URBANA, Ill. (WAND) — In just a few months, the Broadway Food Hall will be re-opening as "The Yard on Broadway."
"We've had our eye on it for a while," explained Drew Smith, owner of Smith Burger Co. in Champaign. "When that opportunity arose, we jumped on it!"
The Smiths are excited to give a face lift to a beloved Urbana spot.
"The Yard is kind of a play on the idea that we're going to have an indoor outdoor field on one side of the food hall, and then the original train station in Urbana is right next door. So it nods to the railyard."
Since the COVID pandemic in 2020, Smith explained how hard it was for the food hall management to re-build. "COVID kind of did a number on it, and it never really bounced back."
Now, Smith is welcoming new restaurants and family fun back into the space.
"Downtown Urbana has a lot of cool things going on right now!" Smith added, with the opening of H-Mart right down the road. "We're just excited to bring new life to it and be a part of the buzz."
Other restaurants, in addition to Smith Burger Company, that will be featured in "The Yard on Broadway" are Columbia Street Roastery, Fernando's Tacos, and Watson's Shack and Rail. There is still one restaurant inside the food hall now, Les Gourmets.
Smith says if you're hoping to grab a bite soon, renovations should be done in the next few months.
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