New restaurant coming to replace Manny’s in downtown Sterling

STERLING – For a combo platter of reasons, after eight and a half years in the downtown, Manny’s Pizza & Tacos at 312 Locust St. is closed.

But take heart, foodophiles: Another bar and restaurant – 3 Twelve – is taking its place.

Manny’s closed on Aug. 26. Owner Kathy (Castro) Kingery, whose Carroll County family also operates three other Manny’s, said she just couldn’t find enough workers, and her kids, for whom she bought the Sterling site, don’t want to go into the business.

And then there’s that drive.

So, even though she got a higher offer, Kingery said she decided to sell the 4,500-square-foot building to a man who’s been her neighbor of sorts the whole time.

John Brady, who owns Urban Outlet Inc., a clothing and home decor store a block west at 311 First Ave., bought it earlier this month for $143,000.

UOI shares space with JJM printing, which is run by Brady’s business partners, Jason and Kayla Fargher – for now. (Consider that a bit of foreshadowing. More to come.)

At 3 Twelve, Brady, his fiancee, Brittany Foreman, and the Farghers will run the bar side of the business.

The restaurant will be run by another set of Sterling restaurateurs: best friends Chris Schueler and Tony Walters. They own Brother Daryl’s, which opened for breakfast and brunch at 406 Ave. G in October.

They’ll be closing at that west Sterling spot to open at 3 Twelve in mid-October, if all goes as planned, said Brady, who’s up to his elbows in sawdust at the moment, remodeling the new location.

For their part, Schueler and Walters are working on an expanded menu to include dinner items, and the bar will have drinks that play off some of their signature breakfast dishes, Brady said.

Plus, “I’m going to give them my recipe for mojitos,” Kingery said, adding that she’s also going to help get the 3 Twelve on its feet.

Kingery is the daughter of Manny Castro, who founded the popular local chain.

The family’s other three restaurants, Manny’s Pizza, 211 Main St. in Savanna; Manny’s Too, 305 11th Ave. in Fulton; and Manny’s Pizza, 121 W Empire St. in Freeport, will not close.

“After much consideration, we have decided to close the Manny’s pizza Sterling location,” she posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page on July 15. “We want to provide the best experience for customers at each location and have decided we could better do so without spreading ourselves so thin.”

Speaking of spreading yourself thin, in addition to the work being done at 3 Twelve, Brady and Fargher also have their hands full remodeling the former C&J Speed & Auto Parts building east of the downtown, at 1301 E. Fourth St.

That’s because JJM is moving out of UOI and into the larger space. The new print shop also is slated to open in mid-October, Brady said.

Manny’s is the second downtown restaurant to close in the span of two months.

Smoked on 3rd BBQ Bistro and Catering, 14 E. Third St., closed July 2 after about six years in the ornately columned building, after owners John French and Michelle Burns decided to retire.

Their other restaurant, Lil’ Smoked Bar and Grill at 609 Depot Ave. in Dixon, remains open.