Business notebook
Mexican restaurant, bakery opens
PROPHETSTOWN – Niccoli’s, a bakery and Mexican restaurant, opened Oct. 25 at 44 Grove St..
Mexican restaurant, bakery opens
PROPHETSTOWN – Niccoli’s, a bakery and Mexican restaurant, opened Oct. 25 at 44 Grove St..
Owners Larry and Andrea Niccoli, 55 and 53, have lived in Prophetstown for 30 years.
Tacos, burritos and bowls, soups, salads and breadsticks, and kid-sized burritos and nachos are on the menu. The eatery also has an ice cream parlor with 12 flavors of ice cream and milkshakes.
The restaurant is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Call 815-989-6016 or find the restaurant on Facebook for more information.
Cragel’s set to open today
PROPHETSTOWN – Cragel’s, formerly Square One, opens today, says Kelly Hagel. She and her husband, Craig, bought the bar from Craig’s sister and brother-in-law.
The remodeled bar at 345 Washington St. will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., likely every day, Hagel said.
Find the bar on Facebook or call 815-989-6018 for more information.
Legis Studios closes its doors
STERLING – Legis Studios has closed its doors, but engineer and co-owner Duane Sigel hopes to find another home for the studio in Sterling.
The studio’s last recording at 1201 E. Fourth St. took place Nov. 3, he said.
“I’m definitely hoping it can stay in Sterling, but it’s up to my partners,” said Sigel, who wants a larger building with more rooms to record in.
Sigel’s two partners, like him, are sound engineers. Several things are “up in the air,” including his continuing to be a partner, since he has moved to California, he said.
The studio opened March 2011. About 12 to 20 bands recorded there, and 150 to 200 songs and recordings either were recorded or mixed and edited there, he said.
“Financially, it was doing great,” he said.
“We’re thankful for all the great musicians,” he said. “Sterling-Rock Falls has a large amount of spectacular talent.”
Bands also came from Waukegan, Moline and Clinton, Iowa to record there, he said.
Dixon Historic Center to add $1.6 million exhibits
DIXON – A grand opening for new exhibits at the Dixon Historic Center, 205 W. Fifth St., portraying the life of Blackhawk and pioneer life in the 1830s, are about a month away, Director Bill Jones said this week.
The $1.6 million exhibits, organized by Twelve Twenty out of Nashville, feature life-scale mannequins, detailed sets, audio and video.
Ronald Reagan biographer Norman Wymbs donated the funds for the exhibits.
Jones said he is eyeing a Sunday in December for a grand opening.
Asian Buffet will not open this year
STERLING – Asian Buffet will not open this year, owner Mike Wei said.
The restaurant at 3106 E. Lincolnway was originally expected to open in April 2010. It will serve Chinese food and Mongolian stir-fry.
Dress Code won’t be expanding
STERLING – Dress Code is staying put for now at 5 E. Third St.
Although owner Tammy Larson said she would like to expand into the building next door, formerly meant for Altea Hills Beads and Yarn, she has changed her mind.
Larson would like to start carrying men’s clothes, but rather than tear down the wall that divides the two buildings, she is looking for a bigger building, she said.
Remodeling would have required her to close for 2 to 3 weeks and would have been messy and too difficult, she said.
IFH Group expands
ROCK FALLS IFH Group Inc., has completed its second major expansion, increasing the company’s overall square footage from 106,000 to more than 121,000 under one roof, the company announced in a press release.
IFH is a metal fabricator and manufacturer of hydraulic oil reservoirs and custom fuel tanks.
The most recent addition houses IFH’s non-metal manufacturing lines, increasing the company’s ability to produce aluminum sheet steel for reservoirs, tanks and other custom products. The addition has enabled IFH to streamline production to shorten the lead times to customers.
Go to ifhgroup.com for more information.
Reagan Hotel & Suites still on the market
DIXON – Reagan Hotel & Suites did not sell during an online auction Nov. 10, and remains on the market.
Micoley and Co. of Green Bay, Wis., continues to talk to potential buyers, said Andrew Huenpsner, director of sales and marketing. If an agreement is not reached, it again will be up for bid online on Dec. 15, he said.
The hotel at 443 state Route 2, owned by Community State Bank, has been for sale since June 2011.
Have a business tip? Let us know. Email SVM reporters Bridget Flynn, bflynn@saukvalley.com or Derek Barichello, dbarichello@saukvalley.com, or call 800-798-4085, ext. 521 or 526.
