Cookie dough shop cancels plans for Fairview Heights store; new Popeye’s opening soon

Jen Naslund had big plans to bring safe-to-eat cookie dough to the metro-east.

The Half Baked Cookie Dough Co. owner wanted to open a franchise model for her dessert company in Fairview Heights.

She had a vision for the place, a location and an expected opening date. Now those plans are canceled.

“This process went from being the most exciting thing ever to the most frustrating thing ever,” Naslund said.

Legal issues with the building, she said, forced her to back out of plans to move to Illinois. She’s disappointed that things didn’t work out, but metro-east customers craving her sweet cookie dough won’t totally miss out, Naslund added.

Half Baked Cookie Dough will be available at Flamentco’s The Place, 711 W U.S. 50 in O’Fallon. Naslund is open to collaborating with more small businesses in Southern Illinois.

The company was recently approved to become a franchise.

Build-a-Bear kiosk opens at St. Clair Square Mall

Build-A-Bear has settled into its new location at St. Clair Square Mall.

Now located on the lower level of the shopping center near White Barn and Crazy 8, the kiosk is a small version of the store where customers can create custom stuffed animals.

As a result of the move, PINK will gain 3,000 square feet when it expands into Build-A-Build’s old location in the mall.

It’s not the first big change for the stuffed-toy chain. The company added pop-up shops to its model years ago. This version of that model is new. Vacating its storefront space in Fairview Heights comes 10 months after Build-A-Bear’s location at the St. Louis Zoo permanently closed.

Here’s when Popeyes is expected to open in Belleville

Fans of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen spicy fried chicken will see a new location this fall in Belleville.

The new Popeyes is under construction on a lot between Arby’s and the St. Louis Bread Co. in the Belleville Crossing shopping center off Illinois 15.

Work began Aug. 6 and crews plan to have it built in 90 days by Nov. 6, weather permitting, according to Edin Coralic, the St. Louis architect who designed the building.

“It’s a very fast and aggressive schedule,” Coralic said.

The 2,297-square-foot restaurant will have a decorative balcony to evoke memories of the balconies you see on buildings in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Hunter Construction of Belleville is the general contractor and Sugar Land, Texas-based Z&H Foods is the owner.

Plans for the Belleville Crossing Popeyes were first announced last year.

Coralic previously said Z&H Foods wants to build a new Popeyes in Collinsville and this week he said those plans are still progressing. Construction on this Popeyes may begin next year on a site next to Jimmy John’s at 703 N. Bluff Road.

This story was originally published August 19, 2018 at 5:00 AM.