Business

Will County needs more apartments and affordable housing to keep young people and meet the needs of a growing workforce, the head of the Will County Center for Economic Development said Wednesday.

Dixon County Market customers bought bags, filled with stable food items, for $6.99. Those bags were then donated to the pantry along with the money collected.

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is planning to open its new Lockport store in February.

TIME has announced the nomination of Rick Curia of Ken Nelson Auto Group, Dixon, for its 2025 Dealer of the Year award. He will be honored by the National Automobile Dealers Association in New Orleans on Saturday, Jan. 25.

The city of Lockport is working on finding a new tenant for the now-empty Sonic drive through location, hopes to meet with property owner.

Ryan and Abby Magruder would often talk about what an opportunity it would be to own and operate Flight 102 Wine Bar in Bourbonnais

Villa Nova Pizza in Lockport opened Saturday for carryout and delivery at its new location on State Street in Lockport. The dining room and bar is scheduled to open next week.

The Plainfield Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting M/I Homes from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at 25542 W. Alabaster Circle in Plainfield.

The voting was done by the community through social media.

Bourbonnais’ home decor boutique, The Swanky Home, will close its doors this February

Big Lots at 185 S. Kennedy Drive in Bradley is remaining open, but it is on the list of stores that are closing

Nine DeKalb County area entrepreneurs took part in a graduation ceremony on Saturday, put on by Opportunity DeKalb, to celebrate completing the new Breakthrough Community Business Academy. Members said they look forward to growing their businesses in the area.

Located at 147 S. Main Street, Tacos Tequila Mexican Grill opened Jan. 10 and it appears the community has welcomed the community

A petitioner has asked the City of DeKalb for permission to set up an automobile sales business along East Lincoln Highway.

Babs Brew opens Thursday at 2130 Fourth St. in downtown Peru.

DeKalb entrepreneurs celebrated with their families over the weekend at a graduation ceremony for the inaugural Breakthrough Community Business Academy class, hosted by Opportunity DeKalb.

Admission is free. Each couple who registers could win a door prize of a $250 gift certificate to use at the vendor of their choice. 

Owner Shelley McCarty is a HeadSpa specialist, licensed cosmetologist and licensed natural nail technician with over seven years of experience in the beauty industry.

Pilsen Wellness Center wants to open at 971 Collins St., in Joliet, a site once part of the surrounding U.S. Steel complex.

Starbucks joins Olive Garden, Cooper's Hawk, Costco as The Boulevard keeps building along U.S. 30 at Joliet and Plainfield.

Since buying the former Kmart distribution center in Manteno in 2023, Gotion has continued to purchase land surrounding the plant at 333 S. Spruce St.

The Lockport City Council has approved a contract for water main work to be completed this summer, and is considering a deadline extension for a self-storage facility at the Lockport Square development.

Kankakee County has seen an influx of capital improvements over the past five years, totaling $2.5 billion spread among several manufacturers and businesses

No advance notice was posted about the shutdown of Sonic Drive-In in Lockport, which occurred suddenly in late December.

Originally opened in 1987, Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream in Morrison is a franchised location owned and operated by Lynn and Kevin Kenady.

The Supreme Court has upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Sunday

Culver’s of Rock Falls is celebrating Assistant Manager Braeden Thome’s recent acceptance onto the Culver’s National Training Team.

The Westmont Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau has announced Kaili Harding as its new president.

Bricks & Minifigs of Crest Hill, Illinois’ largest LEGO retailer, will celebrate its seventh anniversary with various family activities Jan. 18-19.

Kohl’s has announced it is closing 27 under-performing locations in 15 states by April.

The Sonic Drive-In previously located at 16031 Farrell Road in Lockport has closed. No information was available on what might be next for that location.

UrgentVet Joliet will treat a wide range of pet illness and injuries as well provide end-of-life care when it opens its new location on Thursday.

The Little Miss Black Joliet pageant allows girls ages 6 to 12 showcase talents and develop poise and confidence.

President Joe Biden has signed an ambitious executive order on artificial intelligence that seeks to ensure the infrastructure needed for advanced AI operations like data centers can be built quickly and at scale in the United States

The 17th annual Joliet-Area MLK Day of Service will take place on Jan. 20 and will include volunteer opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Gotion is transforming the 1.5-million-square-foot facility into a lithium battery manufacturing plant

Law enforcement gives all-clear after 3 1/2 hours of searching by bomb-detecting canines and bomb squad personnel found no incendiary or explosive device

If you want to hang out or use the restroom at Starbucks, you’re going to have to buy something

Mexican restaurant Torro's in Lockport has announced that it will be opening on Mondays starting in January. Torro prides its menu on its fresh, homemade specialties.

The Downtown Joliet Winter Rewards Program continues through February. More than 20 shops and restaurants are participating in the program.

Traffic along Sycamore Road in DeKalb could get a bit busier in the coming months with the addition of two new businesses: Skechers shoe store and Candy Cloud, the city announced this week.

Kohl’s announced Thursday that its Plainfield store is among the 27 locations to be shut down this spring.

All those remembering John McCracken, the lifelong Kankakeean, businessman, river enthusiast and neighbor, said Kankakee ran to the very core of his body

Heritage Corridor Destinations held an open house on Jan. 8 for its new office at 701 Essington Road, Suite 100 in Joliet. Attendees at the open house included business partners, community leaders and stakeholders.

Arcadia CEO says cold storage facility in Joliet will supply growing demand for refrigerated grocery items.

The Plainfield Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce hosted ribbon cutting ceremonies for G.R.I.T RX Fitness and Ava James & Company.

Owners Heather and Greg Huffman plan to open dine-in at Lena's Social Club in late February; it already is open for delivery and carryout for a variety of pizza options.

Lockport restaurant Villa Nova Pizza announced Wednesday it had closed its longtime location at 876 N. State St. to move just a block down into its new site.

Midland States Bank has been named a finalist for “Best Initiative to Promote Financial Inclusion" at the 2024 Future Branches Innovators Awards.

Savy’s is owned by Sterling native Savana Egan, who opened her Dixon location at 111 S. Hennepin Ave. in 2015.