Former grocery to house Mexican restaurant
Glik's, Rent One moving in, too
A new Mexican restaurant and two existing Robinson businesses will soon be calling the former County...
A new Mexican restaurant and two existing Robinson businesses will soon be calling the former County Market building home.
Cilantros Grill & Cantina, which has a restaurant in Casey, will be opening in the former grocery store later this year, according to Eric Erickson, who, with Clifford McBenge Jr., owns Westgate Shopping Center.
Cilantros will occupy the northern-most section of the building, previously the location of County Market’s deli and bakery. The goal is to be open in a couple months.
“It’s going to be beautiful inside,” Erickson told the Daily News. “It’s going to be a very nice restaurant.”
The glass-enclosed area that once housed a florist shop has been removed. An outdoor dining area with a roof is being constructed in its place.
The building is undergoing extensive renovations, besides the work being done on the restaurant. The structure has been divided into four sections. The storefront is being moved out and windows are being installed.
Two of the remaining three sections will house two long-time Robinson businesses that are relocating this summer.
Glik’s and Rent One are currently located in another former grocery store behind Subway on outer West Main.
Glik’s will locate in the southern-most section of the building, closest to Main Street. Glik’s is a family-run chain of women’s boutiques with more than 60 locations across 10 Midwest states. The company first opened its doors more than 119 years ago in St. Louis and has been in Robinson for more than a decade.
Rent One will be next door. The company offers rent-to-own furniture, mattresses, electronics, appliances and more. The chain, which has more than 100 locations in eight states, opened in 1985.
The middle section of the building remains open. Erickson and McBenge’s company, C&E Property Group LLC, is still seeking an occupant for the 9,000-square-foot space.
“We’ve got a couple of things we’re working on, but we can’t lock anything down just yet,” Erickson said.
Erickson and McBenge purchased Westgate late last year. County Market, the largest store in the shopping center, was originally Gallo’s Red & White.
It was an IGA for years before becoming a County Market. The store never re-opened after suffering smoke and water damage in an Aug. 6, 2020, fire.
Erickson said they originally hoped to bring a new grocery to Robinson but found companies hesitant to locate in a smaller community that already has a Walmart and a Ruler Foods.
“We’ve put a lot of money and work into fixing it up,” Erickson said, adding he and McBenge want to do what they can to keep Robinson growing.
“We’re going to keep doing stuff in the community to keep moving it forward,” he said. “The city is being very helpful. It’s great working with a city that wants to work with you.”
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