Bring up the lights: RIBCO is taking center stage with a comeback this winter.
The Rock Island Brewing Co. (RIBCO) at 1815 Second Ave. in Rock Island, commonly known by its acronym, closed in December 2023 when owner Terry Tilka retired following nearly 50 years. Tilka shut off the lights, locked the doors and virtually left the place untouched while it waited for its next chapter.
That sweetened the deal for new owner Zach Edwards, who purchased the building in August. The same tables, chairs and beloved pictures on the wall remain and make RIBCO feel like it was never closed at all.
A Rock Island native, Edwards has been looking for a project for several years and feels he found the perfect one in RIBCO.
“I consider this kind of the first domino in the project, where RIBCO is part of a larger piece of the puzzle for downtown and this being the heart and soul of the downtown of Rock Island with its history, it was important to me to acquire it,” he said. “(I want to) carry a torch for a while and turn this back into a neighborhood and not just an entertainment area that only works between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. but really try to turn this into a downtown, livable, walkable neighborhood for the area.”
The building has been around since the 1880s, he said, with three-foot thick brick walls that have seen many things over the years. One of those is live music, which Edwards plans to bring back when the building opens later this year.
Edwards is working with local music gurus to book bands and is hoping to have a RIBCO house band in the works. Karaoke, a full kitchen and of course, beer, will all be available at RIBCO soon. Edwards said his goal is to create a space where everyone from all walks of life can congregate while also being able to walk from place to place in downtown.
A financial adviser by day, Edwards acknowledged opening in the former District, where only a handful of businesses remain, is a financial gamble, but that’s not quite how he’s viewing it. Last week, while eating dinner outside at Soi 2, the street was completely empty, he said. Ten to 15 years ago, that would have been much different.
“I’m excited about that, actually,” he said. “It’s a blank slate and it’s the best blank slate we possibly could have.”
With the city investing in downtown and bringing people to Schwiebert Park for concerts, Edwards feels there’s already momentum established that will bring crowds to RIBCO. Festivals are slowly making their way back onto the Rock Island streets, too, which fuels the hunger for those looking to spend time downtown.
For those who are hungry for something more, RIBCO will open with a full kitchen offering traditional bar favorites and local beers on tap. The timeline for an official open date is fluid, but plans for a New Year’s Eve bash are already in the works.
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