It's Your Business I Illinois' first Parlor Doughnuts coming to Champaign
Jana Wiersema, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
5 min read
Apr. 21—A new donut shop is in the works at 1757 W. Kirby Ave. in Champaign.
According to local co-owner Pat Snack, Parlor Doughnuts is targeting a fall opening. The franchise at Old Farm Shops is owned by Snack; Sean and Stacy Kennedy; and Don Wiese.
"Parlor Doughnuts is a great product," Snack said. "We tried it and we were sold."
Parlor Doughnuts' first shop opened in Evansville, Ind., in 2019. The brand describes itself as "a craft doughnut and coffee shop offering an array of unique bakery items, including our original layered doughnuts; vegan/gluten friendly, and keto friendly products; artisanal breakfasts; and specialty coffee."
According to the chain's website, there are no locations open in Illinois at present, but shops are planned in Joliet, Naperville/Aurora, northern Cook County and the Quad Cities.
Snack confirmed the Champaign shop is the first Parlor Doughnuts franchise in the state.
A new combination cat lounge and board game café known as the Scratching Post is under development at 114 E. University Ave. in Champaign.
Owner Rebecca Minick said it's hard to give an exact estimate for when the café might open, but she's hoping for fall. This will depend on factors such as construction time, permits and inspections.
Once the Scratching Post is open, guests will be able to pay to reserve time slots to visit the cat lounge and play with more than 30 adoptable cats, according to the business's website. Those interested in the gaming side will be able to purchase a pass to access the shop's board game library.
20% of profits from the Scratching Post's food, drinks and merchandise sales will be donated back to the same non-profit rescues that its cats come from.
"All of our food and snacks are either pre-packaged, or made off premise by other local restaurants and businesses," the business promises. "So your cookie will be 0% cat hair and 100% good vibes."
Minick said she was inspired to open the Scratching Post after she, her husband and some friends encountered the Catcade during a 2018 trip to Chicago.
"We're all cat parents so obviously we ditched the plans for whatever else we were going to do and went into the Catcade," she said. "It was awesome and it started the wheels turning in my head. Since then, I've been to the Catcade many more times and I've visited a dozen or so other cat cafes to see what works well, what doesn't work so well, what could be improved. About two years ago is when I got really serious about making this happen and now here we are."
She added that business has started a Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds. As of Wednesday afternoon, the campaign had already surpassed its $10,000 goal, with $10,212 pledged by 88 backers.
The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In Theatre in Gibson City has been selected as one of the country's top 20 drive-ins for USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.
Community members can cast votes at once per day in the hopes of getting the business into top 10. Voting closes at 11 a.m. Central on May 13, with the top 10 winners announced on May 22.
"The rise of home entertainment led to the decline of the classic American drive-in, and there are currently fewer than 400 in operation," USA Today stated in the contest description. "Still, this great American pastime is undergoing a revival, with many drive-ins converting to digital projection and offering innovative concessions. An expert panel has nominated their top 20 spots to enjoy a drive-in movie, and now it's your turn to decide the winner."
Harvest Moon previously placed third in the competition in 2016. USA Today described the 70-year old drive-in as "a fixture in central Illinois."
As a member of the University of Illinois track and field team with a major in psychology and a minor in business, Olivia Campbell has a lot on her plate.
However, that didn't stop her from starting her own baking business, Campbell Cake Studio, in late 2023.
Campbell grew up baking with her family and picked up the hobby again after she transferred to the UI last spring. She would make cakes for her teammates, coaches and special events.
At first, it was a way to relieve stress and have some fun during her free time.
"I just kept on getting really good reviews and everything," Campbell said. "So I was like, 'You know, I could make this into a business. It'd be something I'd enjoy.' I've always kind of had the aspirations to own a business even before this. And in the future, I would like to open a bakery."
Campbell currently works out of her apartment as a certified cottage food operator. She recently launched a new website for her business at shop.castiron.me/campbellcakestudio. She said the new site provides a better ordering process than her previous domain.
She added that one of the things that makes Campbell Cake Studio unique is that she works to accommodate a variety of allergies and dietary restrictions.
One of her favorite parts of running the business is the feedback she gets from customers.
"I'm kind of just making their day a bit better," she said.
