'A tip of the hat to my mom': Brown Bag celebrates 50th anniversary one year after founder's passing

MONTICELLO - After working as a retail buyer at an area department store, Harlean Swing made up her mind.

"She, to be very frank, said, 'I don't want to work for another man again,'" said daughter Leslie Sims.

Additionally, Harlean and Sims' stepfather, Jack Swing, felt that Monticello needed a deli, so they set out to create one.

The Brown Bag Deli opened at 212 W. Washington St. in July 1976 and has been a downtown staple ever since.

The business' matriarch died in May 2025, 11 years after Jack's death and one year before the deli reached the 50-year mark.

"It's very hard," said Sims, who took over the business about 15 years ago. "I wish she would've made it. I think she would've been really excited to see the town support that we hope that will come out this Saturday. ... I may be a big part of The Brown Bag and my husband too, but she was the biggest part."

While Harlean won't be there in person to celebrate alongside her daughter, one might say that she'll be there in spirit - or at least in the form of a cardboard cutout that customers can take pictures with.

The Brown Bag will celebrate its golden anniversary with a party starting at 6 p.m. Saturday. Plans include a performance by bluegrass band High Cotton, sales of limited-edition t-shirts marking the anniversary, outdoor grilling by Sunset Acres, beverages from the Dirt Pour Traveling Bar, and, of course, a life-size cut-out of Harlean, Sims said.

"People throughout the years either loved my mom or hated her," Sims said. "There was no middle ground with that. And so I have lots of memories of Mom - she would just come out and sit down with people and start talking to them whether they liked it or not. She also was really good about making people feel special when it was their birthday."

The restaurant has also been the site of first dates, proposals and other memorable moments - not just for customers but also for Sims, who called the business "a second home."

As a kid, she went to the deli after school instead of going home on a bus. As a high-schooler, she worked there alongside all of her friends. As an adult, she had her bridal shower and rehearsal dinner there.

She also can recall how the business has evolved over time.

Sims' stepfather had been a professor of architecture at the University of Illinois.

"He said (to Harlean), 'If you want to do this, I will build it,' and he did," Sims said.

The Swings originally bought the building at 212 W. Washington St. and later expanded into a neighboring building, which is where the large dining room is now located, Sims said.

"We also extended back - my mom used to have a gourmet shop in the hallway," she said. "She used to have a card shop in the back. And now the hallway is just a hallway and the back is now extended seating and also is a rentable party room."

Other changes over time included getting rid of the soda fountain, updating the building facade and putting in booths.

However, Sims said the biggest change has probably been technology.

"Now we have a POS system," she said. "We have online ordering. That's sort of (where) I come in, when I took over about 15 years ago."

The Brown Bag isn't the only one celebrating; the restaurant's anniversary bash will be preceded by a West Washington Street block party hosted by Monticello Main Street from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The event includes live music, food and extended hours at downtown businesses.

Monticello Main Street, which is focused on supporting the "economic vitality and historic character" of downtown, described the event as a chance to experience a part of downtown that has seen significant transformation.

Five years ago, about 65 percent of first-floor spaces in the West Washington Street block were vacant, with only five businesses located in the 13 storefronts, officials said.

Today, however, every first-floor commercial space on the block is filled.

"We've seen tremendous interest and investment from both property owners and businesses, and are thrilled this part of downtown is now thriving," said Shelly Crawford-Stock, executive director of Monticello Main Street. "It has taken direct intentionality, partnerships and support from the City of Monticello in getting our buildings usable, businesses viable, and attention towards what needs to happen to make W. Washington Street a thriving addition to our local economy."

Back in the day, Jack and Harlean Swing owned the north side of West Washington Street from Market to Charter Street, Sims said. As her mother and stepfather aged, however, so did the buildings, which fell into disrepair.

"Jack's original concept was that you would get from one building to the other without having to go outside," Sims added. "And so there's lots of, like, intricate staircases and archways and weird stuff that he did that's not exactly disability-friendly. ... He had, like a lot of architects, a vision, but he wasn't practical."

Sims inherited her mother's buildings, and Jack's daughters and grandsons inherited his, and both sets of owners have worked to improve and modernize the properties, she said.

"We're still working on it," Sims said. "The back is not in great shape, but we have plans. We have future plans to get that going. But I would say it's looking a lot better."

According to Monticello Main Street, the city of Monticello hopes to complement private investment in the block by completing "a major streetscape project" to improve accessibility and further improve the area.

"The success of this block demonstrates the power of historic downtown revitalization and a strong public-private partnership," Crawford-Stock said. "We're excited to celebrate how far West Washington Street has come while looking ahead to its future."

When asked how it feels to see The Brown Bag make it to 50 years, Sims replied that it's "pretty overwhelming."

"I think a lot of restaurants don't make it 50 years," she said. "I think that's pretty rare. There's a lot of high death rates with restaurants. I think it's a tip of the hat to my mom, really, because she may have let it slip in her older years, but she must've done something right because we're still here."

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This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 12:49 PM.