Dec. 17 -- CHAMPAIGN -- A new convenience store with hot food offerings is planned for Champaign's north end.
Homerun Meat and Grocery will be located at 904 N. Fourth St., said owner Sage Qattoum.
There is also a Homerun location in Decatur.
Qattoum described it as "a full-blown convenience store with fresh meat and deli." The space will also have a kitchen that serves items such as fried chicken, nachos and sandwiches.
He estimated that "extensive" renovations on the building will begin in January, and they hope to have the work finished by July or August 2025.
"We gutted the whole inside," he explained. "Everything's gonna be brand new from A to Z."
Additionally, Qattoum is also working on reopening the former Long John Silver's at 1217 N. Prospect Ave., which closed in late 2022, as one of his Sharks Fish and Chicken restaurants.
There are currently two Sharks restaurants in Decatur and one in Springfield, plus a Bloomington location expected to open in May.
Qattoum said he hopes to have the remodel of the Champaign location finished by May or June 2025.
And in case anyone was thrown off by the name, he said that his restaurants do not actually serve shark meat.
"We specialize in fried fish and chicken," Qattoum said, adding that they also sell sandwiches and burgers.