Southern-style restaurant closes; Fairview Heights gets another grocery store option
No one will miss Pioneer’s Cabin more than Justin and Charlene Simon.
They saved the Percy restaurant when the original owners decided to retire more than a year ago. The community rejoiced then, but now the Simon family is saying farewell.
In a Facebook message posted Thursday, the family announced plans to close the restaurant permanently. The rustic building is also for sale.
The Simons took over after Dan and Mary Valerius retired. The popular restaurant opened in 1983 and became known for its family-style meals, rustic vibe and flower pot bread.
The family is keeping the name with plans to open another Pioneer’s Cabin in a new location. Cabin salad dressing, strawberry butter and a cookbook will be available online in the future.
“It made our hearts full to keep The Cabin open and to be host to others creating memories just like we had throughout our lives,” the message said. “And really, it felt so good to invest in and give back to the area where we grew up.”
Hundreds of comments poured in online in response to the closure.
JamiJo Seibert grew up going to the cabin with her grandparents. In an online tribute, she shared her fondest memories of them at the restaurant.
“I’d love to sit across a table from them both eating fried chicken and chicken and dumplings with sweet tea in a mason jar,” Siebert wrote. “(You) truly never ever know how much you will ache for those once simple every day occurrences.”
Fairview Heights now has another grocery store option
A discount grocery store opened earlier this month on Lincoln Trail in the Crossroads Centre shopping area.
Ruler Foods opened Dec. 7, according to a post on the store’s Facebook page.
The city’s former economic development director, Mike Malloy, announced plans for the store in October.
A Hobby Lobby craft store was the previous tenant of the building at 10850 Lincoln Trail. Hobby Lobby moved across the street in 2016. SkyZone and Ruler Foods now share the building.
Ruler Foods has more than 35 stores nationwide in five states, including a location in Belleville. Another grocery store chain, Kroger, owns Ruler Foods.
New car wash being built in Swansea
What’s the deal with that long, red structure going up on Illinois 159 in Swansea?
You know, the one, that looks like something straight out of “The Jetsons” or a sci-fi flick.
It’s hard to guess what it is at first glance. But if you take a closer look, you’ll see the “coming soon” sign for a Sparkle Car Wash going up at 4222 North Illinois St.
The village expects the project to be completed in March, planning and zoning director Dallas Alley said.
When the automatic car wash opens, it will feature a panoramic view as you travel through the futuristic tunnel, according Tommy Car Systems, a Michigan-based company. It will also have free vacuums.
Tommy Car Systems projects range from $300,000 to $7 million in price, depending on the size and style. Building the Swansea location will cost at least $1 million, according to the village.
Do you have a tip? Send me an email at canthony@bnd.com. Of course, I’m available to chat on Twitter @CaraRAnthony, and if you really want to go old school, call me on my landline at 618-239-2471.
This story was originally published December 31, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Southern-style restaurant closes; Fairview Heights gets another grocery store option."