Rockford is still nostalgic for these former local brands

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – Many Rockford residents are old enough to remember places like the Ing Skating Palace, the Last Straw ice cream parlor and restaurant, even Kiddieland.

Although those businesses have been gone for many years, they still have a special place in the hearts of stateline residents.

“You can’t beat those days,” said Jeff Antinucci, a third-generation cobbler who now owns Charles Street Shoe Repair.

Growing up, Antinucci remembers eating dinner at places like the Branding Iron and shopping for groceries at Hilander. Both businesses closed years ago. But, they still live on.

“It’s just nostalgic,” Antinucci said. “It brings back the memories. Because everything now is just chain stuff. And to get that family, individual attention and personal touch, you can’t beat it.”

Keith Watson, of Rockford, says some old Rockford brands are more important to certain people.

“Everyone has a different favorite,” Watson said. “It depends on what era you grew up in.”

Some local residents really miss Bishop’s Buffet while others fondly remember K’s Merchandise and Cubby O’Brien’s, Watson said.

Watson and his wife, Amy, specialize in preserving as much Rockford nostalgia as possible. The couple owns the Bygone Brand , a business that sells T-shirts and other items dedicated to the past.

“Geri’s Hamburgers has been big,” Watson said. “Of course, the Rockford Peaches has been big ever since the movie in the ‘90s and the resurgence because of the International Women’s Baseball Center.”

And then there are Rockford’s old bowling alleys, bars, factories and other small businesses. Watson says each one takes people back to simpler times.

“Things you did with your dad, things you did with your wife, or your first date or your fist kiss at the drive-in or something like that,” he said. “It’s kind of fun to hear everybody’s story.”

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