It won’t be long now before that list of restaurants Galesburg residents say they want is whittled down by one.
Work has been going on at the North Henderson Street site for awhile now, but ground has formally been broken on a Culver’s restaurant that is expected to open in February.
“It’s a great time for Culver’s to be coming to Galesburg,” says Ken Springer, president, Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development. “We’re experiencing a growth in retail development, which is bringing brand new shopping opportunities and dining opportunities to our residents. Culver’s has made a huge investment in this community. And it’s not just in another store; they’re investing in Galesburg.”
Michele Davis of the Dixon area will co-own the location, and tells WGIL she thought about locating in another newer retail hotspot — North Seminary Street — but likes the Henderson Street area better.
“We just happened to come through [North Henderson Street], and noticed that there’s a lot of traffic all times of the day. Every day of the week, we were here…and there’s a lot of traffic flow here. So, we thought that it would be a good spot. You do have a lot of restaurants further on down around us, so that also helps.”
Davis says she had looked for an open lot at first, but didn’t have a problem tearing down the former First Choice Medical building instead.
As many as 100 primarily part-time employees will be hired, owners say, so that schedules can be as flexible as possible. Seven managers will also be hired, and open interviews for those management positions are going to be conducted Tuesday at the Galesburg-Area Chamber of Commerce offices downtown.
CLICK HERE to watch a Facebook Live video of Friday’s groundbreaking.
