It’s Your Business I New coffee shop gets warm welcome from Urbana

Dec. 22—Elm City Coffee owner Ben Smith was already aware from his business’s previous trips to Market at the Square that Urbana is a coffee-loving city.

Still, he said that the community’s response to their Dec. 13 opening at 208 W. Main St. has “exceeded all expectations.”

“So far, it seems like it’s a really good fit,” he said. “So we’re extremely lucky.”

The shop is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

The Main Street location was formerly the home of Cafeteria & Company, which had its last day of business on Nov. 23.

Elm City’s original location and roastery in Jacksonville opened nearly three years ago, Smith said.

Since then, he has worked to expand into new markets by selling beans wholesale to shops such as Cafeteria & Company, working with retailers to sell bags of coffee and bottles of cold brew, and attending farmer’s markets.

Elm City attended Market at the Square this past year, which allowed them to make local connections, Smith said.

Cafeteria & Company owner Matt Cho later offered him the opportunity to locate at 208 W. Main St.

“Things were going so well at the farmer’s market that we decided to just go ahead and pull the trigger on it,” Smith said.

SYNERGY Homecare plans to relocate its Champaign-Urbana offices in the new year.

The business, currently located at 2860 S. Philo Road, will be moving to 3401 Fields South Drive, Suite 126 in Champaign, said Gaye Aaberg, co-owner and president of SYNERGY Homecare of Central Illinois.

“We hope to move in early January — logistics are still being worked out,” Aaberg said. “Our lease in Urbana is up January 31, 2025. We made the decision to move because we needed more space.”

She added that the new, 2,000-square-foot location includes a larger conference room, which will facilitate the business’s “community education events” where members of the public can learn more about SYNERGY’s services.

The spot is also located near several of the business’s referral partners from Carle.

“We will miss the Pines they have been wonderful people to work with and we have enjoyed that location,” Aaberg said. “Business as in life change is inevitable.”

SYNERGY’s current location is available to lease starting on Feb. 1, 2025 and is listed by Guth and Associates at .

A new store offering a mix of Western fashion and work gear is coming to the North Prospect Avenue business district.

According to the city’s records, a permit for building alterations has been issued for 720 Town Center Boulevard, with the project described as a “Boot Barn fit out.”

Signage at the location confirms that the brand is coming to town, and job openings for the local store have been posted at .

Boot Barn stores offer not only cowboy boots and work boots, but also western wear, workwear, “western-inspired fashion,” and outdoor gear.

The chain currently has five existing locations in Illinois, including one in Springfield, and over 400 stores across the country.

The Pantry, located at 1199 Tuscola Blvd. in Tuscola, has announced that it “will serve its last cup of coffee on Christmas Eve” as the restaurant’s owners are retiring.

“The business IS for sale, so feel free to reach out with any inquiries,” The Pantry shared on social media. “If we do not find the right buyer, we will likely have an online sale or auction.”

Pan & Cake Catering Co. at 104 W. Tomaras Ave. in Savoy has also announced its permanent closure, which will take place at the end of the month.

“This journey has been one of immense learning and growth,” the business shared on social media. “We are so grateful for the many wins, and also the lessons learned through the challenges of small business ownership that led us to where we are now.”

An associate with Marble’s Catering, also located at 104 W. Tomaras Ave., told The News-Gazette they are closing at the end of January.

Although its Dec. 31 deadline to achieve occupancy is drawing near, Hotel Royer was still closed at the time of writing on Wednesday morning.

Haaris Pervaiz, a partner with developer Icon Hospitality, that they expected to be open before the end of the year. He could not be reached for comment for this latest article.

When asked if there have been any updates regarding the hotel’s opening timeline, Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin told The News-Gazette, “We don’t have any new information on Hotel Royer at this time.”

The city of Urbana has committed to provide $5.5 million for the project but will not issue the bond until the hotel meets certain conditions, including getting its occupancy certificate.

The city council voted in late February to approve an extension for the developer, giving them until Dec. 31 to achieve occupancy. Council members also amended the agreement to include a penalty: For every three months the project extends past that date, $150,000 will be subtracted from the city’s $5.5 million incentive.

Aldermen previously agreed to extend the occupancy date from Dec. 31, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023, and after that, to Feb. 29, 2024.

The hotel’s website shows Feb. 28, 2025 as the first available booking date. Pervaiz said in a previous interview that Hilton’s practice is to make the first available booking date online later than the anticipated opening to avoid issues if the opening date is pushed back.

Geswein Farm & Land Realty & Auction has announced the hire of Matt Rhodes as a licensed broker and certified general appraiser for Illinois and Indiana.

Geswein officials said Rhodes is a fourth-generation corn and soybean farmer based in East Central Illinois, which gives him a useful perspective on the agricultural real estate market. His family farms 4,000 acres, and he has over 15 years of experience in sales, appraisal and management.

His office is based in Tuscola, the company said.

“We’re excited to welcome Matt to the Geswein Farm & Land family,” said Johnny Klemme, co-owner, advisor and broker of the agency. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will help grow Geswein while meeting our current and future client needs.”

Geswein officials said that, prior to joining the company, Rhodes sold and appraised over 230,000 acres in 81 Illinois and Indiana counties. He earned his bachelor’s of science from the University of Illinois.

“Geswein Farm & Land really stood out to me because of their focus on serving customer needs and making connections within the community,” Rhodes said. “I wanted to join a team that focused solely on agricultural real estate. Geswein has the support staff, history and knowledge behind them to really hit the ground running.”

Geswein is headquartered in Lafayette, Ind. and serves buyers and sellers throughout Indiana, Illinois and Michigan.

EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel