Alcohol in the news; Illini Inn changes hands

From the News Gazette

Illini Inn Changes Hands

The Illini Inn on campus has new owners.

John Rinkenberger Jr., who owns the Village Inn Pizza Parlor in west Champaign, purchased the tavern at 901 S. Fourth St., C, with friend Sean Ackerson. The two have owned the upstairs pizza joint, Stone Baked Pizza, for the last three years, and Rinkenberger said it made sense to buy the bar too.

"The main draw for us is, we like things with tradition and things that have had a good name in the past," said Rinkenberger, who grew up in Urbana and attended Illinois State University. "We're very excited to own it."

The Illini Inn, one of the older bars on campus, is known for its "Mug Club," in which members traditionally chug their first mug of beer while other patrons in the bar cheer them on.

Right now, no food is served at the bar. That will change.

"We are planning on putting a full-scale menu in the bar," he said. Items like pizza, calzones and sandwiches will be made available, probably when students return to campus in late August, he said.

The Illini Inn is a small bar; the capacity is 75. No major renovations are planned, however; in the future, the new owners plan to update the bathrooms.

"We're a place to hang out and talk. ... to talk to your buddy about what went on during the day," Rinkenberger said.

The pizza business, located on the second floor, is known mostly for its pizza sold by the slice during the late hours.

Rinkenberger said he plans to continue operating Village Inn Pizza.

also in the same article

Now Open

Destihl Restaurant & Brew Works is now open in downtown Champaign.

The long-awaited restaurant on the south side of M2, at 301 N. Neil St., opened to the public Wednesday after a soft opening a few days earlier.

The 9,000-square-foot "gastrobrewery," as owner Matt Potts has called it, is the second location for Destihl, which started in Normal.

The menu features steaks, seafood, pizzas, sandwiches, salads and more. Beer is brewed on-site, and diners can view the operation from the dining area. The brewery is releasing 17 beers for the opening.

Construction began in the fall after several delays, including repair work needed on M2 following the fire that burned down the Metropolitan Building across the street.

The Champaign restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Brunches are offered on the weekend. Destihl can be reached at 356-0301 or http://www.destihl.com.

Two other restaurants, an Irish pub and a Mongolian-style stir-fry, are planned for the north side of M2. Those building permits were issued last week by the city of Champaign.