Popular family-owned Italian restaurant Salamone’s is getting ready to expand to a second location in Rockford, at 2219 E. State St.
Owners Phillip and Brieanna Salamone have their eyes set on opening a second location in the former home of the Illinois Decorator Center sometime in 2023. Brieanna confirmed the expansion plans with What Now Chicago but could not provide an opening date, as construction hasn’t even begun on the site. Plans include a full sit-down restaurant with a bar and outdoor seating options, according to the Rockford Register Star. The couple purchased the 5,100-square-foot location in January 2022.
“They’ll be investing over a million dollars in this location between the remodel and redoing the parking lot,” Rockford Zoning and Planning Manager Scott Capovilla tells the publication. “Their plans are really nice.”
The couple opened the Salamone’s Downtown Cherry Valley at 103 S. Cherry Street before expanding to Mulford Road in 2017 as Salamone’s North. Since then, they’ve made a name for themselves as a true Italian-style family restaurant. The restaurant has become very popular in its five years of existence, using multigenerational family recipes and the freshest ingredients in all of its entrees, featuring plenty of pizza and calzones. If the delicious food wasn’t enough, Salamone’s North offers six of the top-rated J&J gaming machines in Rockford.
The owners hope to recreate the magic they created on Mulford Road with the new State Street location. Rockford’s Liquor & Tobacco Advisory Board recommends the approval of the couple’s request for a liquor license. However, the board is recommending the city denies the quest for video game terminals. The committee was set to consider the requests late last month.
CORRECTION: The previous article misstated this would be the company’s second location when it will be the third.
Why does the article keep referring to the State street location as Salamone’s second restaurant? Salamone’s in Cherry Valley was the original, Salamone’s North was the second, and the State street location will be the third. Even a quick Google search would have shown that.