This is the first part of a multi-part series on local businesses heading into the holiday season. All the stories will be dropping on QuadCities.com between 2 and 5 p.m. today. Please shop local this holiday season and support our local businesses! With the economic and health devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the holiday shopping season is more important than ever for independent Quad-Cities businesses. The Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce is promoting its recent “Keep It QC” campaign, to urge local residents to keep their consumer dollars in the regional economy. “The past year... Read More

Partly due to the impact of Covid, Crust Stone Oven Pizza announced Tuesday it will close permanently in less than two weeks. “It has been our distinct honor to serve the Quad-Cities, and specifically, Bettendorf community for the past 8+ years,” the restaurant at 2561 53rd Ave., Bettendorf, posted on Facebook. “We have shared celebrations, momentous events, difficult times and precious memories together.” “Your kindness and support have filled our building with laughter and love. Sadly, however, Covid-19 has affected us all. The downturn in business and issues with our lease have become... Read More

The light on Hickey Brothers Cigars & Hookah Lounge is being snuffed out. This weekend will be the last in operation for the Rock Island fixture, which has been a part of the downtown for over two decades, according to a social media post. The business, owned by local entrepreneur Michelle Royal, had been struggling this year due to covid and the various restrictions put in place to combat the spread of the virus. On Nov. 3, they made an announcement on Facebook and started a funding drive to stay open, however, it unfortunately fell short. The announcement read as followed: Its with a... Read More

We’re all maps of our experiences, our lives a tapestry of our time spent. Every second, every moment of them. Those reflections of paths taken and choices made, big and small, lead to who we are, in ways big and small. Those decisions can be huge – who we decide to love, to marry, to live with. Or they can be small – the places we frequent, the habits we hold, the culture we imbibe. For more than a decade, Caribou Coffee was a huge part of the mural of my life, and my son’s. And while the closing of a coffee shop may seem small in the larger picture of things, it’s still something. Something... Read More

UPDATED — The Illinois Quad-Cities could see another mandatory stay-at-home order as soon as next week if numbers in our region continue to soar. The Quad-Cities has exploded in its number of cases and is now inside the top ten most rapidly spiking hot spots nationwide, sitting at number 7 today, according to CDC numbers. In his media address today, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said that the rapidly spiking numbers statewide — with numbers in some regions doubling daily — could lead to another statewide mandatory stay-at-home order similar to the one imposed in the spring,... Read More

Elaine Folker certainly has an eye for beauty, order, style and impeccable design. The 37-year-old photographer – who works with her husband Stephen and his business Giraffe Photography in the Village of East Davenport – is striking out on her own with her own venture, Moss + Mercantile Interiors. “I’ve loved interior decorating since I was a kid and would watch Christopher Lowell every day,” Elaine Folker said this week. “I’ve always been artistic and have spent the last 13 years as a full-time photographer. I’m starting a decorating business because I think everyone should have... Read More

The Quad Cities Chamber is calling on Q-C and State of Illinois elected officials to support allowing bars and restaurants to serve customers indoors in a safe and responsible manner. The State of Illinois has placed additional restrictions on businesses starting Wednesday because of increased Covid-19 positivity rates across the state and region. While most businesses can continue to operate without further adjustments, bars and restaurants are being targeted with additional restrictions despite adapting their practices based on Covid-19 guidelines, according to quadcitieschamber.com. “As colder... Read More

Next time you hop on Amazon to buy something online, consider keeping your money in the Quad-Cities. That’s the thrust of a new campaign from the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, which has launched “Keep It QC,” to bring awareness to the power of doing business locally. According to Chamber representatives, buying local has many tangible economic benefits for the region, in addition to helping area businesses rebound faster from the financial impact of Covid-19. “Keep It QC is about educating members of our community about why buying local should be the first choice every time,” Erin... Read More

Things are not looking good for this fall in regard to covid-19. Numbers are spiking, the government has been pathetically inept in terms of dealing with the crisis, and the economy is once again on the verge of completely tanking. Unemployment is up, some industries are shut down through the end of the year, and others are teetering on the precipice of being shut down, maybe for good. I don’t know about you, but I’m so pessimistic I’m starting to stock up on toilet paper. That’s why it’s more important than ever to shop at your locally-owned small businesses now. Local... Read More