PEORIA MAGAZINE June 2023

Then again, the tax-sale price was too low to resist: $642. And so they packed up their belongings and headed back to central Illinois. When they got to the new property, they soon found out the bargain price wasn’t totally a bargain. “You get what you pay for,” Deb said. “When we opened the door, there was no floor or anything. “We could’ve just walked away.” They almost did. But Curt, a handy fellow who still welds, saw the shambles as an opportunity. The building’s bones were solid, and the rest just needed a little – OK, a lot – of TLC. “We thought, ‘We can do this,’” Curt said. “I didn’t want somebody else’s problems if we took over another place.” He paused, then added with a smile, “Now if something goes wrong, you can blame only me.” WINNING FANS Among the newcomers, there’s no blaming, just raving. The pub pops with shiny wood and gleaming metal, boasting a look that curiously, in an old ag town, seems almost urban and industrial. Even more impressive, most of the fixtures came from auctions or salvage, such as four sharp light fixtures he somehow got for just a buck apiece. ‘IT’S LIKE A HIDDEN TREASURE ... PEOPLE AREN'T REALLY EXPECTING THIS’ — Barkeep Melissa Lane Meantime, LaRose residents have lent a hand. Some, including the may or, helped with various jobs, such as hauling dirt out of the basement to clear space. Others contributed vintage vil lage photos to honor the community’s history, a nice touch before the front door opened in May 2022. “We didn’t want to be like anyplace around,” Deb said. Mission accomplished, said barkeep Melissa Lane, 28, of Washburn. For one, the well-stocked bar includes 17 beers.

The mess just before renovations at Gator'z in 2021 (Photo courtesy of Deb Walin)

Gator’z Pub & Grill, as sleek as just about any trendy big-city bar (Photo courtesy of Deb Walin)

Deb and Curt Walin , owners of Gator’z Pub & Grill (Photo by Jeff Oesch)

“Most places around here, you see only Budweiser and Busch Light,” Lane said with a laugh. For another, the menu is extensive, including plenty of comfort food like meatloaf and pot pies. All pizzas are homemade and can involve non-tradi tional ingredients such as artichokes, ricotta cheese and alfredo sauce. Inno vation even invades the burger selection, such as the Bacon Me Crazy: a half-pound of beef accompanied by bacon jam, bacon mayo and six slices of bacon. Customers – many expecting to find a shot-and-a-beer joint — have been impressed. Jane and Russ Yount regularly drive 20 minutes from Benson to get to Gator’z. “They have some of the best pizzas,” he said.

Others drive in from Roanoke, Lake Wildwood, Wenona and beyond. “It’s like a hidden treasure,” said Lane, one of seven employees at Gator’z. “Peo ple aren’t really expecting this. There isn’t anything like this around here.” The Walins are heartened by the positive reaction, especially from local residents who’d been bypassed by business for so long. “They’re excited to have something happening in LaRose,” Deb said.

Phil Luciano is a senior writer/columnist for Peoria Magazine and content contributor to public television station WTVP. He can be reached at phil.luciano@wtvp.org

JUNE 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 17