Former Smokey Bones in Rockford Is Vacant

Closure of Smokey Bones in Rockford

Smokey Bones in Rockford is officially done. Their location on East State Street, inside the former Lone Star Steakhouse, now houses another former restaurant.

The Restaurant Life Cycle: Cursed or Coincidence?

Is the location cursed, or is it just one of those things? Smokey Bones made it six years at 6690 East State Street, and when you consider 51% of restaurants don't make it past five years, you could say it was coming eventually.

Google Street View, Canva

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Community Input: What’s Next for the Space?

While we're bummed Smokey Bones is closing up shop, we are wondering what is next for the building, so we asked, "What restaurant do you want to see take its place?" Here are the ten most popular answers:

Tumbleweed
Trader Joes
Lone Star
Cooper's Hawk
Ponderosa
Prime Quarter
Cheddars
Cheesecake Factory
White Castle
KFC

Nostalgia and Hope: The Future of Dining in Rockford

I loved these answers because most of them are places that long closed in Rockford. The thought of bringing back a once-failed restaurant to town is hilarious, but I lowkey would like a KFC to come back.

Anyway, it might all be a moot point, as the parent company of Smokey Bones has been considering converting failed locations into Twin Peaks. In case you're wondering, Twin Peaks is like Tilted Kilt and Hooters. Two restaurants in Rockford are both out of business. Fingers crossed the new tenant in the former Smokey Bones makes it for the long haul.