PEORIA, Ill. – Six businesses in the Peoria area have now been recognized as some of the best in Illinois.
The six have been named “Illinois Makers” by the state tourism office. The six are:
- George’s Shoeshine and Hatters
- Yordy’s Turkey Farm
- Four30 Scones
- Bear’s Bites
- CxT Coffee Roasters
- Voila Macaroons
Each award winner received a special-made plate to display in their businesses.
Discover Peoria President and CEO J.D. Dalfonso says the six honored this year were nearly half of all businesses that received the designation, and brings the total to 20 in the Peoria area within the past few years.
He says it helps recognize the hard work the entrepreneurs put in to make their businesses great.
“People get to see the smiling faces of those that step into the restaurants, but they don’t see the owners sweating and losing sleep and almost feeling like they’re all going to be lost, only to see that they’ve made it through the last few years, and they continue to thrive,” Dalfonso said.
Dalfonso says being an Illinois Maker also comes with increased opportunities to be promoted by the state tourism office. He says it shows that one does not necessarily need to be a restaurant or a brewery to earn the honor.
George Manias has shined the shoes of governors, mayors, presidents, and everyday people in Peoria for nearly eight decades. He says it’s those people that motivate him to come into work each day at George’s Shoeshine and Hatters on Southwest Adams.
“Friends I have, that’s why I keep going downtown, to see my friends and people I know for years and years and years,” Manias said.
Manias says he’s thankful for all the people who have visited over the years, and that Peoria has been very good to him.
Samm Hutchison’s dogs suffered from food allergies, and she struggled to find food and treats her pets could enjoy. The struggle led her to launch her company, Bear’s Bites in 2018, and went national with the product a couple years later.
“I really just thought I was going to sell some dog treats, help some people with nutrition, and do some farmer’s markets. I never thought we were going to be able to move it out of our home,” Hutchison said.
Hutchison says the most rewarding part of her small business journey has been helping people’s pets improve their health, and without the need of medicines.
