Beef-A-Roo has a new website, and it is doing more than just promoting pumpkin squares. The site, 815beefaroo.com, indicates that five planned Rockford-area locations are expected to reopen as the local effort to revive the shuttered burger-and-roast-beef chain moves forward.
According to MyStateline, the five locations listed as opening soon on the new site are 1680 N. Alpine Road and 6593 Lexus Drive in Rockford, 258 Deane Drive in Rockford, 6380 E. Riverside Boulevard in Loves Park, and 5109 Rock Rose Court in Roscoe. The North Alpine Road restaurant has been identified as the first site expected to return, per the station's report.
The reopening push is being led by Alex and Paityn Edwards, co-owners of Candy Cloud, and Bob Grottke, owner of Tom & Jerry's, according to Rock River Current. The outlet reports the local ownership group reached a deal giving them the rights to reopen Beef-A-Roo at 6593 Lexus Drive, 5109 Rock Rose Court in Roscoe and 6380 E. Riverside Boulevard in Loves Park, in addition to the North Alpine Road site. The group has also hired Matt Riddle to manage the area restaurants it owns, the same report notes.
Construction Underway on Alpine Road
Work is already visible at 1680 N. Alpine Road, where Rock River Current reported that construction includes aesthetic fixes, cleanup and repairs to the flooring. The outlet reported the plan is to open the first location by November, with all four acquired locations in operation by March 2027 — goals the ownership group described as hopes rather than locked-in dates.
An earlier report from Rockford News First described four sites as secured at that point — Highcrest, Riverside, Lexus Drive and Roscoe — while the station's more recent coverage of the new website points to five locations expected to reopen. That same outlet reported the operators expect to hire hundreds of employees as the reopening team develops.
The former Highcrest location is at 1680 N. Alpine Road.
Why the Chain Went Dark
The backstory explains why Rockford-area fans are watching so closely. Eight corporately owned Beef-A-Roo locations in Rockford, Loves Park, Machesney Park and Roscoe abruptly closed in July, Rock River Current reported, and MyStateline has reported that Beef-A-Roo closed most of its locations earlier this year because of operational and financial challenges. The Freeport location, independently owned and operated, remained open throughout, per the same MyStateline report.
New Site Built With Local Creative Partners
Beyond the location list, the new website includes the company's history, updates on the reopening project and information about each location. 815 Beef-A-Roo said the site was developed with Rockford-based Lightwave Creative and features photography from Catalyst and work by City Stage Studios. The operators also posted an announcement of the website launch on Facebook, thanking community members and local businesses supporting the effort to revive the longtime Rockford restaurant chain.
“The outpouring of support these past few weeks has been the most meaningful part of bringing your Beef-A-Roo back,” the company said, according to the site. The website also promotes a rewards program, noting that fans can “join now and start earning deals on all your Beef-A-Roo favorites,” and announces that seasonal menu items, including pumpkin squares, have returned.
A Longer Road Ahead
Even as the five listed locations take shape, the ownership group has said its ambitions extend further. Rock River Current reported the group's longer-term goal is for all eight local Beef-A-Roo restaurants to eventually reopen, while What Now Chicago reported the owners are hoping to debut more restaurants in the years to come. For now, the focus is on opening either the Lexus Drive or Roscoe restaurant first.
