It’s Your Business | Jupiter’s arcade gets an upgrade; Mahomet’s Dunkin’ a month away

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Over a dozen new games and a new prize counter are among the updates to the arcade at Jupiter’s at the Crossing in Champaign.

The arcade, located within the restaurant at 2511 Village Green Place, reopened on Sept. 20 after being closed from Sept. 16 to 19 to facilitate the changes.

Kevin Hildebrand, chief operating officer of Jupiter’s owner CRS Hospitality, said their goal with the project was to enhance the “guest experience.”

“The prize distribution was a key piece of that,” he said. “We used to have a vending style machine that dispensed prizes, and as the last part of the guest experience, it was frequently either a long wait or just not a very personal touch.”

In addition removing its “Prize Hubs” and adding the staffed counter, the business has also enhanced its prizes, he said.

As for the new games, 15 have been installed and a few more are still out for delivery. The additions include:

• Two Super Bikes games, which have replaced four car-racing games
• Two new NBA Hoops basketball games and an NBA Jr.
• The Taj Mahal Giant Ticket Rings
• The Fantastic Prize
• Showtime 4 Player 

The arcade also removed some games that had reached the end of their life cycles, Hildebrand said.

CRS Hospitality worked with Betson Enterprises on the updates, with Hildebrand describing the business as “a worldwide leader in amusement equipment and arcade design.”

“Beginning a relationship with Betson Enterprises is going to allow us to analyze the game room better and see what our customers are really enjoying the most and if there are other pieces that aren’t being played as frequently,” Hildebrand said.

Goodbye County Market, Hello Niemann’s

A grocery at 2901 W. Kirby Ave. is the latest County Market to be converted to a concept that, according to Niemann Foods, puts a greater emphasis on customer service.

Spokesman Gerry Kettler with Niemann Foods, the owner of County Market grocery stores, said the location is the third County Market location to be rebranded to a Niemann’s after Quincy and Mattoon.

He explained that, while the name harkens back to the company’s roots, this is a new concept with a “renewed focus” on customer service.

“So we’ll be maintaining all the great pricing that our customers are used to with County Market, but they’ll experience elevated customer service, such as being offered, ‘Hey, can we take your groceries to your car?'” he said. “And we’re embracing special orders.”

The business is also prioritizing meals that are ready to go from the store to the dinner table.

“We’ve kept the best of what we were, and we’ve added to it,” Kettler said.

When asked if the company is planning to convert any other County Market locations, he replied that he is unsure if there is a timeline and added that they’re taking things one step at at time. Harvest Market stores will not be rebranded, he said.

In Champaign, the changes include a total remodel of the store, upgrades to the liquor department, greater variety in the produce section, and “complete retraining” for employees, Kettler said.

“We’ve added a great deal of variety through the store too,” he said. “This isn’t just paint. We’ve re-looked at every single aisle to say, ‘Is this what consumers are wanting to purchase now?'”

Additionally, the business is still making some adjustments leading up to a “grand opening” next month.

According to the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at noon on Oct. 9 to celebrate the changes.

Coming soon to Mahomet: New credit union branch and drive-thru Dunkin

The University of Illinois Community Credit Union’s new Mahomet location is slated to open this fall, said Senior Vice President of Member Experience Lisa Paul. 

“We will have a soft opening with a projected Grand Opening in November 2024,” she said. “Currently at the site we are wrapping up construction and diligently working to implement new technology to deliver an enhanced branch experience to our members.”

The new credit union will be located in Fairlawn Real Estate’s new Churchill Commons development near Route 150.

The new drive-thru-only Dunkin’ Donuts at 1616 Patton Drive, also part of Churchill Commons, is still expected to open around the last week of October, said owner Krishna Patel of Plainfield.

Construction timeline TBD on new Culver’s in Rantoul

Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer told The News-Gazette that Culver’s still plans to build a new restaurant in Rantoul at 636-640 W. Champaign Ave., though the project’s start date is unknown to him at this point. 

“All plans have been approved and they are in the process of hiring a contractor to begin construction,” he said. “When that will happen has not yet been confirmed.”