PEORIA MAGAZINE November 2023

A PUBLICATION OF WT VP

MAGAZ INE

NOVEMBER 2023

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NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 1

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2 NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

COVER STORY 45 Class of 2023 Forty Leaders Under 40 FEATURES 10 Seed and Soil:

SPOTLIGHTS 22 A Little Cat With Your Cup of Joe? By Phil Luciano 24 A Peoria Pitch Produces a Bite of Bollywood By Lisa Coon 36 Stormy Times for Insurance Agencies By Steve Stein 38 11-17-2013 By Pam Tomka 40 The End of an Era in Peoria Broadcast Journalism By Phil Luciano 88 Forest Park Foundation Reaches the End of Its Glorious and Giving Road By Linda Smith Brown 92 At 125 Years, Peoria Heights Is Finding Its Stride By Linda Smith Brown 120 The Illinois River Under a Microscope By Pam Tomka

98 Playing in Peoria: Commentary Making a Big Statement, in Lowercase By Kirk Wessler

104 Curtain Call:

Paying Tribute to a Star By Katie Faley

Grain Bins Are a Critical Link Between Farm and Consumer By Thomas Bruch

108 Word Count:

High Tea and Hijinks By Laurie Pillman

12 Seed and Soil:

From Pumpkin Patch to Grocery Store Shelf By Phil Luciano

112 Hometown:

Lincoln’s Past and Present Intersect at Route 66 By Steve Stein

16 Dish & Drink:

Hearth and Home By Nick Vlahos

116 Peoria Retro:

Peoria’s ‘Most Useful Citizen’ By Steve Tarter

18 Dish & Drink: Farm to Tap

118 Launching Pad:

By Phil Luciano

The Lesson of Community Service By Katie Faley

21 Cocktail Class:

Autumn Bushel Basket Hugh Higgins

122 Econ Corner:

An Interview with Robert Bruno, University of Illinois By Mike Bailey 124 Twenty Something Commentary: Setting Goals the SMART Way By Katie Faley

30 Mom & Pop:

‘The Enchantment is Unforgettable’ By Lisa Coon

32 Mom & Pop:

How Would the Monroes Do This? By Linda Smith Brown

COVER ART : “Forty Under 40” by Missy Shepler

NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 3

COMMENTARY 132 One More Thing: Frozen in Time By Phil Luciano AND MORE 7 A Letter from WTVP 100 ArtsPartners Calendar 126 Out & About 128 In Brief 134 Thank You, Advertisers

in this issue November 2023 contributors: Linda Smith Brown, Thomas Bruch, Robert Bruno, Lisa Coon, Katie Faley, Scott Fishel, Hugh Higgins, Phil Luciano, Laurie Pillman, Missy Shepler, Scott Shepler, Steve Stein, Steve Tarter, Pam Tomka, Nick Vlahos, Kirk Wessler

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4 NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

MONTHLY ISSUE 112023 ISSN: 947

1957-2023 Lesley Matuszak

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E D I T O R I A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mike Bailey mbailey@peoriamagazines.com

C R E A T I V E SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Phil Luciano phil.luciano@wtvp.org

INTERIM STATION MANAGER Julie Sanders julie.sanders@wtvp.org

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ron Johnson

GRAPHIC DESIGN Debbie Cody

ADVERTISING SENIOR CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Angie Spears sales@peoriamagazines.com

CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Kristina Gamez sales@peoriamagazines.com

6 NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

A LETTER FROM WTVP/PEORIA MAGAZINE TO OUR READERS

W elcome to Peoria Maga zine ’s November edition, in which we again shine a spotlight on 40 of the most promising young leaders in the area and say, “Hey, central Illinois, hitch your wagon to these rising stars!” Indeed, 2023 has produced another stellar crop of Forty Under 40s, ranging in age from 27 to 39, cutting across multiple careers and contributions. But what’s striking about this group is the admirable way so many have triumphed over the adversity in their lives. Brynne Behringer lost her 36-year old husband unexpectedly late last year, leaving her with three young children under the age 6 to raise. But as a work ing single parent who needed to cope not just with her grief but all of her other daily obligations, she put her head down and persisted at Central States Marketing, where she has risen to partner and senior project manager. As a descendant of Grace O’Malley, the so-called “Irish pirate queen” whose 16th century life inspired a 21st cen tury Broadway musical, perhaps that resilience is in her DNA. Others have not allowed physical disability or other health issues to de rail them and their ambitions. Stephen

Kouri, a Peoria attorney, was born with cerebral palsy, succeeded beyond all expectations and now advocates for others. Lisa Repper, a senior engineering team leader at Caterpillar, has excelled while managing her diabetes since age 4. Brent Cross, a director and innovation engineer at OSF HealthCare, has learned to live and work with his epilepsy. Caleb Wyss of CORE Construction suffered — and recovered from — a stroke at age 31. In so many cases, their personal struggles have given them the empathy and the tools to help others. Others have stretched the definition of giving in ways that make it hard for mere mortals to compete. Andrew Kitterman, a physician assistant, not only works in an environment that requires uncommon compassion, he donated bone marrow to an anonymous cancer patient. Carolina Huser, development manager at Peoria Riverfront Museum, and David Aduama, communications manager at the Greater Peoria Economic Devel opment Council, left everything they’d known in Panama and Ghana, respec tively, to come to America and ultimately Peoria, where they found cultures and languages that were largely foreign to them. That’s bravery, that’s risk-taking, and they have flourished here.

It never ceases to amaze how these young people juggle everything: de manding jobs and family commitments and the call of community service. They are inspirations. One other thing: In answer to this year’s “Peoria needs” question, popping up repeatedly was … wait for it … a Trad er Joe’s. The gauntlet has been thrown, Class of 2023. Succeed where your pre decessors have failed. Get it done. Finally, we have an announcement. As many central Illinoisans are aware, WTVP is facing a very challenging time. In the last 30 days, the station has dealt with the loss of our CEO, increased financial challenges, and recent staff reductions. As a result, the difficult decision has been made to put the magazine on pause. This is the final issue of Peoria Magazine for the foreseeable future. We appreciate all who have supported this endeavor by reading the stories we have told about the special people and places of central Illinois. WTVP is committed to continu ing to tell those stories, as we have for the last 50 years. Best to our Forty Under 40, and best to all of you.

NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 7

8 NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

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NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 9

SEED AND SOIL

GRAIN BINS ARE A CRITICAL LINK BETWEEN FARM AND CONSUMER

BY THOMAS BRUCH PHOTO BY RON JOHNSON

A s the air turns crisp and the temperatures cool, Peoria area residents begin to fre quent the typical customs and attractions that herald the fall season: apple orchards, pumpkin patches, Spoon River Drive, haunted houses. While traveling to these often rural fall destinations, someone is likely to encounter a grain elevator, the towering storage facilities that loom over the flat Midwestern terrain. For Clay Liesman and anyone else involved in the operations of these grain elevators that dot the central Illinois landscape, the arrival of autumn brings the busy season of the local agricultural harvest and its attendant traits: metric tons of corn and soybeans, unantici pated challenges and long, labor-filled hours. “You have breakdowns … all the little things that happen,” said Liesman, the grain division manager for Ag-Land FS, Inc. “And you meet an array of peo ple in your job, from the electricians to the sanitation crews that come in and clean things out. There are a lot of working pieces that go into running a grain elevator.” At its core, the grain elevator serves as a vertical, multi-story storage unit for corn and beans. Farmers bring their

harvested crop to the local grain eleva tor and are paid out at the market price they’ve locked in as designated by the Chicago Board of Trade. At that point, the grain elevator stores bushel upon bushel of harvested goods before routing it to the marketplace or end user. THE MIDDLE MAN The elevator, in essence, acts as the formal middle man in the life cycle of the central Illinois harvest. “Many farmers either do not want to make the investment in on-farm storage or trucking, so a local country grain elevator is convenient and economical for them to bring their grain at harvest,” said Patrick Kirchhofer, manager of the Peoria County Farm Bureau. But there’s much more transpiring at these grain elevator operations than simple storage, and Liesman’s role is to oversee it all. Ag-Land FS — a locally owned agricultural co-operative serving producers in Peoria, Tazewell, Logan and Fulton counties — boasts seven grain elevator sites: in Green Valley, Canton, Bartonville, Elmwood, Williamsfield, Dunlap and Monica. Ag-Land recently acquired the Monica Co-Op, which doubled its cumulative storage capacity to 14 million bushels.

The vast majority of that storage is devoted to corn and soybeans, although Liesman noted that Ag-Land also deals in some wheat and corn sorghums. ‘THEY CAN CONTRACT AHEAD IF THEY THINK THE MARKET IS GOING TO GO UP IN THE FUTURE, AND THEY CAN STORE THOSE BUSHELS WITH US’ — Clay Liesman The sheer physical labor required to move that capacity into storage is daunting. But grain managers like Liesman also supervise the numerous individual transactions for each of those corn and soybean bushels with farmers in addition to the handling and processing involved once those crops are in his company’s care. On the financial side, elevators such as Ag-Land offer several different op tions for farmers selling their harvest. A farmer could simply go with the market price on that particular day — in the first week of October, the height of the harvest season, prices for corn were $4.59 per bushel, $12.26 per bushel for soybeans.

10 NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

Grain elevators near Goodfield, Illinois

The margins for farmers can be van ishingly thin, according to Kirchhofer, and identifying the right price point is crucial. “The grain markets operate on a supply-and-demand type of system,” Kirchhofer said. “They’re free markets, which is what we want. And farmers are free thinkers. They know that today’s price is not going to be tomorrow’s price for their corn and soybeans.” Another scenario allows farmers that sense the price might go up in the future to store their harvest at Ag-Land starting in September and October and not sell until several months later, once that higher price point materializes. “They can contract ahead If they think the market is going to go up in the future, and they can store those bushels with us,” Liesman said. Once the farmers deliver their crops from the field to the elevator, Liesman and his staff start the hard work. The crops are weighed and then evaluated for their moisture content, making sure they’re neither too dry nor too wet. From there, the crops are dumped into underground pits near the grain bins and transported up the leg, or elevator, DEMANDING WORK, GRUELING HOURS

through a series of buckets up to the top of the bin and into the facility’s wet tank. The corn is then dried and prepared for long-term storage. Liesman and Ag-Land then shift to brokering large-scale sales of the grain they’ve acquired from local farmers. The most common destination for the stored grains ends up being the many ethanol plants in central Illinois, though considerable portions are transported to the Illinois River to trawl through the river markets. Kirchofer added one more typical market for grain: feed for hogs, chickens and cattle. “Soybeans are a source that’s high in protein, and it’s an excellent animal feed for hogs and poultry especially,” he said. In the heavy harvest weeks of late September and October, this process repeats itself over and over for 70-plus hours a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon day through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. It is physically demand ing work, picking up ground piles of grain and sweeping tanks. These conditions contribute to the biggest challenge grain elevators face, one they share with many other businesses: attracting and retaining a consistent workforce, according to Liesman. Hiring also falls under his purview, and he has gotten creative in

finding ways to incentivize workers to stay on for the entirety of the harvest season. This year, he introduced bonuses for workers who finish out the whole season. “We haven’t had anybody quit yet,” Liesman said optimistically at the start of October. The grueling work weeks also wear on Liesman, who is in the midst of his third harvest as the grain manager for Ag-Land. But it’s an industry that almost feels like a family heirloom. Liesman’s father worked as a grain manager in central Illinois for 50 years, and his earliest jobs in high school were with the grain elevator operation managed by his father. With an upbringing that centered on farming, Liesman finds value in helping to keep the local agricultural economy steady. “I wanted to get into that field of work to help the farmer be successful with their operations,” he said.

Thomas Bruch is a writer and editor based in Peoria Heights. He has worked for the Peoria Journal Star, Peoria Public Schools, Bradley University and

now the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria

NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 11

SEED AND SOIL

FROM PUMPKIN PATCH TO GROCERY STORE SHELF

A new pumpkin seed snack made by Top Fox outside Congerville is in more than 5,000 stores nationally

BY PHIL LUCIANO PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

S eeking a healthier diet, Jeremy Zobrist discovered a financial opportunity. Where? Inside a pumpkin. Zobrist runs Top Fox, a 3-year-old snack-food factory just outside his hometown of Congerville. The chief product there is known as “pop roasted” pumpkin seeds, sold in multiple flavors and 5,000 stores nationally. The inspiration came when Zobrist and his wife, Sarah, decided to eat fewer processed foods, especially for snacks. “We wanted something that was re ally easy to eat, very crunchy (and) also very healthy,” Zobrist said. The 47-year-old is a fourth-generation farmer who grew up on the family spread near the Woodford County village of Congerville, home to 474 residents about 20 miles southeast of Peoria. There, he

drove a tractor at age 6 and harvested his first crops at 17. Come adulthood, he worked five years as an accountant before going back to his ag roots. He owns Water shed Foods in Gridley, where 120 em ployees make powdered and freeze dried food ingredients. Eight years ago, online dating con nected him to Sarah, then living in South Carolina but soon to relocate to Illinois. The two wed seven years ago and have two young children. A NEED TO EAT HEALTHIER When the couple first got together, Jeremy Zobrist did not much think about his diet, especially between meals. “I used to eat a Snickers bar and a Mountain Dew in the afternoon,” he said with a sheepish grin.

But he started to think more about foods in deference to his wife, who has Crohn’s disease, an inflammato ry bowel ailment. Although different factors can affect Crohn’s in different ways for different patients, a typical recommendation calls for a healthy diet without processed foods. So, the couple began to eat better. “Essentially what you do is cut out a lot of sugar, because there is a lot of sugar in processed foods,” he says. Soon, he saw the effects of improved food choices. “I lost probably 40 pounds (and) got more energy,” he said. “And that’s when I connected what you eat does impact how you feel. And how you feel impacts how you live life.” He still missed his afternoon candy bar and soda pop. So, Zobrist, whose

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family farms historically have included pumpkins, found other options. “That’s where a glass of ice water and something like pumpkin seeds was a good substitute for me,” he said. But Zobrist did not want to buy the kind of pumpkin seeds typically sold in stores. ‘THEY'RE VERY HEALTHY ... THEY HAVE ZERO NET CARBS’ — Jeremy Zobrist “A lot of the pumpkin seeds on the market have a hard, fibrous shell around the seed,” he said. “So, you kind of have to chomp through those, or you have to spit those shells out.” Was there an easier, better way? Zo brist grabbed some of the family-grown pumpkins, harvested and cleaned their seeds, then removed the shells. In their kitchen, he and his wife experimented with cooking the bare seeds, pinpoint ing a method they call pop-roast. “We realized that if we pop-roasted it, it would be very crunchy,” he said. “And I think there is something in all of us that we like crunch. It’s associated with snacking.” Many Crohn’s sufferers must limit their intake of seeds, which can aggra vate the condition. But Sarah Zobrist loves munching on their pumpkin seeds. “In my situation, it has not been a problem,” she said. Plus, unlike snack chips, pumpkin seeds have nutritional upsides. “They’re very healthy for you,” Jeremy Zobrist said. “They have 10 grams of protein per serving. They have zero net carbs. And if you add a little seasoning, they’re really quite tasty. And I’m a big believer that if it doesn’t taste good, long term it’s not sustainable.” FOR EVERY TURN, THERE IS A SEASON Seasoning was key. After trying different spices and herbs, they came up with a few early flavors, such as Hi

malayan salt, chili lime, barbecue and caramel-apple. They quickly realized such a product might be marketable, so they formed a team to launch the venture. But what to call it? Zobrist and others brain stormed names to describe a snack choice that’s wise and smart. “We were like, ‘What about a fox?’ That’s a critter that has some of those characteristics,” Zobrist said. “I was like, ‘You’ve got top dog, top gun. What about Top Fox?’ And it stuck.” Top Fox Snacks set up shop — two massive sheds, actually — just outside Congerville village limits. They started cranking out packets of seeds in 2020, just before the COVID-19 outbreak, selling the product through Amazon and the company website.

department, has been setting up a new and faster drying process. “We’re working on converting it to a continuous system,” Carroll said. THE SKY’S THE LIMIT Such improvements, as well as overall company growth, are exciting to Car roll, a Congerville native who grew up with many of his coworkers. He has been at Top Fox for five years, starting when he was in high school. “It’s fun for me to work on something I’m passionate about, right in my home town,” Carroll said. Though the factory sits outside village limits, Mayor Rick Bauman sees it as an economic boon. “It’s good for the area,” Bauman said.

Himalayan Salt

Salt & Pepper

Chile-Lime

Since then, Top Fox seeds have taken off, landing on shelves in 5,000 stores nationwide, including local Hy-Vee stores. Soon, Kroger also will carry the seeds, which run about $5 per packet. Going forward, with Top Fox finding more space in more shops, Zobrist wants to boost production. One of the challenges involves the messy process of cleaning and drying seeds. Though the Top Fox pumpkin line grows seeds without shells, there’s still the matter of all that pumpkin goop. “We bring all the wet seed that’s very slimy — we’ve all cut open a jack-o lantern and we know how slimy that stuff is — and we bring that seed back to this facility,” he said. “And we have special dryers to dry those seeds. You have about 24 hours to dry that seed.” Trevon Carroll, who works in the company’s research and development

The plant’s plans to hike production could mean a boost to its current workforce of 35 employees, said the mayor. Further, he thinks the seeds — including new flavors Zobrist aims to launch soon — will grow in popularity. “They’re pretty good,” Bauman said. “What he’s putting out is registering with the public.” Zobrist also smiles at the notion of a continued upswing of Top Fox, including its role as an economic driver for his hometown. “It means a lot to the community, I think,” he said. “Its future. Its growth.”

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

NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 13

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Hugh Higgins is the owner of Hearth restaurant in Peoria Heights

DISH AND DRINK

HEARTH AND HOME It’s a family affair at the Peoria Heights restaurant, where the unique entrees and a vast spirits selection turn diners into regulars

BY NICK VLAHOS PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

A ccording to various sources, about 60% of new restau rants fail within a year of their grand openings. Almost 80% close within five years. Those statistics suggest Hearth is an outlier. One of the anchors of Restaurant Row along Prospect Road in Peoria Heights, Hearth is celebrating its 10th anniversa ry this month. The restaurant combines fine-but-casual-and-affordable cuisine

with an impressive array of whiskeys and wines. Hearth has survived changing trends in dining, national and regional economic fluctuations and the coronavirus pandemic. That might speak to the quality of the food, but at least one longtime frequent customer believes there’s more to it. “The service is fantastic and always has been,” Peoria resident Phil Lundquist said. “They’re incredibly personable. We

probably eat here four or five times a month, and the food, I’ve never had a bad meal. The food’s always good.” Lundquist spoke as he, his wife and two of their grandchildren were finishing lunch at Hearth one recent, rainy afternoon. Hearth Manager Tim Downey has committed to memory their usual drink orders, but he suggested such regular patronage isn’t uncommon. “We have a lot of people who come

16 NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

Dining room at Hearth restaurant

in every day,” Downey said. “They’re regulars. They know our names and we know theirs.” It’s also something of a dream come true for Hearth owner Hugh Higgins, who at age 58 left behind a three decade career in wine and spirits to pursue his restaurant passion. “It’s wonderful,” Higgins said. “We have tremendously loyal customers that you develop relationships with. They have their favorite table. They have their favorite cocktail. They have their favorite dishes. “We’re in the hospitality industry. You need to be hospitable and you need to flex, you need to please. It’s like going to ‘Cheers,’ where everybody knows your name. People love that.” For a long time, Higgins loved his jobs in liquor distribution and wholesaling. The business provided an opportunity to travel from a Peoria base and to sample some of the finest food and beverages on offer. But industry consolidations led to a revolving-door situation regarding Higgins’ supervisors. “The last boss I had just made my life miserable,” Higgins said. “I didn’t like what I was doing anymore, and I just needed to get out. So what do (I) want to do? “I always wanted to do this.” Before his days in the booze busi ness, the Heights-bred Higgins was a restaurant cook. He started as a teen ager chopping vegetables at a Chinese restaurant in downtown Peoria. Then Higgins moved to Boston, where he became chef at an Italian place. But the business didn’t mesh well with the family life of a newlywed.

Still, Higgins never lost his restaurant connections. When he heard the old French Toast eatery in the Heights might be for sale, Higgins knew he couldn’t bypass the opportunity, even if some in his family might not have been fully on board at the time. “It was a hard sell at home,” Higgins said. “My youngest kid was in college. I cashed in one of my retirement plans, refinanced my house, borrowed money. … I thought, ‘I won’t forgive myself if I don’t try it.’” Perhaps the same can be said about Hearth customers as they peruse the restaurant’s menu. Hearth offers hearty entrees, includ ing ribeyes, filets and pork chops. But also on the bill of fare are jambalaya and shrimp and grits, Southern-tinged dish es not often found in Peoria restaurants. Even a seemingly standard item like meatloaf features three meats (ground beef, ground lamb and bacon). The menu is designed to appeal to those who know what they want and to those who want to be adventurous, Higgins suggested. Illinois Central College student Isabell Fanning, one of the Lundquists’ grandkids, might fit in the latter category. “I usually try different things, to try to figure out something new,” she said. “They’ve all been really good. I’ve never had anything bad here.” Said Higgins: “I’m pleasantly sur prised at the envelope we’ve been able to push and make this market a little bit different. We’re not just steak and potatoes.” Hearth also harkens to Higgins’ former livelihood. The restaurant offers about 300 whiskeys — bourbons, ryes, scotches. It also stocks about 100 wines

by the bottle and 16 to 18 available by the glass. Wine and whiskey flights are available. The drinks are the focus of a customer-reward program. All of it keeps Higgins busy at a time in life when retirement can beckon. A Hearth succession plan is in place. Higgins’ son Seth is the restaurant’s executive chef. Daughter Rachel Klein works at the front of the house and is assuming some behind-the-scenes responsibilities, too. Their help is setting the stage for what might be Higgins’ closing act. Before Higgins turns 70, he wants to set aside several days a week to travel to Chicago to audition for acting jobs. It doesn’t matter if they’re in television, film or live theater. Higgins already has local performance credits with Peoria Players and Corn Stock Theatre. “I’ve enjoyed that,” Higgins said about a notoriously tough profession to enter. “I’ve always thought I should really give it another go, or really try sometime.” Why not? After all, age and long odds didn’t deter Higgins from opening a dream restaurant a decade ago. Hearth, 4604 N. Prospect Road, Peoria Heights; (309) 686-0234; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays,

5-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 5-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays.

Nick Vlahos is a longtime Peoria print journalist and regular contributor to Peoria Magazine

NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 17

All four owners of the Coal Creek Brewing Company — Mike Grieve, Trevin Kenedy, Justin Stange and Danielle Bender — have ties to farming

T he new Coal Creek Brewing Company in Princeton credits a fast start to deep roots in farming. The business’ four owners have tight and long ties to agriculture. Two still farm, and the other two grew up on fam ily farms. The lessons learned on fields and in barns, especially regarding the value of hard work and teamwork, helped prepare the quartet to get the brewery up and running quickly this year. “I think growing up around livestock and around the farm teaches you responsibility and to be selfless,” said Trevin Kennedy, 28, the seventh generation to work the family’s nearby farm. “I think there’s been a great rapport with all of us. It’s never been a ‘me’ or ‘I’ or any one individual. It’s been really moving as a team and doing what needs to be done.” Fifty miles north of Peoria, Princeton is the seat of agriculture-rich Bureau County. Mike Grieve grew up on a farm near Buda, not far from that owned by the Kennedy family. The two friends, who these days have non-farming day

jobs, got together a while back to brain storm possible business ventures. As they mulled ideas, they met Justin Stange, 40, who tends to crops on the family farm outside Princeton while wife Danielle Bender, 33, raises livestock. Stange suggested a tasty business idea. “I’ve always had a passion for craft beer,” he said with a smile. In fact, from time to time over the years, Stange had worked in the beer industry. He shared some brewing ideas with Kennedy and Grieve, and they de cided to jump in. “From there, it was just pedal to the metal,” Grieve said. They decided to put their operation in Princeton, as the nearest breweries were 30-plus miles away. Plus, the attitude seemed promising in Princeton, population 8,000. “The … community here supports local business,” Stange said. Further, Princeton, which was settled in the 1830s, has a lot to offer as a tourist destination.

DISH AND DRINK

FARM TO TAP In Princeton, Coal Creek Brewing Company got a quick start, and began making a name for itself just as fast

BY PHIL LUCIANO PHOTOS BY AMY ARHART

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In part, Coal Creek Brewing Company is a farm-to-tap operation. For some beers, the business uses local produce

“People are seeking that kind of rural experience,” Stange said. “I think Princ eton is the perfect place to find that. There’s a lot of agriculture here. But there’s also a lot of history in the town.” So, last spring, the foursome got to work — fast. Inside a downtown commercial structure built in 1876, they began to fashion a bar in front and brewing area in back. “It was a crazy timeline,” Grieve said. “There was a lot of stress. You learn to lean on each other, but also push each other. There were times Justin pushed me and there were times I pushed on Trevin. That’s not a comfortable feeling. But learning to deal with those stresses was a big gain.” After their day jobs every weeknight, they worked on the brewery. On weekends, wives and parents pitched in. The toil seemed endless, but they pushed on, Kennedy said. “Growing up on a farm, there are a lot of days during planting season and harvest season where you’re working as long as you need to work.” Kennedy said. “So, I guess that concept isn’t new to any of us.” In just two months, the brewery was ready to open in time for the summer season. The place offers a simple, throwback vibe and look: tin ceiling, wood floor and brick walls, the latter dotted with old ag implements. “It’s been a neat experience,” Grieve said. “And I’m glad my kids are able to see

that kind of grind and hopefully pick that up as they grow older, understanding it takes a lot to make it anymore.” To name the place, they went back to farming. Coal Creek gets its start near Grieve’s family farm. “It’s got some roots,” said Grieve. So do the beers. In part, their brewing process is farm to tap. Though Coal Creek orders many ingredients from throughout the Midwest, Princeton area produce — such as rhubarb and berries — have been focal points of their specialty beers, Bender said. “We do use local ingredients,” she said. Traditional and otherwise, Coal Creek brews have proved popular with guests. Meantime, the brewery has benefited from the city’s push to host street concerts, festivals and other events that draw big crowds. “They have a lot of fun stuff through out the year to keep businesses grow ing,” Bender said. One of their biggest fans is Princeton Mayor Raymond Mabry, who doesn’t even drink. But he, along with other civic leaders, keenly appreciates the addition of the brewery as an economic draw. “We’d seen a lot of communities where breweries had been successful,” Mabry said. “We thought not having a brewery was a (commercial) gap. It’s nice to see that filled.”

Yet the brewery's popularity has sometimes proved overwhelming. During a summer street concert, Coal Creek served more than a thousand beers, keeping Bender busy, but leaving her tired when she had to tend to her livestock the next morning. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘I’m real tired today,’” she said with a laugh. Indeed, it gets tough to balance brewery duties with day jobs, especially farming. But the four owners, along with five employees, pitch in to make things work. “It can be a long day,” Bender said. “But the way we all work together, it’s a great support group.” And so far, it’s working out well, on both sides of the taps. “I think we’re just trying to stay extremely humble, give the community a place to come (and) share conversation,” Grieve said. “We’re not trying to be off the wall and crazy and do something shiny just to draw people in. We’re just trying to stay true to who we are and who we think the community is. “And I think people are buying into that.”

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

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DISH AND DRINK

I n the Peoria area, for many of us it is a seasonal tradition to make a trek to Speer, Illinois to brave the long lines, jump on the hay wagon, and venture into the orchards to pick local apples and stock up on cider, donuts and pies offered by Tanner’s Orchard. In honor of all things fall, at Hearth restaurant in Peoria Heights we have created a new cocktail that we hope conjures tastes that we associate with leaves changing color and the cool, crisp, Midwest air. We combined the flavors of apple, cinnamon and pear to offer you what we call the Autumn Bushel Basket. INGREDIENTS: • Tablespoon of sugar • .5 teaspoon of ground cinnamon • Lemon • 1.5 oz. Van Gogh Wild Apple Vodka • .75 oz. Stoli Vanilla Vodka • .5 oz. St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur INSTRUCTIONS: • In a small bowl, combine sugar and ground cinnamon, stir and dump onto a shallow plate. • Rim a chilled martini glass with a small wedge of lemon and gently rim the glass with the sugar/ cinnamon mixture. • In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the Van Gogh Wild Apple Vodka, Stoli Vanilla Vodka and St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur. • Shake vigorously and strain into the martini glass. Garnish with an apple slice and/or a cinnamon stick. Enjoy the flavors of autumn in a glass!

Autumn Bushel Basket COCKTAIL CLASS Welcome back to Mixology 101

Hugh Higgins is the owner/operator of the restaurant Hearth in Peoria Heights. Prior to that, he spent 30 years in the wine and spirits industry, many of those at Pernod Ricard

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S P O T L I G H T

A LITTLE CAT WITH YOUR CUP OF JOE? The Cat’s Meow Café is the first of its kind in this part of central Illinois

BY PHIL LUCIANO PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

T he Cat’s Meow Café in Bloom ington peddles pours and purrs. You can get coffee or tea, with a side order of cats. In addition to dishing up food and drink, the café provides cats to adopt. Or, you can just cuddle and chill. “I just think people like the serotonin of coming in and petting a friendly kitty, and just having someplace to relax,” said owner Lauri Meins, 38. The order counter is separate from the cat space, which guests can visit for $5. Some visitors bring along their drink or snack, as well as other accompaniments. “People do their homework in here,” Meins said. “They meet up with their gal pals for a coffee or a pastry. It’s just a nice place to hang out.” According to Forbes magazine, cat cafés started in Japan about 25 years ago and quickly became a national obsession. They started popping up on the U.S. coasts in 2014 and have been spreading since. Meins encountered her first cat café a few years back in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “They have a cat café there called Naughty Cat Café,” Meins said. “And they have a big sign that said, ‘We’re not a strip club.’ I thought that was so funny.” FROM TOKYO TO McLEAN COUNTY

She also thought it was a good busi ness idea: She could open the first cat café in central Illinois. But there was a snag in her copycat plan: Meins, who owns a hair salon and clothing boutique, had no other business experience. “I have no (commercial) background in coffee shop, restaurant or animal care in any way,” she said. “So, it’s been quite the learning curve.” Along the way, Meins was inspired by her love for animals. She has two fat black cats (Meatball and Noodle) and two tiny dogs (Bella and Izzy). She thought a café could help cats needing homes. She found a partner in Pet Central Helps, a not-for-profit, no-kill pet shel

ter in Bloomington. Then she found a nook in a Bloomington strip mall. She opened in September.

A RENT-A-CAT OPPORTUNITY

The café offers coffees, teas and other beverages, plus breakfast sandwiches, pastries and other treats. It’s walled off from the cat area, which guests can enter only after signing a waiver that states the rules, such as “No roughhousing” and “No waking a sleeping cat.” At any one time, the cat space has hosted from seven to 16 felines. “It just depends on how fast they get adopted,” said Meins.

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Lauri Meins plays with one of the felines at The Cat’s Meow Café in Bloomington. Owned by Meins, the business serves food and drink, plus the opportunity to visit with adoptable cats

Indeed, some guests come with the aim of adopting a cat. But for others, such as residents of apartments that don’t allow pets, the café provides a rent-a-cat opportunity. That’s pretty much the situation for Matilda Rogozinski of Bloomington. The 15-year-old said her parents don’t want to keep cats at home. So, she can get her feline fix at The Cat’s Meow Café. “Some of them are very friendly,” she said while stroking a black-and-white

cat. “Some of them like to cuddle. Some of them do not. They’re fun to hang out with and nice to be around.” Most visitors stick around for about 20 minutes. Bonding time helps cats socialize with people. “I think the cats love it,” Meins said. “I mean, it’s a wonderful opportunity.” Just don’t mix the food and the felines. “No, no,” Meins said. “No feeding the friends. Nope, they’re here for visits only — visits and cuddles.”

And keep your eye on your snacks and drinks. “Don’t leave your food unattended,” she said with a laugh. “They’re still animals.”

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

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S P O T L I G H T

A PEORIA PITCH PRODUCES A BITE OF BOLLYWOOD Local entrepreneur Andrew Driscoll is getting creative and taking risks in trying to enliven Peoria’s Downtown

BY LISA COON PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

Irfan Mohammed and wife Shagufta “Muskan” Shaikh decorate their Bollywood Bites restaurant in the MAXAM building in Downtown Peoria

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W hen it came to finding a tenant for the space that housed his former Broad way Lounge entertain ment and restaurant venue for nearly a decade, Andrew Driscoll didn’t take the regular real estate marketing approach. After months of limited interest, Driscoll came up with a creative solution to his problem: He launched a contest. “I felt whatever went in there needed to be a big concept,” said Driscoll, 49, who grew up in Germantown Hills and Peoria. Named Peoria Pitch, the contest asked entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas for the space in the MAXAM Building, 316 SW Washington St. in Downtown Peoria. It’s a large space — 5,000 square feet of dining space with seating for 130 in addition to a 2,000-square-foot kitchen. ‘I WANTED AN ENTREPRENEUR WHO WITH THEIR PASSION COULD CONTRIBUTE TO DOWNTOWN PEORIA’ — Andrew Driscoll The winning concept would be offered a 3 1/2-year lease agreement, which includes added support and an incentive of the first six months rent-free. The four-week contest drew 38 en tries, with seven making it to the final round. “I was blown away by the creativity and the interest of the applicants. The surprise I had was how many entries came from outside of Peoria. We had entries from the Quad-Cities, Rockford, Springfield and Bloomington-Normal,” Driscoll said. “I wanted an entrepreneur who with their passion could contribute to Downtown Peoria.” AND THE WINNER IS … Irfan Mohammed had imagined hav ing his own restaurant for years. It was 2:30 in the morning when he first learned about the Peoria Pitch contest and started immediately filling out the application.

Alcohol will not be served. Instead, a variety of mocktails and juice blends will be on the menu. “I want everybody to come here, from kids to families to adults,” Mohammed said.

“I’d been sitting with this idea about an authentic Indian restaurant for a few years,” said Mohammed, chief executive officer of Dgtal World LLC, a software development company. On that early morning, Mohammed, 38, woke his wife, Shagufta “Muskan” Shaikh, 36, who serves as chief financial officer at Dgtal, and together they came up with the name of the restaurant: Bollywood Bites Bistro & Events Center. “Bollywood is a growing scene and as a cinema has a rich tradition. I think most people are very accepting to try new cultures,” said Mohammed, who immigrated to Peoria in 2007. He thinks it will be a big draw to Downtown Peoria, complimenting the eating options already available. “It’s about getting visitors from outside to see what Peoria is all about,” Mohammed said. “It really is a big city with a small-town feel.” The concept and passion shared by Mohammed and Shaikh is what con vinced Driscoll. “I was blown away,” he said. Bollywood Bites Bistro now gets a six months’ rent-free head start, which started Aug. 1, a graduated gross lease and $50,000 in capital for purchasing equipment, furniture and other needs. The restaurant’s menu is extensive, offering more than 60 items, including appetizers, chaat (savory snacks), biryani (rice and meat) dishes, fusion items such as pizza on naan bread, vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries, grilled and tandoor items such as kababs, sides and desserts. Dishes come hot, spicy or mild. The recipes incorporate a blend of authentic Indian dried spices includ ing garam masala — pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cumin, coriander, tej patta — in addition to fennel, ginger, garlic and turmeric. Chutneys, a relish made with vegeta bles, herbs or fruit, also are a common condiment found on the menu. They can be sweet and sour or spicy and sour. They tend to be made fresh and the ingredients are preserved with an acid, either citrus or vinegar, which adds heat and zing.

COME FOR THE FOOD, STAY FOR THE SHOW

The Bollywood name is a combination of Hollywood and Mumbai (formerly Bombay), where the Indian film industry is based. But entertainment offered at the restaurant won’t solely be Bollywood focused, Mohammed said. There could be a paint night, belly dancing, henna painting, jazz or blues nights, even country music and comedians. Mohammed also hopes to partner with the Peoria Riverfront Museum and its theater to promote a Bollywood cinema event. Matt Daughenbaugh, marketing director for the museum, said discussions are ongoing with a potential collaboration with the Giant Screen Theater. J.D. Dalfonso, president and CEO of the Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Bollywood will be filling a space in proximity to the Civic Center and the RiverFront, which are key drivers for restaurants. “It’s a nice, diverse approach to a culi nary experience and adds to the scope of options when enjoying time Downtown,” he said. “I just have so much admiration for people who take risks to add excite ment and opportunities for visitors to Downtown. Will it ‘Play in Peoria?’ I hope this does, for sure.” THE STAGE CALLS Bollywood Bites Bistro & Events Cen ter’s takeover of the former Broadway Lounge space is closely tied to the journey of its founder, Driscoll. During his senior year at Peoria High School, Driscoll played the role of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Eastlight Theatre, a piv otal experience that sparked his passion for acting and singing.

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MAXAM building owner Andy Driscoll with Irfan Mohammed and wife Shagufta “Muskan” Shaikh

DRISCOLL RETURNS TO STAGE For the first time in nearly 20 years, Andrew Driscoll will take the stage on Dec. 23 for the 25th anniversary reunion performance of What I Am . Released on Conundrum Records in December 1998, What I Am is the first of Driscoll’s three self-produced solo recordings and features 17 songs from various theater performances and songwriters. Driscoll’s performance will take place at The Waterhouse at the MAXAM Building, 316 SW Washington St., Peoria.

A scholarship granted him the oppor tunity to study at the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York City, where he graduated and entered the professional world at just 19. Driscoll originated principal roles off-Broadway and made his Broadway debut in Miss Saigon at the age of 21. Afterward, he pursued a diverse ca reer, recording solo albums and per forming in regional theaters. Following the events of 9/11, Driscoll returned to Peoria to be closer to family and estab lished the Apollo Professional Theatre. Later, he purchased The Waterhouse, transforming it into the Peoria Cabaret Theatre (PCT) and producing a variety of stage shows, improv comedies and musical revues. In 2005, he launched Central Illinois Dueling Pianos, which has hosted over 500 shows. Driscoll’s businesses moved to the MAXAM Building, where he manages ADJD Management LLC. Additionally, he’s producing an original solo show starring Greg Batton

called Life. In Boxes , which debuts at the Illinois Center College Performing Arts Center on Nov. 4. Driscoll’s journey from Broadway to Peoria reflects his enduring commitment to the arts and entertainment industry, culminating in his current role and involvement with Peoria Pitch. THE NEXT PERFORMANCE Driscoll hopes to promote round two of Peoria Pitch toward the end of the year. He’s working to find at least two other properties. “Part of the struggle is convincing other property owners to engage in this. They’re being asked to put a little skin in the game,” Driscoll said. It’s all about introducing new busi nesses to Downtown to help make Peo ria a destination spot for tourists and locals alike. “The goal of this is not to have a successful business move in and put somebody else out of business,” said

For ticket information and performance times, visit WaterhousePeoria.com.

Driscoll. “We need everyone who’s here now to continue to succeed and grow.”

Lisa Coon is a Peoria native who had a long career in the newspaper industry before moving into marketing and communications

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