Kettle corn in the wintertime?

Somebody hide this column from my son.

Popped Bliss, a new popcorn shop that opened last week in Champaign, sells kettle corn, caramel popcorn and other treats. The owners, Ajza Anderson and her husband, Alven Allison, are the same folks behind Cool Bliss, the seasonal Hawaiian Ice cart that was set up on South Neil Street.

They pop the corn in a restaurant in Rantoul and sell it in the store at 75 Chester St., a vintage building at Chester and First streets in Champaign, just south of University Avenue.

They sell kettle corn and standards like caramel popcorn with or without chocolate and nuts and cheese popcorn. In coming weeks, they'll make flavored popcorn such as cherry and grape popcorn and add other flavors such as a cheesy ranch popcorn.

The store also sells popcorn tins and popcorn balls. And it offers free samples.

"We also will carry old-fashioned candy like lollipops on wooden sticks and licorice ropes. We want to be a nostalgic place," Anderson said.

Eventually the store's decor will feature vintage popcorn poppers and popcorn bags.

"I want the place to feel homey," she said.

The store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

As for the Hawaiian Ice stand, look for it to return in April.

More information is available by calling 355-0655 or e-mailing poppedbliss@sbcglobal.net.

Other openings noted

– Wines at the Pines, the wine and coffee bar at The Pines shopping center at Windsor and Philo roads in Urbana, which we wrote about earlier this fall, opened Friday. The shop and cafe, at 2860 S. Philo Road, sells wine by the bottle or glass and brews Metropolis coffee. Wine tastings are also planned.

– BankChampaign will be the first tenant to open in the M2 building at 301 N. Neil St., C. The bank opens Monday, Nov. 2, and will have a grand opening at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19.

– La Fiesta celebrates its opening with a ribbon-cutting at noon Thursday. The Mexican restaurant opened in the former Margarita's restaurant space at 1717 S. Philo Road, U.

Kopi expansion

It's official. Cafe Kopi, 109 N Walnut St., C, is expanding into its neighboring space formerly occupied by Circles, the clothing boutique.

Kopi shared office space with Circles for a year, so in a sense the expansion doesn't feel that much different, said Kopi's owner, Paul West.

But the expansion, which doubles Kopi's space, will allow for more seating, he said. West is also planning to bring back the liquor menu and add a little performance space.

"We have to remain Kopi because people love their coffee shop. But at the same time, we have to get better and be more efficient in these economic times," he said.

Cafe Kopi has been in downtown Champaign for almost 17 years.

Circles, by the way, has moved one block west to 114 N. Neil St.

Bookkeeping biz

Mary Schmitz and Tim Maupin have partnered to create the new Royal Bookkeeping Services in downtown St. Joseph.

The business, at 204 N. Main St., Suite 202, offers bookkeeping services for small and midsize businesses in Champaign and Vermilion counties.

Schmitz, a native of the St. Joseph area, is a licensed certified public accountant who also runs Royal Accounting. Maupin, of Sidney, is president of TDM & Associates, which specializes in recruiting as well as outplacement and career coaching.

Royal Bookkeeping can be reached at 841-6345.

Tech makeover

Mavidea Technology Group in Bloomington is holding an Extreme Technology Makeover for businesses and organizations in Illinois. Interested businesses should fill out an application and state why your firm deserves a new computer network.

You could win $35,000 worth of products and services. Applications are due Oct. 31, and the winner will be announced Nov. 17. More information is available at www.mavidea.com.

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.