About five years ago, I wrote a column about this exact same topic, and it’s come to my attention that the earlier piece is now wildly out of date. That’s definitely a testament to the development pressures in Champaign’s campustown neighborhood, but it’s also tough to ignore the role that the COVID-19 pandemic may have taken on some of these businesses as well.
In no particular order, let’s take a look at some of the most memorable bars and restaurants that have closed down since my first article back in 2018.
Old KAMS
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Braving the original KAMS was a right of passage for Illini students until its demolition in 2019.