Trifecta Of New Restaurants Open In 1 Day In Downtown Aurora

AURORA, IL — Three new Aurora restaurants celebrated their grand openings with ribbon-cutting ceremonies Friday. Each is within a short distance of the others, all right off the Fox River.

Ceremonies for Alice's Corner, Kathryn's Place and Craft Urban Aurora each took place within an hour of each other. Mayor Richard Irvin, Chamber of Commerce staff and Aurora Economic Development Council partners were present at each event.

The first restaurant to open was Alice's Corner, located at 37 W. New York St. The eatery is not only Aurora's first Bolivian restaurant but also the first full-service Bolivian restaurant in Illinois, according to Chief Communications Officer Clayton Muhammad.

Some may already be familiar with Alice's Corner's food, as owner Alicia Butron has served her popular empanadas at the Aurora Farmers Market for nearly a decade. Now, she and her husband, Oscar, have opened their first storefront to serve a variety of cuisines native to Bolivia.

Next up was a 5:30 p.m. celebration for Kathryn's Place, at 61 S. Stolp Ave. Owned by Quinton Thompson, who also owns the adjacent QT3 Fitness Center, Kathryn's Place, named after the owner's late mother, focuses on juices and healthy dishes, including acai bowls and protein shakes.

Craft Urban, at 41 S. Stop Ave., opened just down the street from Kathryn's Place. Serving American fare and handcrafted cocktails, the eatery is restauranteur Bernie Laskowski's second after seeing success with Craft Urban in Geneva. The two-story restaurant is complete with an outside dining patio.