Springfield Italian eatery will move to downtown Urbana

Jul. 30—Eatly, a seasonal Springfield restaurant, will soon move to a larger location in downtown Urbana and open year-round.

The restaurant, which has been open at 601 N. Fountain Ave. since 2021, will be "steps off the square" in Urbana, and while it will continue serving its traditional Sicilian fare, owner Tom Thompson said he will add homestyle foods like baked mac 'n cheese, baked steaks and homemade chicken and noodles, to the menu. The new location will also have a full bar and an event room.

The Springfield location will remain open until the Urbana move, which could come in early November.

Thompson said he lives with his parents, who have health issues, at the house on the current restaurant's property, but the steps have become a challenge. On top of that, Eatly has grown significantly since its inception. Because of this, Thompson began looking into a new place for the restaurant, and the location in Urbana was a perfect fit.

"The reason why I let people know in advance is I like to not hide things from people, and people have been very supportive of us from day one, and I'm a person that believes that the people that believe in you, you should let them know up front what's going on," Thompson said. "Because then I think it's easier for people to adapt and adjust and transition accordingly."

The new location is under contract, but Thompson has not yet closed on it, so he said he would not share the exact address. He said it is in downtown Urbana in a great location.

Thompson said he will likely hire one to two chefs for the new location, and three to four servers, with at least one having bartending expertise.

Thompson said part of why he wanted to add homestyle options to his menu is because people in the Urbana community shared that there is a need. He said this style of cooking comes from his dad's side of the family, and is a way for him to celebrate more of his heritage.

He said he does not intend to steal anyone's spotlight and hopes to work with other Urbana restaurants and businesses.

"Other restaurants don't have to worry about someone coming in and it being a competition or someone trying to gouge pricing," Thompson said. "I don't operate that way."

The restaurant's name is a play on the country name of Italy and Thompson's Sicilian roots. It has since seen a lot of success, with a full house on Friday and Saturday evenings and for Sunday brunch.

Eatly is open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. These hours will continue until the restaurant opens in its new location, likely in the first part of November. At that time, Eatly will be open five days a week, and Sunday brunch will likely continue.

The Springfield property is up for sale at $649,000, but for the right opportunity, Thompson said he is willing to accept a lower offer. He said the building has a lot of history and it is important to him that whoever next owns the property takes good care of it.

The property is zoned as mixed-use, so it can be used in a variety of ways, Thompson said.

Thompson said Eatly has several regular customers, and he is working on a way to appreciate them once they travel from the Springfield location to the Urbana restaurant. This may take the form of a rewards program.

Thompson thanked the Springfield community for its support and said he will still be active in the city.

"I hope that they'll be able to come give us a try in Urbana and continue the tradition ... They're still family," Thompson said.