Golf courses, a bar and grill, a restaurant and a popcorn and sweet shop—while that sounds like someone’s list of things to do on their vacation, it’s actually Pete Clarno’s resume!
Pete’s had a somewhat unusual working life—for 34 years he was a golf course superintendent, then in 2012 he opened up his own bar and grill on Galena Road, The No Wake Zone Bar and Grill.
When that ran its course after five years, he became the Project Coordinator and General Manager for Oliver’s in the Heights Restaurant and after that it was back to the golf course and he was a Crew Member at The Pekin Country Club for two years.
So it only makes sense that his next move would be to open his family-owned and operated popcorn and sweet shop: Popcorn Works & Sweet Shop in Peoria Heights.
Okay, it doesn’t really make any sense at all, but this is why I like Pete, he actually makes my life look somewhat normal and that’s not easy to do!
Let’s go check out the shop and say hi to Pete “Popcorn” Clarno!
Here we are at Popcorn Works and sweet shop in Peoria Heights and it’s now open!
We’re welcomed by the Gnome…I love it when that happens!
Okay, let’s go inside and see what’s happening in this new popcorn and sweets emporium!
Wow, it’s so nice in here! Really open and bright and this is an historical building in Peoria Heights.
It was known as The Pump Room and it was a depression era building that has been long since abandoned.
Cheers to Pete and his family for bringing it back to life via this popcorn shop.
And speaking of Pete, here he is!
How cool that he’s opened up this popcorn and sweets shop in this historical building that had been abandoned for decades.
It’s great that Pete and his family are bringing it back alive and it’s always fabulous to see him and catch up on how life is treating us!
Here’s some of the treats that are on display at this new popcorn, sweets and gift shop.
There’s lots of freshly-baked popcorn in here, with a unique selection that you’ve never seen at a candy or popcorn shop anywhere, check out these interesting and delicious sounding flavors…
Wow, these are really unique and wonderful flavors of popcorn! They make all of them right here at the shop.
I have to try out the Mac ’N Cheese popcorn before I die, that just sounds incredible!
There’s also flavorful candy treats on sale here at this newly-opened popcorn shop. Sweet!
Here’s a familiar face I ran into, it’s our friend Farmer Ted and he showed me an update on his Star Wars themed garage.
We’ll be showcasing that in 2022! Great to see Ted again!
There’s a downstairs room that’s going to be used as a party room in the future.
This will be perfect for birthday parties, graduation events and even bachelorette parties as an after-hours event!
Here’s the walk-in kitchen area that’s open to the public to watch the popcorn being popped and to hang out in.
Pete pointed outside to the patio area…
And we ventured out there.
As you can see, this is going to be a nice outdoor spot for the upcoming spring and summer time!
Events will be hosted outside here as well as the downstairs room.
A team from the PJ Star were there to do a story on the Popcorn Works and of course I had to do a dueling photo with longtime PJ Star photographer Matt Dayhoff.
I also had to retell my story about how an asshole/bitch/fuck/cunt editor told me that you don’t just walk in off the street and write for the Peoria Journal Star when I went there to try and do freelance writing for them back in 1989! It’s one of the most insulting and infuriating fucking things that’s ever been said to me and I’ll never ever forget it!
The punchline to that story is that I was able to move to New York in 1993 and write for the NY Post, NY Daily News, NY Newsday, Time Out New York, Manhattan Spirit and the NY Press among others, but I just couldn’t walk in off the street and write for the fucking Peoria Journal Star.
So even though I’m friends with a lot of the writers, editors and photographers at the Peoria Journal Star, I still need to always say this: “Fuck the Peoria Journal Star!”
Cheers to the Pekin Daily Times, the first newspaper who paid me to write for them back in the day! It was that newspaper that led me to my writing career and experience in New York City for over 19 years!
I’ve probably told or thought about this every day since it happened back in 1989! Sweet obsession!
While walking around in this new shop, I ran into my friend Amy here!
Amy and I have been friends since we both went to Bergan High School together and I always love it when our paths cross!
She’s looking fabulous as always and it was nice see her and to catch up with her! She’s one of the nicest people in the world!
Here’s Pete with his daughter, Stephanie who handles the shop arrangement and event help. This is a family run business and Pete owns it with his wife, Linda and his other daughter, Erica is the day-to-day operations manager.
Tabatha is the popcorn master and the creator of all the flavors in the shop.
Stop by and check out this fun new flavorful business in the Peoria Heights and help this family dream come true! It’s a brand spanking new local family business that deserves our support!
You can buy your popcorn and/or sweets online and go to the drive-up window and not even have to leave your car!
Good luck to Pete, Linda and his daughters on this wonderful start to a new local family-owned business! Sweet dreams are made of this!
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1203 E. Kingman Avenue
Peoria Heights
309-369-7856
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Related Post: A Year In The Life Of A Sandwich @: No Wake Zone.