitchen and begin to serve burgers pending approval from local regulatory agencies “I want everybody to know that this isn’t just a beer “You got to have big burgers and you got to have nice grinders.” Mangiaracina sees potential for the kitchen to draw in new customers especially with nearby businesses such as a Woodward facility about a block away The stretch of North Second Street where Finnegan’s is located sees approximately 16,300 vehicles a day according Illinois Department of Transportation estimates and it’s a homemade burger – people are going to come in to get your burgers,” Mangiaracina said “Homemade burgers: None of this frozen patty stuff.” who has owned the bar since 1998 and started working there around 1990 said he was ready to retire and looking for someone with fresh energy to take over the business The bar is being purchased jointly with the next door car lot Mangiaracina said the lot will initially be leased to the auto dealer running the site now as he develops future plans for the property Mangiaracina spent 35 years working for the sanitary district before retiring about two years ago but he has long run bars and restaurants outside of his day job The 60-year-old business owner previously ran Vinny’s on Block 5 in downtown Rockford and Lucky 777’s in Roscoe He plans to keep the character of the pub in place but he is considering a few other changes aside from the addition of a kitchen he hopes to add a fenced patio for outdoor seating Loves Park Police officers shot a man near the 600 block of Sheridan Drive Wednesday night as the officers were responding to a domestic disturbance involved a man with a gun after officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of River Lane and learned that a man had walked away from the home with a rifle Officers searched the area and found the man holding a long gun rifle and threatening to harm himself Police said the officers tried to deescalate the situation by speaking with the man but that the man pointed the rifle at them He had surgery and is listed in critical condition The Winnebago-Boone County Integrity Task Force has responded along with the Rockford Police Department and Winnebago County Sheriff's Office LOVES PARK — The city celebrated the longtime owners of Backyard Grill & Bar on Monday as the couple steps away from the restaurant after nearly three decades in business Dana and Rich Schmidt have sold Backyard who has worked at the restaurant for about seven years “They’re going to be missed for everything they’ve done for the community,” Jury said Backyard Grill & Bar opened in November 1996 and for several years the couple also operated locations in Cherry Valley and Roscoe The Roscoe restaurant closed in 2019 after 20 years in business and they sold the Cherry Valley shop in 2016 after 18 years They said now was the right time to step away from running the Loves Park restaurant so they can enjoy more time with their family They have a daughter who is a sophomore soccer player at Loyola University in Chicago and twin high school juniors “This is kind of our last hurrah to really spend some family time and be able to go to a lot of these games and sporting events and college trips coming up,” Rich Schmidt said The Schmidts said they were fortunate for the Harlem High School fan base that would stop at the restaurant after games and the loyal regular customers it was still just nice to be there around all the people that we were around,” Dana Schmidt said “It didn’t make it feel like a job It was social time for us just seeing everyone and we just loved catering to all the great people who came in.” The Schmidts have called Loves Park home for about 30 years and opened their flagship location about two years after moving here We’ve met so many great people over the time,” Rich Schmidt said “We’ve gotten to know so many families that have come in with little kids Then the older kids turn into teenagers and they work at the Backyard then the next time you see them they’ve graduated school and have families of their own It’s been a very nice cycle to be a part of.” Rich Schmidt said they’ve been working with Bennick on the transition and sale for about two years “I have the best staff and the best customers that I could ask for,” Bennick said “We’re going to keep it going.” (WIFR) - Two years after Capri’s original location off E the restaurant announces a date for its reopening The eatery announced it will be open for carry out starting at 4 p.m. Customers will soon be able to order their favorite menu options for carry out and delivery, the restaurant shared Saturday on social media Capri says the new location will also have a patio space for people to enjoy LOVES PARK — A restaurant franchise focused on authentic Middle Eastern cuisine including shawarma and falafel is coming to Riverside Boulevard and Forest Hills Road First Midwest Group announced Monday that its leasing space to Tahini’s at Loves Park Crossings which is next to Penny Lane Slots in a business center that includes Verizon “This new eatery promises to delight your taste buds with a selection of authentic and healthy Middle Eastern cuisine, all served with fast, friendly, and reliable customer service,” First Midwest Group wrote on social media “Tahini’s is committed to using only the freshest ingredients and the best service ensuring every visit becomes a memorable experience.” The chain is based in London, Ontario, and has more than 50 restaurants across Canada. It started moving into the U.S. this fall with plans for restaurants in Chicago and New Jersey. The franchise is one of the fastest growing in Canada, according to Retail Insider Tahini’s specializes in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine including a variety of shawarma and bowls such as the habibi bowl with freshly cut chicken shawarma on top of rice There is also spicy chicken shawarma infused with jerk sauce served on basmati rice topped with fresh pineapples Or classic Canadian poutine with crispy fries layered with cheese curds and beef gravy LOVES PARK — Lino’s will host the debut events for its new indoor box market this month although the pop-up shopping sessions are just a taste of what the space will ultimately become The 52-year-old family-owned restaurant is developing a new concept called The Mercato by Lino’s inside a 19,500-square-foot building at 8400 E The space will eventually be home to a new sit-down Lino’s restaurant and a multitude of small businesses that will operate mini-shops from shipping containers inside the building The goal is to open The Mercato by Lino’s with its restaurant and small business tenants by the end of next summer but for now the space will host private parties and special events including a trio of holiday markets this month is called Mercato Holiday Market and happens from noon to 3 p.m It will feature handmade merchandise including jewelry clothing and other holiday-themed goods from local sellers “I’m just excited to get everybody back together and see if we can make something special that our community can be proud of,” said Charlie Schweinler the first three events will have roughly 85 small businesses and craft sellers in the space “We’ll get a feeling for how everything flows and how everything works what kind of things we need to tweak and to adjust before we get our final opening,” Schweinler said let’s see what it’s all about while enjoying the holiday season and then get to finishing construction after the new year.” Lino’s started working to create the new indoor market earlier this year after earning zoning approval from the city of Loves Park in late June The northeast end of the building will be Lino’s new sit-down restaurant and bar with mezzanine seating overlooking the shops You’ll be able to order a glass of wine from the restaurant before you stroll through the shops Schweinler had initially hoped to open The Mercato before the end of the year but the project faced delays as he and the city navigated the details of a development that hasn’t been done in this region “Nothing has ever been done like that so we’re kind of feeling our way through and working with him to get it going,” said Steve Thompson director of community development for the city The space is meant to instill feelings of an old-world, rustic Italian piazza, Schweinler said. The shipping container concept was chosen to keep costs low amid high inflation and construction prices Lino’s first turned to shipping containers in November 2022, when it opened a drive-thru restaurant inside a 53-foot-long red shipping container on Riverside Boulevard which is next door to the carryout shipping container restaurant expands on that concept with a goal to create a local shopping destination with local businesses that serve similar clientele What: The debut event for The Mercato by Lino’s will include a holiday wine tasting live jazz and a variety of local businesses offering a selection of holiday-themed merchandise What: The sixth event in the Pop-Up in the Parks series is a new holiday market called Candyland Christmas There will also be visits from Santa Claus What: Guest Host Illinois Vintage Fest and Smiley’s Vintage present this market featuring a curated collection of vintage clothing from the 1980s and ’90s and other vintage goods from 25 vendors Info and more events: Go HERE MACHESNEY PARK — Tis the season for chicken chains to open in the Rockford region A day after Raising Cane’s debuted in Rockford, Church’s Texas Chicken has set the date for its debut in Machesney Park according to the village and managers on site Church’s fills a space formerly occupied by KFC. The KFC in Machesney Park abruptly closed in August along with three others in the Rockford region tied to the franchise owner Several others had closed the same day across the state Church’s Texas Chicken was founded in 1952 by George W It was initially called Church’s Chicken and officially rebranded as Church’s Texas Chicken in 2019 The company is now headquartered in Atlanta There are roughly 770 Church’s locations across the country By Laura NeuzilPublished: Jan 2025 at 11:42 AM CSTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMACHESNEY PARK (WIFR) - A new restaurant option is coming to Machesney Park this spring Church’s Texas Chicken will take over the former KFC location at 1586 West Lane Road. The KFC has sat empty since it closed unexpectedly in August 2024 “This is the first Church’s Texas Chicken location in the Rockford area,” Mayor Steve Johnson said in a news release “We’re happy to see new restaurants choose Machesney Park for their location It gives residents and visitors exciting options.” Johnson described 2025 as full of development news for Machesney Park Church’s Texas Chicken, founded in 1952, is a quick-service chicken restaurant chain with locations around the world. For more information about the restaurant, visit www.churchs.com LOVES PARK — A new tavern along North Second Street sets out to create a social club-like setting with a full kitchen is the first venture in the city for Oleg Kabachenko but the Fox Lake resident has decades of experience in the food service industry including running a popular Chicagoland deli and sandwich shops The tavern is open now for drinks and gaming The kitchen and deli is expected to be added next week Kabachenko previously owned Koenemann’s in Volo a nearly 80-year-old deli and sandwich shop he and his wife bought from the son of the original founders about seven years ago County Club Tavern will also feature deli items “you name it,” Kabachenko said You can also build your own sandwich from the deli items and Turano bread “They will feel here like they’re at home,” he said “It’s going to be like a social club I think it’s going to be a kind of unique place for the Rockford area.” The native of Ukraine has more than 40 years in business and has a long family history of sausage makers His great-grandfather founded a sausage factory in their home country more than a century ago He also plans to have his own flat-bread style pizza fish and occasional specials such as Louisiana style baked oysters served on a skewer with minced meat that is marinated in Kabachenko’s secret blend of spices He said he didn’t want to reveal too much more about the plans because he hopes people will come see it for themselves “I don’t want to tell anything,” he said try it and after that people will tell it.” The space had last been home to The Content Factory a social-media focused business with all the backdrops for your selfies and online content Kabachenko completely overhauled the space with new flooring high top tables and a pair of lounge seats He hopes it will become a regular gathering spot for people to have a sandwich “I like my customers and if you like your customers your customers will like you,” he said LOVES PARK — The owners of B&B Park Bowl have taken over the bar and lounge next door a move they see as a natural fit for the side-by-side businesses to continue to work hand-in-hand who have operated the eight-lane bowling alley since 2017 The businesses are at North Second Street and Loves Court They’re running both businesses now and preparing to close on the purchase of both buildings from owners Butch and Sandy Olson “We’re just a mom-and-pop place that loves seeing new people and meeting new people and hopefully give you a safe environment where you’ll want to come back,” said Rob Cabello a veteran who spent five years on active duty with the Army and more than 15 years with the Illinois Army National Guard burgers and other pub grub from Town Hall Lounge while at B&B “They go over there to bowl for the recreational a drink and then they leave,” said Sue Cabello an accountant and former state champion bowler with Jefferson High School “I think the specials that run next door will help out here Town Hall has its own recreational aspects, with dart leagues run on a series of BullShooter boards in its main dining hall ranging from 8-ounce black Angus beef burgers to pizza It also has a Friday night fish fry and steak on Saturday night The couple said they plan to make small changes to upgrade the space starting with fixing the fence and back patio portion of Town Hall “We’ve done something every year next door (at B&B) whether it’s put in new carpeting or paint,” Sue Cabello said “It’s got to be the same way here.”