A new gyro restaurant is moving into the East State Street space that Rusty Taco abandoned after barely a year in business, with owner Ahmed Siddiq racing to finish renovations and secure a city license before opening. Gyro Junction plans to take over the building at 6905 E. State St. in Rockford, Illinois, at the southwest corner of East State Street and Perryville Road, in a strip that also houses Educators of Beauty and Primetime Audio/Video.
Siddiq, who is from Rockford, is making his first venture into the restaurant business alongside his business partners, according to Rock River Current. He told the outlet the restaurant is close to ready. “We're doing some changes in our interior and exterior painting,” Siddiq said, adding that the rest of the restaurant is completely ready otherwise. The plan is to open as soon as possible once the painting wraps up and the city signs off on a license.
That licensing step isn't a formality. Rockford's requirements for new businesses and changes of occupancy can involve city approvals, and not every business needs a general business license, according to the City of Rockford. Winnebago County Health Department maintains food establishments' compliance with food-safety requirements, per the Winnebago County Health Department. Once open, the restaurant will also owe the city's 1% Redevelopment Fund Tax on retail food and beverage sales, on top of standard state sales tax, per city tax rules.
What's On the Menu
Gyro Junction will serve gyros and classic Mediterranean gyro platters, alongside burgers, veggie platters, and a variety of sandwiches. The menu will round out with slushies, milkshakes, and homemade-style cookies, and the restaurant plans to offer lunch, dinner, and catering. Siddiq and his partners say they're focused on fresh ingredients and fast service. “I hope everybody will love it,” Siddiq said, per the same Rock River Current report, adding there will be no need to cook at home.
The gyro shop won't have the Greek fast-casual category to itself in Rockford. Uncle Nick's has operated gyro restaurants in the city since 1980, including a location on East State Street, and offers late-night service across multiple Rockford outposts, according to GoRockford. Gyro Junction will need to carve out its own following in a corner of town where gyro options already run deep.
A Short-Lived Predecessor
Rusty Taco closed its doors on October 2, after operating a little more than a year. The Dallas-founded chain opened its Rockford location on August 18, 2025, marking the franchise's first and only location in Illinois, according to QSR Magazine. The fast-casual street taco concept, founded in Dallas in 2010, had a Rockford outpost before shutting down.
Rusty Taco's closure landed on the same day that Lucha Cantina, a longtime local Mexican restaurant, announced it was shutting down after 13 years, a coincidence that underscored recent turnover in Rockford's dining scene, as Wisevoter reported. Lucha Cantina cited rising labor and food costs for its shutdown, according to the same report. Hoodline previously covered Lucha Cantina’s 13-year closure, which eliminated 33 jobs.
A Busy Corner With Deep Turnover
Whatever challenges sank Rusty Taco, the location itself sits in one of Rockford's busiest commercial corridors. The building is part of Rockford Plaza, a 40,174-square-foot retail shopping center on a 3.61-acre parcel, with other retail units still available, according to a Crexi listing. The center is near East State Street and Perryville Road.
The turnover comes as a business sentiment report in October 2026 pointed to a declining economic outlook among Rockford small businesses, reflecting inflationary pressures and shifting consumer spending habits. Even so, operators like Siddiq appear willing to bet that a turnkey space can outweigh the headwinds that pushed out the last tenant.
