A former basketball coach plans to open a popcorn and sweet shop in Champaign's Round Barn Centre this fall.

Caramel Corn & More, 503 S. Mattis Ave., will be in the space previously occupied by Maggie's Place.

The 3,000-square-foot store will serve caramel corn, cheddar-flavored popped corn, other flavored popped corn and a variety of candies and treats like chocolate-covered pretzels.

Soft-serve ice cream will also be available, said owner Rick Welch, who has been a basketball coach at various schools in the area.

"We'll have caramel apples, peanut-covered caramel apples, M&M covered apples, Rice Krispies treats, lots of good stuff," he said.

He plans to work with schools and organizations on fund-raising projects, such as selling containers of popped corn and other gift boxes.

Remodeling is planned for the store's space, and he will display equipment such as the caramel maker and popcorn popper.

"I'm also trying to get the recipe down just right for homemade caramel," he said.

An opening is planned for sometime this fall.

Bone Appetit update

The pet treat shop Bone Appetit has closed its Round Barn storefront but plans to launch a website for online shopping soon.

The store opened a year ago at 1912 Round Barn Road in Champaign and closed Saturday.

"Since our focus is mostly on treats, I realized we could avoid having a storefront once we found retailers willing to work with us," said owner Jennifer Landheer.

Treats are available for purchase at Pampered Pet Grooming and Dog Training in Champaign and Connie's Grooming in St. Joseph.

"We'll be working on another location where customers can pick up cupcakes and cakes," she said.

The cakes for dogs are made of ingredients similar to cakes for humans, except they're denser and contain carob powder instead of chocolate, Landheer said. She sells a variety of different sized and flavored treats such as barbecue and pizza treats.

Also available are training treats, which are bite-sized.

All items are made from ingredients pet owners could also eat and buy at the grocery store, she said.

"Now that we're going to the website, we'll have more time to develop recipes and focus more on the treats – since that's what people want," she said.

Landheer still plans to sell her treats at events such as Urbana's Market at the Square, and she will be involved in various pet-related benefits and events locally.

Landheer said customers can check the Bone Appetit Facebook page to learn when the website, myboneappetit.com, goes live.

Coop now open

The Art Coop's new location in Lincoln Square Village in Urbana is now open.

The store is in what used to be Baskin clothing store in the mall. For almost 40 years the Art Coop on Green Street in Campustown.

The shop stocks oils, watercolors, acrylics, brushes and canvases at 20 percent to 50 percent off retail prices, plus fine art papers, clays, pottery tools, photo supplies, posters, pens, sketchbooks and journals. It also offers 10 percent discounts to senior citizens, Common Ground Co-op members and anyone wearing an "i like art" Art Coop T-shirt.

Later this fall the store will open a gallery and begin offering art classes.

It's open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Once University of Illinois classes resume for the academic year on Aug. 23 the store will be open until 9 p.m. on weeknights. The Art coop can be reached at 352-4562.

Mediate, not litigate

Local lawyers Dan Pope and Helen Pope have established a new firm, Mediation Solutions, that offers mediation services to East Central Illinois.

"We wanted to do something different and ... we saw a need in the community for it," Dan Pope said.

Pope, most recently with the Urbana law firm of Phebus and Koester, has also worked as general counsel for Christie Clinic and as a mediator in Chicago.

His wife Helen Pope has worked in large and small law firms in Chicago and Champaign and is the former general counsel of Vaughn & Bushnell Manufacturing Co. They're both certified mediators.

Mediators are neutral parties that help parties settle and resolve a dispute.

"You can mediate anything," he said, from antitrust to zoning disputes.

Mediation "is a much more efficient way of handling disputes," Pope said. It's cheaper and often quicker, he said.

The firm can be reached at 220-7673 or hkpope@yourmediationsolutions.com.

Shopping scavenger hunt

Tanger Outlet Center has organized a children's back-to-school scavenger hunt today. It runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the outlet mall in Tuscola.

The hunt starts at VF Outlet on the east side of the center between Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store and the Gap Outlet. The first 400 children will receive a free backpack to hold their items.

Students will receive a list of clues and can then search various stores for notebooks, pencils and other items. Once they've found all their clues, they can enter to win a Tanger gift card worth $250. The event is open to children entering kindergarten though eighth grade.

Ice cream flavors retire

Baskin-Robbins is retiring five flavors this month: French Vanilla, Apple Pie a La Mode, Superfudge Truffle, Campfire S'more and Caramel Praline Cheesecake. They'll be available only until the end of July.

New flavors such as Chocolate Malt and Red Velvet Cake will be available later this fall.

Area Baskin Robbins stores are at 404 W. University Ave., U; 515 S. Neil St., C; and 402 S. Century Blvd., Rantoul.

Are you opening a new business or changing an existing business? 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 61824-067