🍽️💔 Two local restaurants say goodbye

Some less-than-stellar local business news put a damper on an otherwise gorgeous summer weekend in the Tri-Cities.

Craft Urban Geneva

Craft Urban announced on Friday that they’ll be closing their Geneva location at 211 James Street after eight years in business.

Known for its colorful mural and tasty comfort food, Craft Urban was a popular destination for brunch by morning/early afternoon and award-winning cocktails later in the evening. In a farewell message, the owners thanked the local community, longtime patrons, and staff, noting that while the James Street location is closing, the Craft Urban brand will continue.

“We aren’t finished,” they wrote.

The team will now focus efforts on Craft Urban Aurora, Catering by Craft Urban, and Le Cochon Bistro, a new-ish French-inspired concept just up the street from the same ownership group. More projects may be in the works as well.

Tap House Grill — St. Charles

Tap House Grill — the suburban chain with a friendly neighborhood pub vibe — closed its St. Charles location on Sunday night.

Tap House Grill operated at 3341 W. Main Street for 20 years, serving as a low-key spot for burgers, wings, and an extensive craft beer menu. Social media commenters seemed quite bummed out by the announcement.

The message did not mention any specific reason for the closure. Tap House Grill’s Oswego location closed earlier this year.

Their locations in Deerfield, Lemont, and Palatine remain open.

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✨ Joyride moments, powered by Valor Carts

When Valor Carts rolled into the Rising Lights Garden Club last week, the smiles blossomed immediately.

Rising Lights Project offers a supportive community for individuals with disabilities — and riding in a Valor Cart turned a special garden day into something even more memorable. Whether it’s at a community event, at the family cabin, or in your own neighborhood, Valor Carts have a knack for creating joyride experiences.

View a video recap of the heartwarming outing.

Are you “cart curious?” I recommend a test drive at their Batavia showroom — they’re a blast.

📰 News to use

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☑️ Grove groundbreaking: Construction has begun on the first residential lots at The Grove in Sugar Grove, a controversial 760-acre development that will eventually include neighborhoods, a town center, and a business park.

☑️ River tragedy: The body of 25-year-old Taylor Russell was recovered from the Fox River in St. Charles last week, two days after he went missing while kayaking near Ferson Creek. Investigators say another boat was likely involved.

🔒 Zoning debate: A new nature-based private school called Headwaters Academy is looking for approval to open on a residential farm lot in Campton Hills, but some neighbors are raising concerns about traffic, noise, and land use.

☑️ Knife attack: A 39-year-old St. Charles woman has been charged with attempted murder after police say she stabbed another woman multiple times last week at an apartment on Walnut Drive.

☑️ Fiscal fixes: Facing a $28M budget shortfall, the Kane County Board Finance Committee is recommending major spending cuts across departments while weighing tax increases and revenue shifts to balance the 2026 budget.

☑️ Plan for detours: Work has begun to resurface Prairie Street in St. Charles and is expected to be completed before school starts (follow updates here).

☑️ Pool season: This will be the final weekend of the season for the Quarry swimming pool in Batavia, while Tuesday (8/12) will be the last day for Swanson Pool in St. Charles. Sunset Pool in Geneva will remain open through August.

🏘️ In the community

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☑️ Local history: The latest video in a local history series explores the path and legacy of the Fox River trolley through St. Charles, tracing its role in shaping the city alongside other historic rail lines. Check out the interesting video.

☑️ By the numbers: CMAP released new Community Data Snapshots for every municipality in the region (including Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles), offering up-to-date stats on housing, income, and other demographics. Look up your community.

☑️ Blooms at Beith: A group of local volunteers brought new life to the historic Beith House in St. Charles by planting a native garden out front, now thriving and in bloom along the Fox River Trail.

🔒 Story time: Geneva-based children’s author Ron Keres has released his fifth Finn the Frog book — called “This Book Is Viral!” — a playful story that teaches empathy through humor and continues his popular self-published series.

☑️ Cash & H2O savings: Kane County recently launched an efficient smart sprinkler pilot program that aims to help residents and businesses save on their water bills while reducing usage. See if it makes sense for you.

☑️ Gifted guidance: I sheepishly admit that I was unaware of Vanguard Gifted Academy at 1078 E. Wilson St. in Batavia until I learned recently that the institution had appointed a new Head of School following a national search. Read about the transition.

🎸 Live music

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The local forecast for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday is essentially identical: 80s and sunny. Ideal for some outdoor evening live music in the middle of the week.

🤝 Local biz

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☑️ Development kicks off: MWI Property Group broke ground on a massive new 211-acre business park in Geneva that will add 2.5 million square feet of industrial space and extend Kautz Road to improve corridor access.

☑️ Handbag trade-in: The Little Traveler is offering up to $50 off a new Brighton handbag when shoppers donate a gently used purse by August 10 to benefit local women through World Relief DuPage County.

✳️ Local favorite, national buzz: In case you missed it…Urban Artisan’s fantastic Pope Leo XIV gear has been grabbing attention here in town — so much so that CNN has taken notice. See the national segment that spotlights the popular Geneva shop.

👍 Easy local marketing: When you’re busy running a business, it’s easy to let marketing fall to the bottom of the list. But with targeted local ads in Tri-Cities Central, you get your message in front of thousands of engaged readers (design and copywriting included). Check out our sponsorship opportunities.

🗞️ Un-classifieds

☑️ Local home sales: See recent property sales for Kane County — including this luxurious $1.35M home in Batavia’s Tanglewood subdivision.

☑️ Local obits: Recent obituaries posted by Tri-Cities funeral homes. In addition, former Fermilab Director John Peoples Jr. (a key figure in the lab’s legacy) passed away on June 25 at age 92.

☑️ City meetings:

• Monday (8/4): Batavia City Council Meeting (agenda)

• Monday (8/4): Geneva City Council Meeting (agenda)

• Monday (8/4): St. Charles City Council Meeting (agenda)

☑️ Police reports: View police reports and arrest logs for Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles and Campton Hills.

🗓️ Events & Things to Do

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☑️ Campton Square Farmers Market | Every Wed, 8AM-1PM | LaFox Road, Campton Hills | Another weekly local farmers market worth checking out.

🎟️ Boundary Setting Without the Breakdown | Wed 8/6, 6-8PM | Torus Center, Batavia | Learn boundary-setting tools while enjoying “Dinner with the Dames.”

🎟️ Hops, Homestead & Honey Farm Dinner | Wed 8/6, 6PM | Heritage Prairie Farm, Elburn | Locally sourced food, beer from Obscurity Brewing…sounds delightful.

🎟️ Mori Lamp Terrarium | Wed 8/6, 6:30-8:30PM | Sturdy Shelter, Batavia | Build a fully functional, elegant tabletop mini-forest terrarium from the ground up.

☑️ Be You Rock Hunt | Fri 8/8, 8AM-Ongoing | Downtown STC | Discover rocks hidden around town for a chance to win prizes.

☑️ 7th Annual Rusty Rodeo | Sat 8/9, 10AM-12PM | STC & N. Aurora | Help naturalists remove invasive crayfish from the Fox River — and win prizes.

📖 Thanks for reading

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