A new Indian restaurant will open soon in southwest Champaign.

Sairamom will be in the former Mezzaluna space at Village at the Crossing at the southwest corner of Windsor and Duncan roads.

Owner Thambidurai Guru has not set an opening date, but said he's aiming for next weekend or the weekend after that.

The mechanical engineer who works for Caterpillar moved to the United States in 1999 and attended Bradley University in Peoria. While in central Illinois, he missed Indian food, particularly from south India, he said.

For years, he has wanted to open his own restaurant in the area and has been cooking foods such as dosas, briyani and kothu parotta for and with friends in his kitchen.

People are often living busy lives – going to school, working and working out – and have little time to relax, he said. Guru wants Sairamom "to be a peaceful restaurant where people can have nice, authentic Indian food."

A phone number has not been activated yet. Sairamom will be open for lunch and dinner. Beer and wine will also be available at the restaurant.

Foudini's closed

Jim Singer, who opened The Beef Stand in Champaign's Campustown last month, decided to close his other restaurant, Foudini's, which was in Tolono.

"Since we're a family business with me and my wife (Christie Singer) and daughter (Ashley McCarter), we didn't want to spread ourselves too thin," Singer said.

The catering side of Foudini's will continue; it caters to fraternities and other establishments on campus, Singer said.

As for The Beef Stand, 611 E. Green St., C, Singer said the response has been good.

"We're really excited about being on Green Street. The neighbors have been very cool," he said.

The restaurant sells Italian beef, Chicago-style hot dogs and sandwiches such as corned beef pastrami and Reubens.

It's open 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. It can be reached at 607-1803.

And in Danville...

Don and Marie Pribble, owners of The Java Hut, 13 N. Vermilion St., and Vermilion Place, 14 N. Hazel St., in downtown Danville are offering two new food services: breakfast for early morning meetings and meals-to-go.

Breakfast items include scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, waffles, fruit and drinks. Options for the meals-to-go, which are ordered on a call-ahead basis, include some of Pribble's specialties like jambalaya, barbecued chicken and red beans and rice.

For now, Marie Pribble is varying the items to see if the option takes off. Later, she hopes to offer a meal of the day on the business's website, where customers will be able to order and pay by credit card.

"Right now, they can call 443-6808 by 10 a.m., see what's being offered that day and give me the number of meals they want and what time they will pick them up," she said.

Items must be picked up at the preset time, decided by Pribble and the customer, prior to 6 p.m.

Recently, the Pribbles added the sale of soda breads baked by Jean Nicholson of Falling Leaves Farm.

Also, on Aug. 25, Lori Hutt, owner of the home decor shop Rustic Charm in Georgetown, will open a small retail area on the raised platform at the front of the Java Hut. Some of the items to be offered are Williraye collectibles, a line of resin Americana figurines, Wind & Willow foods, candles, lamps, gift baskets and silk florals.

There will be a grand opening held that day with the Java Hut staying open later than normal, until 6 p.m., serving light refreshments.

Regular Java Hut hours are 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Got silver?

Steeple Gallery Coffee House, at State and Lafayette streets in Monticello, is now accepting silver coins as payment for drinks sold there.

The silver menu is based on pre-1965 silver coins. A large coffee will set you back a silver dime, and a silver quarter will buy you a cappuccino or chai latte. A couple weeks into the silver menu (the regularly priced menu is still there), no one has paid with silver yet, but the alternative menu has been a conversation-starter, said owner Jim Gortner, who is also a coin collector.

Steeple Gallery Coffee House is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and can be reached at 762-2924.

Boutique sales

Several locally owned boutiques will host a Local Luxury sales event on Saturday, July 17.

Each participating business will offer various sales and promotions.

Participating businesses include Findings Boutique, Checkered Moon and Jennifer North in the Old Farm Shops in Champaign and Confidentially Yours and The Pottery Place at the Round Barn Centre in Champaign.

News-Gazette staff writer Pat Phillips contributed to this report.

Are you opening a new business or changing an existing one? Christine des Garennes can be reached by phone at 351-5388 or 800-252-3346; by e-mail at cgarenne@news-gazette.com; or by regular mail at The News-Gazette, c/o It's Your Business column, P.O. Box 677, Champaign, IL 61824-0677.