June 2 – Renovations started Tuesday for the new Crumbl Cookies in the former Smallcakes space at 2005 S. Neil St. in Champaign.
Managing partner Deb Platon, who owns the local franchise with her husband Steven, said the plan is to complete construction by the end of July, and she would like to open before the University of Illinois begins its fall semester (Aug. 26 ). , for those of you scoring at home).
“We are doing a full build-out,” she said. “Crumbl has specific requirements, equipment, etc., so we’re going to start from scratch and build the place according to Crumbl guidelines.”
Other than the exterior signs, the work is largely internal, she said.
Platon and her husband have had a Crumbl store in La Grange since September 2022.
She said that when they were discussing where to open their next store, champagne was her husband’s first choice.
In addition to having family in Savoy, Platon said they like that Champaign is a big city with a “small town feel” and appreciate the support they have received from the community.
“We are so excited, I can’t tell you,” she said. “This has been a year-long journey, but we are so excited to share cookies.”
Packing their scissors
After nearly 20 years at 2036 S. Neil St., Andy’s Barbershop has moved to a new spot not far from its original location.
On Tuesday, the Champaign Barbershop opened at its new location at 471 Devonshire Drive, in the Devonshire Commons strip mall on Fox Drive.
“We actually downsized,” says owner Andy Wagner. “We had lost a number of hairdressers over the years and thought this was a good time to move.”
One exception is Luke Saathoff, a longtime employee who recently became co-owner of the store.
“He and I have worked together for the past 15 years,” Saathoff said. “And when we decided to make the move, we just thought it would be better to do it, I guess, together. It’s more than likely that as time goes on, he and I will be here for the long haul. other hairdressers seem to be very difficult.”
The company’s new home was previously a law firm, he said. Some of the changes they made in preparation for the opening included removing carpet and removing temporary walls to turn the space into one large room.
“It’s just a nice refresh from what we had,” he said.
“We probably also had to renovate the old store,” Wagner said. “It had been about 10 years since we had done anything about it. So that was another deciding factor.”
Excitement bubbles up
The fourth annual Mahomet Soda Festival will be held June 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Village Center, and organizers say this year’s event will feature more than 100 different soft drinks from around the country.
According to the Mahomet Chamber of Commerce, the event will “bring people together with good music, great food and a wide variety of crazy soda flavors.”
A 10 soda tasting card costs $5, and an unlimited tasting wristband costs $25. A family pack of two wristbands and two cards costs $50.
There will also be several vendors and activities for children. More information about the festival can be found at .
Here, cat, cat, cat
The Scratching Post – a combination cat lounge and board game cafe at 114 E. University Ave. in downtown Champaign – is nearing the end of a very successful fundraising campaign.
To date, the cafe — which initially had a goal of $10,000 — has raised more than $20,000. As a reward for achieving the last goal, all donors can name one of the cafe’s cats.
“The Scratching Post alone will cost us over $100,000 to build,” owner Rebecca Minick wrote. “We know. It’s crazy. We’re sharing this because we want you to know that even though we’ve already exceeded our original funding goal, your additional pledges are still greatly appreciated and will still go towards building De Krabpaal. So your continued generosity will not be spent on pizza and cat toys.”
The campaign closes on Sunday afternoon.
Minick said she still anticipates a fall opening for the cafe and hopes to begin renovating the building soon.
“The architects are still doing their thing,” she said. “However, they hope to be ready in the coming weeks so that construction can hopefully begin in June.”
Accelerated vacancy
The Champaign County Economic Development Corp. is seeking a director for its new Illinois APEX Accelerator Center.
The agency recently received a $90,000 grant from the Illinois APEX Accelerator program to help small businesses win government contracts at the local, state and federal levels.
“The director of the APEX Accelerator Center in Illinois is responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of APEX, including advisory services to clients, oversight of budget activities, required reporting to DCEO and more,” officials said. “The director of the Illinois APEX Accelerator Center will represent the APEX program at the local and regional level within the economic development and business communities and work closely with stakeholders in Champaign County and central Illinois.”
Support for the local facility comes from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the county economic development agency and the University of Illinois. The program is offered through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense.
“While continuation of this position is anticipated for years to come, all APEX positions are dependent on continued grant funding,” officials said.
More information is available at.
