Two of McHenry’s biggest retail corners are about to look very different. The Buffalo Wild Wings at the Shops at Fox River is set to serve its last round of wings this Sunday, Easter Sunday, while discount retailer Burlington is taking over the former RoomPlace building on Richmond Road. The double switch will ripple through weekend routines, shopping patterns, and, most immediately, the lives of local workers.
City officials confirm the switch
McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett took to Facebook to lay out part of the plan, announcing that Burlington is moving into the old RoomPlace site at 2221 N. Richmond Road. In the city’s weekly briefing to council members, economic-development staff also confirmed that the Buffalo Wild Wings at The Shops at Fox River will close as of Easter Sunday. As reported by Shaw Local, both updates were bundled into materials ahead of Monday night’s council meeting, signaling a coordinated reshuffle of key retail space.
RoomPlace's bankruptcy left the site ready
The Richmond Road site did not stay in retail limbo for long. The RoomPlace filed for Chapter 11 in early 2024 and later wound down multiple stores, leaving its McHenry building open for a new tenant. As detailed by Furniture Today, the furniture chain’s restructuring plan involved store closures and liquidation sales that freed up several large-format spaces, including the McHenry address that Burlington will now fill.
Workers, addresses, and local aid
Behind the storefront shuffle are the people who kept the wings and drinks moving. McHenry economic-development director Doug Martin told staff that about 22 employees will be affected by the Buffalo Wild Wings closure. City staff plans to distribute job-assistance packets from the McHenry County Workforce Network to help those workers line up new opportunities. Per Shaw Local, the city is coordinating outreach to make sure employees know what resources are available. Local business listings place the soon-to-be-vacant Buffalo Wild Wings at 3343 Shoppers Drive, in the Shops at Fox River.
What this means for Richmond Road retail
The timing of Burlington’s arrival lines up with broader investor interest along the Richmond Road corridor. In March, the nearby McHenry Town Center, home to national chains including Aldi and Kohl’s, sold for $13.74 million, a price tag that could influence how landlords think about leasing and redevelopment in the area. According to the Daily Herald, the sale points to sustained appetite for well-located strip centers even as some retailers shrink, shuffle or retool their physical footprints. With Buffalo Wild Wings exiting one key corner and Burlington stepping into another, McHenry shoppers are getting a front-row seat to that retail reshaping in real time.
