'A hidden gem': Neighborhood cafe in East Peoria revived with new business
On a recent weekday morning, there was a steady murmur of conversation inside The 520 Cafe.
Servers walked through the bustling little shop with fresh pots of coffee – offering to top off customers' mugs. Outside, visitors continued to chat in the packed parking lot.
Nestled away in an East Peoria Neighborhood, co-owner Benny Ballazhi described the location as a "hidden gem." So, he purchased it last fall with co-owner Gazzi Rushiti.
Originally Mel’s Cafe, the business operated at 520 Bloomington Road for over a decade before announcing in October 2022 that it had been sold.
In May, the location reopened to the community as The 520 Cafe. The new business features a refreshed interior with extra seating, all-day breakfast and daily specials.
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Offering ‘all-American, home-cooked meals’
Ballazhi has been a restaurant owner for nearly two decades and currently has two other restaurants: Benny’s Grill in Decatur and Honey Bee Cafe in Mattoon.
Managing partner Oscar Ixba also has a long history of working in restaurants and with Ballazhi. They used their decades of experience to craft the cafe’s menu.
The cafe's multipage menu features omelets, waffles, skillets, pancakes, burgers, sandwiches, steak, seafood and more. Ixba said breakfast options are served all day, rather than being limited to the morning hours.
“It doesn't matter what time of the day you come here,” Ixba said. “You can order whatever you want.”
For Ixba, providing the community with more menu options was part of the plan since day one. The first page of the online menu alone lists over 40 choices. He said it has been exciting to offer the East Peoria community something different from what they may have found in the past.
The restaurant also offers daily deals such as Fish Fridays, and Ballazhi said the menu has a focus on made “from scratch” cooking.
“We tried to focus more on home cooked meals – all-American, home-cooked meals,” Ballazhi said.
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Since opening, Ixba said the feedback from the community has been largely positive. He said some of the favorite menu items so far include:
Mexican omelet for $10.99
Avocado toast meal for $11.29
Fried chicken meal for $13.99
Pork tenderloin dinner for $12.99
Fried whole catfish for $16.99
“That's totally a satisfaction for me – to hear from a customer, ‘Oh, this is very, very good,’” Ixba said.
Being a “neighborhood diner” though, Ballazhi said he and the staff will continue to pay close attention to customer feedback and suggestions. He said the restaurant is open to adjusting as needed.
“Treat every (customer) the way you want to be treated,” Ballazhi said. “That's my motto – just do the right thing, treat them good and just keep doing that every day.”
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‘They feel home again’
Inside, customers will find flooring has been updated and Ballazhi said a bar area was removed to make room for booth seating. The cafe can now hold around 85 people.
The community cafe hasn’t changed completely, though. People stopped by even before the business opened and offered to lend a hand, and the business was able to bring back some of the staff members who had worked at Mel’s Cafe.
“They had – quite frankly – a customer base that they were glad to see them back,” Ballazhi said. “And we are happy that they feel home again. Our patrons feel home again.”
Connect with Cassidy Waigand by emailing her at CWaigand@gannett.com or by following her on Twitter at @justxaxwriter.
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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: East Peoria neighborhood restaurant opens as The 520 Cafe
