@ChefKevin: I thought I remembered hearing this name. It appears the people who own it are the same ones that owned Wild Berries.
www.journal-topics.c om/articles/sweet-ba sil-cafe-family-rest aurant-to-repla

@bwiser : Sounds like they'd be going into the old Carlos O'Kelly's then. Maybe it is just me, but it seems like if you had **** luck in Peoria before with a restaurant here, why would you return?

@ChefKevin : And it sounds like the same venue.

@bwiser : And Wildberries in Bloomington has closed. Jeez, these people are gluttons for punishment. I opened and closed one restaurant and said "F this ****. Not doing this again".

@ChefKevin : I did the same, although mine was an autobody. Tried it for a few years back in the late 80's, the COP makes it tough, combine that with the taxes, it's easier to fold and work with the competitor.

Oh yes, I remember Wild Berries over on Brandywine where the chicken buffet is now. Wow it looks like they made it 4 years there despite having consistently bad reviews. www.yelp.com/biz/wil d-berries-peoria

New restaurant to fill Burger Barge space at Sheridan Village
A restaurant space that's been empty for months in the Sheridan Village shopping center in Peoria probably will be filled by Labor Day.Sweet Basil Cafe is to open in the building the Burger Barge once occupied near Lake Avenue and Sheridan Road.The new eatery is along the lines of a Chicago-style Greek-American-owned family restaurant - a massive menu that features everything from soup to nuts for breakfast, lunch and dinner.Having been brought up in a Chicago-style Greek-American-owned restaurant family, Nick in the Morning knows how good such a menu can be.But according to Sweet Basil Cafe's head honcho, his restaurant offers items with a quality twist.Among its breakfast foods are to be Nutella french toast and four-egg omelets baked in an oven, George Bakalis said. Later in the day, mashed potatoes and meatloaf are to be combined in an entree that looks like a dessert sundae."I just felt that the town could desperately use a high-end breakfast place," said Bakalis, president of The Basil Group. "Ours is just so different."Everything's homemade, everything's fresh, and most restaurants don't do that."
www.pjstar.com/news/ 20190531/nick-in-am- new-restaurant-to-fi ll-burger-barge

@bwiser : I would hope this description means that building is being gutted and also getting a 100% exterior overhaul because it's hideous outside and absolutely disgusting inside.

what is a high end breakfast place? fancier pancakes?

@jimthompson : Something like Childers, I'd imagine. Breakfast food, but not just basic eggs/toast/bacon/hash browns. Stuffed French toast and the like.And speaking of Childers, they're setting up shop pretty close to Childers. Not sure how that'll go, because the Childers parking lot at Junction City is packed whenever I drive by there.

@lanestar7 : Okay, I remember that place. We thought it was actually good.

@Crispus : I don't get the whole Childers' thing. Tried it a few times (both locations and a catered event), certainly nothing special enough to wait in line for an hour for breakfast.

@mypeez : I really like their eggs benedict, but I tend to agree overall that they seem a bit overrated. ..not bad, especially for this area, but not worth a 30-minute wait. I've tried several of their lunch offerings, and all of them were a little disappointing. And I think their pancakes, while fine, are made from a box. You can see it on the shelf in their open kitchen.That said, last time I was there it looked like they'd revamped their menu, dropping a number of dishes and adding a few new ones, but shortening their menu overall. So, I don't know if my previous impressions are still valid. I had one of the new dishes (shakshuka) in that last visit, and it was pretty good.

Construction has begun out at Grand Prairie for the Original Pancake House which will definitely give Childer's new GP location a run for their money. The most recent PJS article on Sweet Basil has some pretty abrasive quotes from the owner. He certainly isn't lacking in confidence for someone who has a failed Peoria restaurant under their belt. "I just felt that the town could desperately use a high-end breakfast place," said Bakalis, president of The Basil Group. "Ours is just so different."We saw that the shopping center looks a little depressed, but we think we can draw people to the shopping center," Bakalis said.www.pjstar.com/news/ 20190531/nick-in-am- new-restaurant-to-fi ll-burger-barge

Sweet Basil announced on local news to open by summer , dont look like it. I stop in to a place with the same name in Streator -it no closed- it was nothing great.