[Update 4/28/2020: Destihl seems to have departed Champaign.]
Popular downtown brewpub Destihl announced plans to build a new restaurant in southwest Champaign in a Facebook post Tuesday night.
Some fans will be disappointed to learn that Destihl, a family favorite thanks to its unusual kids menu and kid-friendly service, will close in downtown Champaign.
The new location, the Facebook post indicated, will be in the rapidly developing Carle at the Fields complex. It plans to open in summer 2020, according to the announcement. The reason cited for the move: the need to expand, something the restaurant couldn’t do in its current location at M2, centrally located in downtown Champaign at the corner of Neil and Main Streets.
“Other factors in making the move were DESTIHL’s desire for a larger outdoor dining space, so loved by guests at its other locations, and the need for more convenient and ample parking for its growing number of guests, employees and even carry-out & delivery patrons through its new delivery partners,” the announcement reads.
Carle at the Fields is located just south of the Stephens Family YMCA and currently has mainly medical and administrative buildings serving Christie Clinic, Carle, and Health Alliance; apartments, and a Hampton Inn hotel.
DESTIHL won’t be the first restaurant in the complex; another El Toro Mexican restaurant plans to open at Carle at the Fields soon. There’s also Betsy’s Bistro at the Fields, a cafeteria-style facility.
DESTIHL opened in the M2 Building in downtown Champaign in early 2011. Its current lease ends in February 2021.
“… although DESTIHL has an option to renew the M2 lease for another 5-10 years, it has outgrown that space and cannot accommodate the size of private events now being requested at the restaurant,” the announcement reads.
The new DESTIHL Restaurant & Brew Works location will have private dining and event spaces, lakeside patio dining and lounge area, a brewhouse, a separate carry-out entrance, a full bar and more seating than its current location, according to the announcement.
The downtown Champaign restaurant scene continues to change and evolve. Just last month KoFusion made news by announcing it would move out of the One Main building, but plans to go around the corner.
Longtime downtown staple Radio Maria closed in December, as did upscale gourmet bistro Bacaro.
