Downtown Belleville pizza shop opens; Peace by Piece opens in Swansea
Bennie Parr Jr. likes to greet every customer who drops into Bennie’s Pizza Pub, the newest place to get lunch or dinner in downtown Belleville.
“We try to get to know you,” he said. “We want you to feel like you’re family or friends.”
Parr and his staff have been busy dishing up pizza slices for customers who heard about the “soft” opening for the pizza and salad menu.
“It’s been really amazing,” Parr said. “The support from the community has been really awesome.”
The pub, which is at 124 E. Main St. in the former Righteous Pig barbecue space, began serving drinks last month during the Art on the Square festival.
Parr said he didn’t originally envision opening in stages, but he’s glad it worked out that way.
After the pizza and salad service gets established, Parr soon expects to expand with a “boozy brunch” on Sundays. He plans a “high energy breakfast” with a DJ, breakfast pizzas and a signature bloody Mary topped with a slice of pizza.
Parr and his staff have been busy concocting pizza recipes.
“Our featured pizza is called a Hawaiian Hog, and it has a little bit of everything,” he said.
It has barbecue sauce, pulled pork, bacon, Canadian bacon, jalapenos, onions and pineapple.
Another popular pizza is topped with chicken and a sauce formed by combining fontina cheese and Magners Irish pear cider.
You also can get the traditional styles, such as cheese, pepperoni and veggie.
Most customers order pizza by the slice, but you can also order whole pizzas.
Parr said the pizza slices are a quarter of a 16-inch pizza. Or, more colorfully, he describes it as “a slice the size of your face.”
Future toppings are in the development phase, and possibilities include mac and cheese, jalapeno poppers and pear bruschetta.
The new ovens cook pizzas in just over four minutes at about 550 degrees.
Parr said he wants to specialize in pizza and salads and doesn’t have plans to add “a thousand things” to the menu.
“We want to be great at what we do,” Parr said. “You’re getting premium food at a fast-food restaurant pace.”
Parr, along with friends and family, did a lot of the remodeling for the restaurant this spring.
“I basically locked myself in here for three months,” Parr said.
He “repurposed” all kinds of wood that had been in the Righteous Pig. The wall that divided the room was taken out to make way for an open kitchen. Customers order pizzas and salads at a counter and can sit at tables, a bar and benches that Parr and his team built. The bar has hooks for purses and phone charging stations. Bennie’s also has outdoor seating.
Parr grew up in Belleville, and he’s excited about investing in a downtown business.
He’s heard from customers who went to a movie at the Lincoln Theatre and then stopped in for pizza at Bennie’s. Others have gone down the block to the new Crafty Sugar Co. for dessert.
"The more businesses we have down here … it’s just going to help everybody,” Parr said. “The more people come, the more they realize the hidden secrets that are within some of these businesses. It’s going to make them want to come more often and talk about Belleville.”
The pizza shop is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 618-416-0019.
9Round Fitness kickboxing gym opens in Shiloh
When Becky Venuti enters the gym, her members notice.
She knows everyone's name, she greets them with a warm smile, and they expect her to push them to new heights every time they enter her gym.
"Come on, guys, you can do this. Thirty seconds. Keep it going. Don't stop now."
Her encouraging voice carries over music that plays during each workout with a trending theme.
In her kickboxing gym, at 3740 Green Mount Crossing Drive, you can kick and punch your way through your workout, but you won’t find a boxing ring inside. You don’t need head gear or a mouth guard either.
The O’Fallon mom and certified physical therapist recently opened the gym where beginners and experienced members can feel comfortable working out.
At 9Round fitness, a national franchise, the kickboxing workout isn’t as intimidating as you might think.
"We want to see people in our community to be healthy and be happy," Venuti said. "We love doing this."
The new gym, owned and operated by Venuti and her husband, Gaetano, is about the size of a small retail store, but the workouts pack a mighty punch. The couple also owns and operates the 9Round location in Edwardsville, 1063 S. Illinois 157.
How does it work? A membership gives you unlimited access to the gym, where a personal trainer is there to guide you through a 30-minute workout if you need help or a little motivation. Different membership rates are available.
The first round is always jump rope and every other round changes daily. Rounds two through eight might work your legs, core and arms in different ways.
For more information about the gym, call 618-307-5105.
Peace by Piece opens in Swansea
After nearly 10 years in downtown Belleville, the popular retail store and gift shop Peace by Piece has relocated to Swansea.
Located at 2427 N. Illinois St., the new store has a coastal vibe with gray hardwood floors throughout. A modern light fixture adorned with rope hangs over the cash register, and a colorful row of doors welcomes customers into each dressing room.
“My wife (Christina) has always wanted a store in Florida,” owner Jason Keck said. “And it has the look and feel of it right here in Swansea.”
The couple lives in the growing village where Keck grew up. He's always wanted their shop to be located in Swansea. Now, his dream has come true.
The couple purchased the building formerly occupied by Sleep Center Furniture and transformed it into a glamorous boutique.
This shop gives Peace by Piece more creative space to display its inventory, which includes women's clothing, home decor, jewelry, shoes and gifts made in America.
There's also free parking at the new location, and enough space for another business to join them on the other side.
About 1,200 square feet is available for lease, Keck said.
Want to know more about the store's future plans? For more information, contact the store at 618-233-1519.
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 June 22, 2018 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Downtown Belleville pizza shop opens; Peace by Piece opens in Swansea."