'Give it one more go': Bartonville restaurant reopens with a new menu and lower prices

Cassidy Waigand, Peoria Journal Star
·4 min read
The Bassette family, from left, Randy, Debbie, their son Gabriel and his daughter Sara, 2, have run The BillBoard Bistro in Bartonville since 2019 and recently reopened after a short hiatus to completely revamp their menu.
The Bassette family, from left, Randy, Debbie, their son Gabriel and his daughter Sara, 2, have run The BillBoard Bistro in Bartonville since 2019 and recently reopened after a short hiatus to completely revamp their menu.

Over the past few months, The BillBoard Bistro has been working through a delicate balancing act — figuring out how to keep up with costs while also meeting customer expectations and needs.

The challenge reached a tipping point in late July, when the Bartonville restaurant temporarily closed its doors to "regroup." Just over a month later, the family business reopened.

“We’ve tried to lower everything on the menu at least by a dollar, if not more,” said Debbie Bassette, co-owner and secretary.

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What led to the temporary closure?

Bassette opened The BillBoard Bistro with her husband and son in August 2019. She said business boomed after the restaurant was featured on a local TV news segment.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a stumbling block, forcing businesses across the nation to temporarily shut down. Even so, the family-run business made it through.

Earlier this year, though, Bassette said the restaurant was forced to grapple with a new challenge.

"I'd say the last six to eight months, everything has just doubled in price," Bassette said.

Bassette said the increases have affected everything from food costs to energy bills. And, eventually, the restaurant’s ability to operate was also threatened. To combat the rising costs, Bassette said the family decided to increase the prices on their menu.

It was a decision, she said, “that killed” the business.

Though there were people who understood and supported the decision, Bassette said many of the restaurant’s customers were upset about the price hikes. She said this translated to a drastic drop in business.

"So, we decided, instead of quitting, we wanted to give it one more go," Bassette said. "And our tenderloin is basically our best seller. And so, we decided to kind of build our menu around the tenderloin."

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How has the menu at BillBoard Bistro changed?

Two freshly-prepared orders of "Mama's Tenderloin" sit on a table in the kitchen at The BillBoard Bistro in Bartonville. The eatery recently revamped its menu to focus more on different varieties of tenderloins. The "Mama's Tenderloin" is a smaller version of the giant tenderloin.
Two freshly-prepared orders of "Mama's Tenderloin" sit on a table in the kitchen at The BillBoard Bistro in Bartonville. The eatery recently revamped its menu to focus more on different varieties of tenderloins. The "Mama's Tenderloin" is a smaller version of the giant tenderloin.

Tenderloins: While the tenderloin dish has been a popular menu item, Bassette said customers have asked if any smaller options were available to order. The original size stretches past the sandwich bun and to the edges of the plate.

The menu at BillBoard Bistro now features a wide range of tenderloin options, including:

  • Papa’s tenderloin for $15.99

  • Mama’s tenderloin for $8.99

  • The Family T-Loin Platter for $24.99, which says it will feed up to four people.

  • Candied bacon tenderloin for $11.49

  • Sloppy coleslaw tenderloin for $10.49

Tenderloin can also be included in other dishes, like the horseshoe or the garden salad, and can be served as a T-Loin bites appetizer for $8.99.

Specials: Customers at The BillBoard Bistro can also find daily specials.

Bassette said the restaurant has offered a tenderloin Tuesday before but said the Thursday lasagna special is new to the restaurant. Both deals – along with a fried chicken meal on Wednesday – are $12.49. A 1 lb. catfish with fries and coleslaw costs $14.49 on Friday and Saturday.

Illinois-based soda: Bassette said that while the restaurant continues to offer fountain drinks for $3.50, it has added 12 oz Excel Bottling sodas for $2.50.

The brand is based in Breese, Illinois, and drinks are made using pure cane sugar. Flavors include Diet Ski, Ski Original, Lucky Club Cola, Frostie Root Beer and more.

Removed items: The restaurant cut its hamburgers and steaks from the menu.

For Bassette, one fundamental aspect of the restaurant is that all the menu items are homemade from scratch. "We don’t even have a microwave in our kitchen," she said.

So, in the end, Bassette said her family did not want to sacrifice the quality of their ingredients.

"We could keep hamburgers, but we’d have to go to frozen, and we didn't want to do that. So, to keep quality, we just took it off our menu,” she said. “We hope to bring it back one day if prices go down."

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The Billboard Bistro at 801 McKinley Avenue in Bartonville has reopened for business after closing to revamp their menu.
The Billboard Bistro at 801 McKinley Avenue in Bartonville has reopened for business after closing to revamp their menu.

Connect with The BillBoard Bistro

Address: 801 McKinley Ave, Bartonville

Phone: (309) 839-1156

Hours: Closed Sunday and Monday. Open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; open for dinner 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billboardbistro

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bistro in Bartonville restaurant reopens with updated menu, pricing