Caribbean Grill Restaurant Space Listed for Sale
August 17, 2023
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois (August 17, 2023) — After 5 years in business at their South Neil Street, Champaign restaurant location, Caribbean Grill is set to officially cease operations and has listed its restaurant space — leasehold improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment — for sale. The real estate property is not for sale.
For the unfamiliar, Caribbean Grill is an independently Black-owned quick service restaurant, specializing in authentic Jamaican inspired cuisine. It has become a staple and fan favorite on the local community dining scene, ever since the brand’s first Taste of Champaign-Urbana Festival appearance more than a decade ago.
“People have been asking, wondering, hoping when Caribbean Grill would re-open,” Owner and Executive Chef Mike Harden says. “We are so proud to have been so embedded in the fabric of the Champaign-Urbana community since starting out in 2010. We’ve been blessed to run a strong, profitable business, even through the challenging pandemic times.”
While the news may come as a shock for many, it was a difficult decision for Harden to make. He explains, “I didn’t seriously consider closing for good and selling the restaurant space until about 2 months ago. My goal was always to return better.”
For Harden, those plans changed along the way. In part, after pivoting towards social media and having success in building his personal brand ‘@chefmikehard.’ Harden shares recipes of all cuisines across his social media platforms with a following greater than 150,000 enthusiastic supporters.
With the restaurant space being for sale, Harden hopes that some aspiring or experienced food entrepreneur will come in and bring their unique concept to life. “It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to find a turnkey restaurant space in pristine condition and a prime location for sale this way. I wish I would have had a chance like this when I was starting out!”
The burning question still remains of what will be next for Caribbean Grill. While Harden does not reveal any immediate plans, he does share that “Right now my focus is on completing sale of the business. Caribbean Grill as a brand is not finished though, because next time I won’t be starting from scratch, I’ll be starting from experience.”
Sale of the restaurant space will include all leasehold improvements, furniture, fixtures, and equipment. The real estate property is not for sale. The Caribbean Grill name along with all of it’s original recipes will remain in the hands of Harden.
Interested parties may contact Shannon Collins of Emerald Partners, an affiliate of Green Street Realty: (217) 493-3776 shannon.collins@greenstrealty.com. Listing information: www.crexi.com/properties/1206754/illinois-caribbean-grill.
Guests with unused gift cards may contact the business for more information via email at info@caribbeangrill.net or online at www.caribbeangrill.net/contact.
Contact:
Mike Harden
info@caribeangrill.net
www.caribbeangrill.net/contact