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com . Want to purchase today’s print edition? Here’s a map of single-copy locations. Sign up for our daily newsletter here SAVOY — A long-awaited café is now open at Willard Airport, though some of the business's main attractions — such as grab-and-go food from local partners and a coffee-serving robot — are not yet in place.
Ion Grove Café, which was initially announced in December, had a soft opening on Friday. It is located in the boarding area, in a space that formerly housed Einstein Bros. Bagels.
"We're hoping by the end of the summer, we're really up and running," said co-founder Phil Rowell, noting that the business is still working on getting its certification from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. He added that they expect to have drinks and grab-and-go food options from local vendors available at that time, though the robot barista will likely not be serving up coffee until this fall. At present, passengers can stop by Ion Grove to buy goods from local businesses, such as gift boxes from Flesor's Candy Kitchen, a novel from The Literary, a bag of coffee from Columbia Street Roastery or a copy of The News-Gazette.
The business is also currently providing complimentary coffee. "Our whole goal is to highlight and celebrate local employers," Rowell said. "We want to really showcase to people that are longti.