Recently closed Springfield restaurant would 'love to reopen in another permanent location'
Wendy’s returns to Springfield’s south side under new ownership this week after being shuttered since January.
Pattman LLC, an affiliate of Manna Hospitality Group, the Louisville, Ky.-based company founded by former NBA player Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, is responsible for bringing back Wendy’s signature square hamburger patties to 1250 Toronto Road.
A June 12 opening is planned. Dine in is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The drive-through window will be open 6:30 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Online ordering and delivery is available through the Wendy’s app.
Wendy’s is only one of many national brands in Manna Hospitality Group’s holdings. Other national brands in the company’s portfolio include Fazoli's and Jimmy John’s. Bridgeman, an east Chicago native who spent the bulk of his 12-years in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks, owned three Wendy’s locations before making his exit from the NBA in 1987.
He expanded the business to more than 160 Wendy’s stores before selling his restaurant holdings in 2016. His son, Ryan Bridgeman is president of the company.
The Wendy’s on Toronto Road was one of the casualties following Florida-based franchise, Starboard Group, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last fall. The fast food site closed in January.
Wendy’s has operated from the Toronto Road address since 2006. Prior to that, however, the building housed another fast-food brand, Burger King.
Springfield restaurant taking to the streets ... for now
Twisted Fork at The Saint Nicholas ended its short run downtown Wednesday, but owners promise this isn’t the end for their elevated take on comfort food classics.
More: Springfield restaurant closing after less than one year being open
“The food truck will be ready this fall and we would love to reopen in another (permanent) location with better traffic, more parking,” Amanda Sandner said prior to the downtown restaurant’s final day of operation Wednesday. Sandner opened the restaurant at 400 E. Jefferson St. with her husband Jered Sandner in October.
“We don’t want this to be the last of Twisted Fork.”
The Twisted Fork food truck menu will include the elevated burgers and sandwiches fans have come to enjoy, but the award-winning macaroni and cheese dishes will be absent.
“It’s just not possible to maintain the quality (for those dishes) in a food truck,” Sandner said.
There are no set plans on where or when Twisted Fork might settle into a new permanent address.
“We had a wonderful partnership at The Saint Nicholas. They were very supportive of us,” she said. “It just takes longer to get going than we had funds for.
“We’re saddened. But we certainly want to do something again in the future.”
Twisted Fork at The Saint Nicholas operated 8 months from the restaurant space in the St. Nicholas Apartment building.
Building owner Mitch King said a search for a new tenant is underway for the building – originally The Saint Nicholas Hotel – which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The venture was the Sandner’s first restaurant. But the couple previously fed Springfield diners via pop-up events at George Rank’s after winning a macaroni-and-cheese competition held at the South Sixth Street bar.
Sandner said she doesn’t foresee returning to pop-up events.
Delayed opening
Little Caesars’ fans on Springfield’s north end will have to wait a little longer for their Pizza! Pizza! fix.
T&T Pizza LLC, the franchise operator behind the yet-to-open site at 2512 N. Dirksen Parkway, recently acquired the Detroit, Mich.-based pizza brand’s stores in Decatur.
“The purchase is going to push back the Springfield opening date,” franchise operator Steve Brevitz said. “We had been aiming for late June. Now it’s looking more like July.”
Brevitz entered the Springfield market last spring with the opening of a new Little Caesars’ outlet at 2427 Adlai Stevenson Drive. Another franchisee operates the brand’s site at 1614 MacArthur Blvd.
T&T Pizza LLC’s acquisition of the two Decatur stores extends Brevitz’s footprint across central Illinois. He also operates stores in Jacksonville, Quincy and Hannibal, Mo.
Seafood market events
Robert’s Seafood Market has two events to add to your weekend calendar.
The market at 1615 W. Jefferson St. is hosting a pre-Father’s Day grill out from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with free samples of salmon, shrimp and beast burgers – a blend of bison, elk, wild boar and Wagyu.
Tickets also are on sale for Seafood 101 Class, being held Saturday from 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. at the market. The 6-course seafood menu includes baked blackened salmon, shrimp Alfredo, mussels and baked lobster.
Cost is $100 and includes wine pairings. Register for the class at shop.robertsseafoodmarket.com.
The A La Carte column highlights restaurant openings, closings, renovations and relocations, as well as personnel changes and business news. Natalie Morris can be reached at 217-737-7254 or by email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Twisted Fork in Springfield hopes to open at new, permanent location
