New Brunch Spot Moving Into Former Friday’s by CherryVale Mall

Early last December Rockford lost the T.G.I Friday's by the CherryVale Mall, and a few months later Granite City in the District at CherryVale suddenly closed too. It was two hard losses for the Cherry Valley area, but soon we'll have something delicious to sink our teeth into once again.

I live in the area near the CherryVale Mall, and for weeks I have noticed renovations taking place outside the former T.G.I. Friday's location on South Perryville. Trees and the for sale/lease sign have come down, and the outside of the building is starting to look different. It's very apparent someone new is getting ready to occupy the building, but up until now, I have not been able to figure out who.

My mom alerted me to this post on the NextDoor app recently, so I immediately started doing research and now my mouth is watering in anticipation.

The Sweet Basil Cafe name might sound familiar to you, because they currently have locations in Skokie, Glen Ellyn, Peoria and 4 other cities in Illinois.

One look at Sweet Basil Cafe's website shows they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, but honestly I can't keep my eyes off their breakfast menu. Skillets, omelets, waffles, pancakes...everything you expect to see at a great breakfast place, but what really catches my eye is their stuffed French Toast option...YUM!!

Sweet Basil Cafe's other locations offer catering as well, so this cafe should be a great addition to the Rockford area. The only question left now is, when will it open? I haven't been able to find an official opening date yet, but Rockford is already listed as "coming soon" on their website, so that has to be a good sign, right?

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