Haddads in West Peoria, pretty much a landmark, burned to the ground last night.
Very sad for me.....I bought my 1st home across the street from the store and spent many early evenings and nights on my front deck with buddies drinking beer and watching the folks go in and out. West Peoria is where I met my bride. We shopped at Haddads as boyfriend/girlfriend then as husband and wife. I was just in there buying sausage dip and spinach dip for the holidays. I came and told my wife how nice it is to still have a hometown store like that. How everyone was standing in line at the deli talking and customers and other store employees were discussing their holiday plans.
That look and overall atmosphere of the store was old-school and that's impossible to replicate. I think Mark just bought a home in West Peoria, so I assume he's going to rebuild. As a community, we can only hope. And I'm going to make it a point to shop there even more when he does.
UPDATE: Per the Peoria Chronicle via WEEK's website (thanks Sharon), owner Mark Whrel says the building was insured and will be rebuilt. And just to be factually correct, Whrel lives in the Uplands, not West Peoria as I thought.
The loss of their building is very sad. But as my husband said, rebuilding should allow them to make their place even better.
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