They have a huge parking lot across the street and people running between parked cars across Main to get there. The city put in a super pedestrian friendly crosswalk a quarter block north, but people still jaywalk, just like before. I can't believe no one has been hit. I even saw a cyclist barely miss someone trying dart across University. Peorians must have the best brakes in Illinois.

@PeoriaIllinoisan : Not saying that everything was bad. This location thanks to our fine well we leave that alone. This location is good on foot travel but when it comes to driving. They have made a nightmare of it.

Prior to the pandemic there was a nice good court in the student center on campus, Dont
know the status of it now. Haven't been in there in quite awhile, However, there was a wide variety of options and it was open very late, at least on some nights.
When we last there it was very crowded around 11pm. So, that also must have some economic impact on some places in that neighborhood.
Likewise, there is/was a pizza place very close to St, Marks Church that was known to be packed at times.
Both these places also avoid having to deal with the Main St. intersection.Even if the students didn't like crossing Main at the infamous intersection, isn't there a traffic light up near the fieldhouse and student center where they could cross Main St? It is also closer to the residence halls which make it more convenient for the students.

@PeoriaIllinoisan :
Have heard more than one person say that they observed more people walking from the east on that stretch of Main St.vs. from west of University. Impossible to tell if they have parked in there or if they live in that direction. If that is true, it seems quite possible that impacts Avantis too.

Just seems Peoria counsel just don't have interest. Keep businesses that produce revenue but yet they DO Not care. Make it harder for parking, walking and delivery for every business. Forbid anything that's not on their agenda.

Back in the 80s, Avanti's was about the only food option in that general vicinity; now look at all of the options. I look at Avanti's menu and it always looks reasonably the same. With that much competition, one needs to adapt as you can only rely on your past and reputation so long. Granted, I'm sure there are other issues such as lacking enough employees to adequately staff the location, but at that location, even with adequate staffing, I don't think the savvy palate of today's college student and the general population surrounding the area are drawn to the tried and true Avanti's fare. I've been to a few of their other Peoria locations at prime dining time and they've been pretty full which means to me they are still supported by the general public, just maybe not at the Main Street location.
Speaking of all this @PeoriaIllinoisan @Mahkno and maybe others who live in that general vicinity, what kind of restaurant would work there or would you like to see there? I'm thinking a version of Jerusalem restaurant would be a good fit.

@AntiRanchDrssng : As long as it takes to get thru the lights, could a fast car wash be an option? lol

@AntiRanchDrssng : I have no idea what should go there, but I wish them success, whoever moves in there. Bite my tongue - unless its, oh, I don't know, a dollar store or payday cash outlet.I remember fondly when it housed University Records, run by Jim Reeves, a former 106 DJ and blues aficionado whose friendship I'll never forget. That was the mid-80's. One World, some may remember, was CO-OP Tapes & Records.

The Main Street Avantis hasn't seated a diner since before the pandemic. Poor food and long carry-out waits don't equal success. Also throwing the West Bluff under the bus - the community that supported Avantis since Day One - is a poor way to say good bye.

@PeoriaIllinoisan : I thought Co-Op was in the old A&P.

Years ago I used to manage the Pizza Hut on Western. Today it is a bong shop. I also worked briefly at the Pizza Hut on Sterling, it's gone now. The Pizza Hut on Knoxvillle... gone. Prospect, gone, relocated into a little shopping plaza. Creve Coeur, gone. It is not always about automobile traffic. The public's tastes change. Management changes. The times change. Business ebbs and flows. Sometimes they shutter. That's ok. That is part of a healthy marketplace. Another business will open up there and will likely do just fine for a while. The average life span of a restaurant is five years. Avanti's had a good run.

@PeoriaIllinoisan : The state of Illinois put severe limits on payday loans... which is why they all shuttered.Car Wash?.....

@skutfarcus : It was. Also, in the location that is now the One World dining room and in Campustown.

@skutfarcus : There were a bunch, I want to say a dozen to almost 20 at their peak, including one in Iowa City. Main and University was their flagship. This was a while ago...

@PeoriaIllinoisan : I worked at Budget Tapes & Records near the corner of Main & University. That was the predecessor to Co-Op. Jay G and Bill Love ran it while they were promoting Barn concerts. I also remember a record shop where Than Lin is now called Dove. It was owned by John Goldsworthy.