ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — A staple Quad Cities coffee shop is still looking for a new owner nearly a year after its closure.
Theo's Java Club was open for 27 years before its owner, Theo Grevas, decided to retire in 2021. Although it's been closed for nearly a year, Grevas still receives messages from customers every day.
"It was my time. And it was time to go," Grevas said. "There's no doubt, it was difficult to last three years because of what was happening. But I felt, you know, it's my time. My wife and I said 'We're young enough. We've got kids around the country, let's go visit them, let's do these things and put the worries of the coffee shop behind us.' Let someone else come in here, we thought, and take it over, which we thought would be rather quickly. Unfortunately, it just hasn't happened that way."
The coffee shop has been on the market for eleven months, but with new projects entering downtown Rock Island, hopes are high for the sale.
"Downtown Rock Island has a plan and things are happening down here. And then they should promote that a little bit more; Rock Island's got some things happening," Grevas said.
Those new additions include a federal courthouse, as well as a new YWCA center and school administrator building.
Grevas said that he sees a bright future for downtown Rock Island.
"I think the business owners down here all agree that something has to happen. But Rock Island is a unique place; as unique as the other cities in the region. And it's had its ups and downs as every other city has had, and I think it's just a matter of time for it to come back up. I think the very universal thought on that is a very unique downtown."
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