It's Your Business I UI student launches health-food café in Campustown

Email business news to Jana Wiersema at jwiersema@news-gazette.com .

During her first year at the University of Illinois, Vidhi Chavda had a hard time finding healthy options for meals and snacks.

"I think health is really important, making sure that you stay fit, making sure you're eating healthy," she said. "... Dining hall food, I know, as a freshman, was really hard. Even now, something just grab and go is easier."

Her solution? Starting her own Campustown business, Elite Chambana. The cafe at 202 E. Green St., Suite A will serve shakes, "refreshers," protein coffee, protein oats and smoothie bowls.

Chavda hopes to open in one and a half to two months. The timeline will depend on how long it takes to receive the necessary approvals and get the space, which is currently untouched, furnished and ready for business.

Chavda was inspired and mentored by Elevate, a similar business in her hometown of Bartlett that she described as a "sister location."

"It's not a franchise," she clarified. "It's just kind of family-owned. It's more like they're a family, and I'm just now a part of it. I kind of walked in one day and was like, 'I'd like to open one.'"

Chavda, now in her sophomore year, is studying mechanical engineering and entrepreneurship. She's had help launching the business from peers who are studying marketing, business and computer science.

"It's really a growing community where everybody has a part, and I really like that," she said.

When asked about future career goals, Chavda replied, "I think I definitely have an entrepreneurship mindset. And I see myself expanding hopefully Elite in the future, having multiple of these in different college campuses and spreading the word. But also, my dream goal is to own my own car company."

Rantoul restaurant presents a mix of cuisines

Flavor Fusion, located at 108 N. Garrard St., opened on Sept. 25, according to co-owner Marisol Obispo. The restaurant's menu includes chicken, smash burgers, pasta and tacos.

Obispo, who owns the business with her brother, Gustavo, said they are still waiting on their liquor license.

When asked what inspired them to open Flavor Fusion, she said, "We've been working for a long time in the restaurant (industry), and then we decided to do something for ourselves."

Bloomington business buys Champaign dealership

The former Hendershot Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership has been acquired by the Sam Leman Automotive Group.

According to county records, Leman Investments, LLC purchased the property at 1906 Moreland Blvd from H&S Dealership Properties for $5.5 million on Aug. 29.

"We had the opportunity to buy Hendershot Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram, and that was kind of it," said Daniel Cervantes, who oversees sales operations at the auto group's 10 locations. "We sat down with the owner, ownership to ownership — I was not involved in that — and they came to an agreement."

The purchase marks the Sam Leman Automotive Group's first expansion into the Champaign area, he said. The business also operates six dealerships in Bloomington, two in Peoria and one in Morton.

Sam Leman Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Champaign had its first full month of business in September.

"It's going great," Cervantes said. "We're rocking and rolling. We have doubled our sales from the previous month."

He added that they retained all of the dealership's employees.

Since taking over the business, the auto group has added inventory, as well as a few new sales professionals and an additional manager, Cervantes said. He added that they'll likely be hiring more people in the near future.

"We're doing a bunch of updating to the dealership," he said. "We are advertising to the local market, as well as we are advertising nationally our inventory. ... That's currently what's in the works. There'll be more in the future. We'll be expanding this dealership, building on, adding on to the service department."

Farm Credit celebrates new Mahomet annex

Farm Credit Illinois held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Mahomet regional office annex at 1100 Farm Credit Drive on Tuesday.

The 17,600-square-foot annex houses 63 employees and has several meeting spaces, including a large room that can accommodate up to 70 people and will be "available to the local agricultural community," Farm Credit officials said. Staff have been working out of the building since Sept. 1.

"The new facility positions the Mahomet regional office team to serve a growing number of farm family, landowner, and agribusiness cooperative members," Farm Credit officials said. "The Mahomet team currently serves more than 960 farm families in Champaign, Douglas, Ford, Piatt, and Vermilion Counties with about $710 million of loan volume and more than 236,500 acres of crop insurance coverage."