J. Jill, the women's clothing store in Champaign's Market Place Mall, will close next month.

Merchandise is now 50 to 70 percent off, and all fixtures are for sale, said store manager Laurie Widner. She said the closing will happen around July 12 to July 15.

The store, located in the courtyard section of the mall near Sears, opened in October 2005.

"We really had a strong loyal customer base, and that's what's hard, losing those faithful shoppers," Widner said.

The store employs 10 full-time and part-time workers.

J. Jill's parent company, Talbots Inc., sold the J. Jill chain to Golden Gate earlier this summer.

Owners of Buttitta's plan fall start

Buttitta's, the Italian restaurant planned by the owners of the now-closed Dom's Patio Villa, may open early this fall.

Owner John Buttitta and his wife, Vicky, are leasing the former Jillian's restaurant building, 1201 S. Neil St., C, and hope to start renovation work shortly.

Once they secure the proper permits with the city, the renovation work is expected to take about two months, John Buttitta said.

Dom's, at 301 S. Locust St., C, closed at the end of 2007 after four decades. It was founded by John's father, Dom Buttitta.

The menu at the new restaurant will be a shortened version of what was available at Dom's, plus some new items.

"We want to focus on good service and good food. We'll expand (the menu) when we see what we can handle," Buttitta said.

The restaurant will be quite a bit larger than Dom's. It will seat around 300 diners inside and at the outdoor patio.

The restaurant will be on the first floor of the building. It will have all new tables and booths, plus a wine cellar. The existing bar will be cut in half, and although Buttitta said he plans to use part of the old kitchen, they will also build a new one.

"It's going to be really nice. We'll have all new carpet and tile in the building except where the billiard room was. We'll leave those floors wooden," he said.

Bookstore closing

The used-book store Lone Pine Books, 200 W. Washington St., Monticello, is closing.

A closing date has not been established. The owners are on vacation until July 9, but beginning July 9 everything in the store will be 25 percent off. Deeper discounts will become available as the closing date approaches.

The store hours, from July 9 until Aug. 13, will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Beginning Aug. 20, the hours will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

As a result of the closing, the store will no longer take books on trade or donations.

Pet grooming, training

Pampered Pet Grooming and Dog Training, 603 E. University Ave., C, has reopened with new owners.

New owners Nada Cagle and Chit Khin have remodeled the shop and are offering grand-opening specials to new customers.

"We saw it as an opportunity and even though the economy is tough right now, it is a service and we figured it would be a good risk," Cagle said about the business venture.

They offer obedience training and dog and cat grooming, including grooming for extra-large breed dogs and first-time haircuts for puppies. They also offer a variety of spa services for pets, such as aromatherapy and facials.

This fall they plan to have boarding and doggie day care.

The business is generally open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and on Sundays by appointment. You can reach the store at 352-0595 or http://cupamperedpet.com.

New bar owners

The downtown Champaign bar Memphis On Main has new owners.

Ben Meyer and fiancee Tiffany Long, both in their early 20s, have bought the bar, which is in the former Vriner's confectionery building, 55 Main St., C.

"We fell in love with it. We loved what the former owners started, and we wanted to take it and run with it," Meyer said.

They plan to continue offering live music, mostly blues and rock, on Friday and Saturday nights.

Since buying the bar, they have installed new television sets and have rebuilt the stage.

Free Webkinz

The Hampton Inn in Urbana is one of many Hampton Inns across the country participating in a promotion that gives Webkinz to guests.

Parents who book Hampton's Webkinz package can receive a Webkinz plush pet at check-in.

Three new pets will be available through the Hampton package: Blossom Bird, Springer Spaniel and Guinea Pig.

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 61824-0677.