Dunkin’ Donuts pursuing Belleville locale

It may soon be “time to make the doughnuts” in East Belleville.

Dunkin’ Donuts has announced plans to open a new drive-through eatery at 660 Carlyle Ave. in East Belleville by next year. The former Rally’s building that stands there now will be demolished, according to Jeff Kaiser, a project manager with TRI Architects.

The Belleville Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved Dunkin’ Donuts’ application, which includes outdoor seating. The City Council will review the request at its next meeting on Oct. 5.

Kaiser said the $650,000 project still needs to be approved by other city officials and he expects construction to begin in February and be finished by late spring or early summer.

The folks from Lotawata Creek say they anticipate reopening their Fairview Heights restaurant sometime this week. The southern grill-style eatery at 311 Salem Place closed after a fire broke out in the kitchen June 19. Repairs and a full refurbishment to the kitchen have been completed. The business is awaiting a final city inspection. Stay tuned.

Smoothie King has expanded to a second location in the metro-east. The nutritional juice smoothie chain has opened at 6208 N. Illinois St. in Fairview Heights at a building that had been the former home of Quizno’s, which has since closed most of its metro-east locations. The first Smothie King opened in 2008 at Fire House Crossing, a shopping center at 3030 Frank Scott Parkway West in Belleville.

Duke’s Pub has closed in Lebanon. The restaurant and bar had opened last spring at 115 W. St. Louis St.

A discount appliance retailer has opened its first metro-east store in Fairview Heights. You can now find The Appliance Discounters at 6104 N. Illinois St. You can also find their stores across the river in St. Louis, St. Charles, Webster Groves, Ballwin and Arnold.

A new repair shop in Fairview Heights can fix your smart phone and tablet. In & Out Smart Repair at 5900 N. Illinois St., Suite 11, provides life-time warranties on all repairs. The store also sells ear phones and other computer accessories. The Lafayette, La.-based chain has 33 stores across the country and three more that are scheduled to open soon.

Becky Kern’s Dance Studio in Belleville has added more teachers and has a new name. Now known as Kern’s Dance Company, three generations of the Kern family teach dance alongside others who have recently been hired. Becky Kern, the studio’s namesake, is still teaching three days a week at age 76.

A metro-east home building and remodeling company is being recognized for its commitment to customer service. The Better Business Bureau serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois has announced that Padget Building & Remodeling is among the 11 businesses and two charities to be receiving the Torch Award. The Swansea-based company is being recognized for going to great lengths to make sure a customer understands what a project will look like and how it will be completed. Company founders and twin brothers Ron and Don Padgett built their first home in 1979 when they constructed a house for their family in Fairview Heights. They will be honored at a luncheon on Nov. 13 at the Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis.

And finally, St. Louis-area Culligan dealers have donated more than $10,000 to former St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Kyle McClellan’s effort to bring clean water to a Haitian orphanage. Local dealers have contributed to McClellan’s non-profit organization Brace for Impact 46 to improve the water quality for the children in Haiti. About 40 percent of the island nation’s population lacks access to clean water. McClelland also is working to raise $200,000 to build a second level on the orphanage to provide room for 40 additional children.

This story was originally published September 27, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Dunkin’ Donuts pursuing Belleville locale."