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MAHOMET — As Mahomet continues to grow, two new restaurants on the village’s east side are slated to make their debut this fall.
Hacienda Rebollo, located at 1802 Patton Drive in Tabeling Development’s Vision South subdivision, expects to open within a couple of months, while Briks Pizzeria, across the street at 1705 Patton Drive, is planning for an October opening.
“We hope to get (Hacienda Rebollo) open by the last week of August,” said owner Felipe Rebollo, who is also the general manager at Los Zarapes in Mahomet and Hacienda Agave in Champaign. “But if not, we shall be between the last week of August and the middle of September.”
He added that before Hacienda Rebollo can open, there is still work to be done on the interior, such as painting, flooring and finishing the kitchen.
Rebollo described the business as a “Mexican modern” restaurant.
“We’ve been here in Mahomet for a long time,” he said. “And we’ve been given really good support from the community. ... We’re trying to make something nicer so that way, people have options.”
As for Briks, Kim Kellenberger, who owns the restaurant with husband Neal, said they’re “getting pretty close” to finishing the inside of the building, which will then be followed by a preliminary inspection by the health department.
“We are planning to open sometime this fall,” she said. “We’re shooting for October.”
The Kellenbergers have gone all in on the concept and imported a 5,700-pound brick oven from Italy that is already in place — and waiting to be unwrapped once the dust settles from construction, Kim said.
She said the oven can reach about 800 degrees Fahrenheit and cook pizzas in approximately 90 to 120 seconds.
“Basically, we built the place around it,” Neal said. “It’s going to be the centerpiece of what we do.”
In addition to the interior work, the Kellenbergers said there is also a lot of work left on the building’s exterior, which will include not only parking spaces and a covered patio with outdoor seating, but also an enclosed turf area with fire pits, play structures and games.
The couple said their intent is to create an environment where friends and families feel welcome to come and stay awhile.
When asked what inspired them to start Briks, Kim said she’s been a stay-at-home mom for many years and their youngest is going into first grade this year.
“When I went to look at what I was going to do next, me and Neal are just super business-minded and entrepreneurial,” she said. “And so we kind of gathered up what we think the area needs — Mahomet, Champaign-Urbana, the surrounding areas. What’s something we feel like we would love?”
“We love brick-oven pizza,” Neal said.
Also, as the parents of six children, they wanted to create a restaurant that accommodates larger families as Mahomet continues to grow, Kim said.
“We feel like Mahomet needs a place like this,” she said.
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