GIBSON CITY — The Blue Star Café was open seven days a week at 130 N. Sangamon Ave. in downtown Gibson City until a May 11 fire that started two buildings to the north caused the café to close for three weeks.
Owners Abacuc and Rosalina Rodriguez soon leased the former El Rodeo’s Mexican-American Restaurant at 526 S. Sangamon Ave. They reopened there on Monday, June 5.
The Blue Star Café’s new location is two blocks north of the stoplight at the intersection of Illinois 9 and 47, and it is across from a Casey’s store and next to Rick’s Pub. Abundant parking is available north of the one-story, white building with a brown roof.
Members of the Rodriguez family — from left, Abacuc, Rosalina, David and Cuco Rodriguez — pose for a photo recently in the new location of their restaurant — the Blue Star Café — at 526 S. Sangamon Ave. in Gibson City.
David Rodriguez, 22, the owner’s son and one of three cooks, said business since reopening “has been more than we could have asked for.” Rosalina Rodriguez and about six employees take care of customers in the dining room.
The café is getting some new customers, too. David Rodriguez said some have come from as far as Urbana after a television news story aired. Some area natives may even remember that the main part of the restaurant was a laundromat many years ago.
While the Blue Star Café is open every day, customers better plan to eat only breakfast, take a coffee break or enjoy a noon meal because the café closes at 2 p.m. each day. Those wanting a larger meal at lunch might enjoy the full-meal specials section of the menu.
Early-bird patrons can enjoy breakfast beginning at 5 a.m. on weekdays or 6:30 a.m. on Sundays.
David Rodriguez said the building’s owner, Mike Hobbs of Bellflower, was very fair in honoring a one-year lease on the property. El Rodeo’s closed in 2018 after the unexpected death of the husband of co-owner Nailely “Netty” Cavazos.
Cavazos had sold the custom-built round table in her former restaurant to the Rodriguez family. The much-loved round table is now in its original location. Other furnishings, such as 2-year-old booths from the downtown location’s remodel, were salvaged after as many as nine times of thorough cleaning, according to David Rodriguez.
Some additional black metal chairs were ordered because the new location will seat up to 70. A connected room south of the main dining room can accommodate groups if needed.
David Rodriguez says various skillet meals are popular menu items. That is obvious when you hear how Les Marti, a Gibson City tax professional, donated printing costs for new menus the family designed with just one qualification — the menu must still include his favorite item, the “Fear Les” skillet.
The two-sided, two-tone blue menu has one side devoted entirely to breakfast items that are available any time. The café’s lunch menu and specials comprise the other side.
David Rodriguez said that “lunch business is already picking up,” with customer favorites including the Philly cheese steak sandwich and burgers. He said salads, wraps and other specialty sandwiches are also popular.
The Rodriguez family has operated a restaurant in Central Illinois since 2006, beginning in the Watseka and Milford area. In 2016, they moved their family restaurant to the downtown Gibson City building they had purchased in 2008 but had been leasing to another operator.
The downtown location was originally known as Downtown Café but was renamed Blue Star Café by Rodriguez’s lessee. The Rodriguez family decided to keep that name when they began operating in the Gibson City location.
The name, however, can confuse some people because a Blue Star restaurant also recently operated in Fisher that David Rodriguez said was run by their former lessee. That restaurant recently closed.
Abacuc Rodriguez, 52, confirmed word that all three downtown buildings involved in the May 11 fire have been condemned and will be demolished.
But, eventually, diehard fans of the downtown Gibson City location can look forward to its reopening there.
Smiling broadly, Abacuc Rodriguez reported that the Blue Star Café will one day reopen at its downtown location “just like we want it.” He said estimates for demolition were being obtained, but he could not yet provide a timeline for rebuilding.
Abacuc Rodriguez said the Blue Star Café’s downtown location suffered smoke and water damage but did not lose its roof, as the other two more heavily damaged buildings did. He said at least two of the three buildings also shared a main exterior electrical service, so when power had to be cut to one, the café also lost all power.
The Rodriguez family expressed their gratitude for efforts by the volunteer firefighters and other support the family has received after the fire.
David Rodriguez said the family has lived in Central Illinois for many years. He was born in Watseka and graduated from Watseka Community High School in 2019. He has an older sister and brother. Brother Cuco Rodriguez Jr. lives in Chicago but sometimes helps as a cook at the Blue Star Café.
Patrons of Paxton’s downtown Arcade Café may recognize the Rodriguez family name because Arcade owner Nahum Rodriguez is Abacuc Rodriguez’s brother.
People can contact the Blue Star Café at 217-784-4033 or search with #gibsonbluestar for its Facebook page.