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Daily Illini Buzz, March 2001

Back Off the Chain Gang

By Jennifer Atchison, Ellen Steele

The Courier is situated on a quiet part of Race Street in Urbana in a red brick building.

The Courier Cafe does not do any major advertising. The popularity of the restaurant over the past twenty years proves a flashy, chain-like ad isn't necessary. Allen Strong, owner of the Courier Cafe, calls word of mouth the best kind of advertising.

We work hard to earn word of mouth," Strong says seriously.

The good word about the Courier has given the restaurant almost a cult status. Customers feel like it is their own little secret. They have discovered something special. And they go back again.

The Courier is situated on a quiet part of Race Street in Urbana in a red brick building with distinguishable blue awnings. The interior is a throwback to the early twentieth century with its patterned wallpaper, tall wooden booths and chairs, and the antiques that surround the dining room. On description alone, the Courier doesn't seem like a place that would be frequented by college students, but it is, and its customers span generations and various occupations.

"It has broad appeal," Strong says. He also says it is like three different restaurants: mornings are dedicated to business people, students come in the afternoon and the two share the dining room at dinner.

"It works on many different levels for people," Strong says.

The wide variety of food choices lets the Courier cater to everyone. There are homemade soups, hamburgers, different sandwiches, quesadillas, ice cream, vegetarian selections and a great salad bar.

Gary O'Brien, assistant director at Assembly Hall, calls the milkshakes and corned beef his favorite items on the menu. O'Brien is a regular at the Courier. What started as a good place to meet with friends became a weekly Wednesday tradition for O'Brien. He cites the local flavor, good food, and inexpensive menu as reasons why he enjoys the Courier Cafe.

"You get tired of the chains after a while," O'Brien adds.

And not being a chain could be one of the greatest attributes to the Courier's success. Several chain restaurants built in the Champaign-Urbana area have filled their eateries with memorabilia that has no ties to the community. The decor in chains is often faceless and without character.

But the Courier Cafe has a history.

Before the current building was erected for a newspaper, a log cabin stood on the same land. The two-room cabin was the first building in the town now known as Urbana.

But the restaurant got its name from the Courier newspaper, which published the Champaign County Herald. The news publication started at a location on South Race Street, but relocated to the current location of the Courier Cafe in 1916. The Courier Newspaper ran out of the building for several decades until 1979, surviving a fire in the 1950's. For a short time, the building was home to the Chicago Sun-Times and syndicated columnist George Will.

The history has been ingrained in the culture of the community. It is something Strong is most proud of. Strong says running the restaurant is a creative outlet for him. He says that in chain businesses, one must move through the echelon of corporate structure to make changes, but for him it is an independent decision.

Deciding what will be on the menu and what decorations will adorn the dining room is up to Strong and the other employees of the Courier. Some employees have been there for twenty years, since the beginning of the restaurant. It is part of their lifestyle, just as customers often tell Strong the Courier is part of their lifestyle.

Walker Neisman has a chocolate/peanut butter shake at the Courier Cafe. The Courier also has homemade soups, hamburgers, sandwiches, quesadillas, ice cream, vegetarian selections and a salad bar.

What brings people to the Courier is that there is something for everyone and it is an independent business. Strong believes there are three factors his restaurant strives for to make it a favorite of everyone. First is the food. He says the Courier has a commitment to quality when it comes to the food they serve. The breads are baked fresh daily, almost everything is made from scratch, and the food is served in generous portions. The employees use a saying that comes from a Bill Clinton quote on the economy: "It's the food, stupid. The food.

The second factor is the service, which is always friendly and accommodating. And lastly, there is the ambience with The Courier's unique antiques and cozy feel.

What has kept the Courier Cafe a constant success and cult favorite is the overall quality.

"I always figure if we do good on quality and food service, we'll always be profitable," Strong says.

That is something everyone who visits the Courier Cafe can appreciate. A regular like O'Brien makes it simple when he says, "It's a cool place."