Rockford’s Sweet Basil Cafe Has Closed—Here’s Why

Just shy of its four-year anniversary of opening in Rockford, Sweet Basil Cafe by the CherryVale Mall has closed for good.

Another Restaurant Says Goodbye to Rockford

As a proud Rockfordian since birth, I hate to see businesses closing, especially when they are locally owned.

In the last few months the Rockford area has said goodbye to Baked Wings, Pomodoro, and Tom Harmer Sports, just to name a few, and now we have to add Sweet Basil Cafe to the closed-for-good list.

Sweet Basil Cafe opened in the former T.G.I. Fridays location on Perryville Road near the CherryVale Mall in June of 2021, and they've endured their fair share of setbacks.

One year after opening for business, in June of 2022, Sweet Basil Cafe Rockford was forced to close for an extended amount of time due to a water main break, and now it seems the building has failed them one final time.

Why Did Sweet Basil Rockford Close?

In early May, Sweet Basil Cafe Rockford was looking to hire more wait staff, and then less than a month later they closed for good? I can't help but wonder what happened.

According to mystateline.com, a sign on Sweet Basil Cafe Rockford's door says;

The building has been sold and the new owners are demolishing the site to make room for a new business opportunity.

What will this new business be? Will it be another restaurant? A Starbucks? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Perhaps one of these businesses we'll make a comeback in Rockford...