Upgrades are underway for the front counter service areas of several Springfield McDonald's recently purchased by Brad Davis.

Renovation work began this week to the fast food outlets at 522 W. Jefferson St. and 3208 Clear Lake Ave. with similar work planned at 861 Toronto Road later this month. The estimated price tag is listed at $35,000 per location, according to building permits filed for the projects.

Davis said the work will focus on reconfiguring space behind the counter to improve operational efficiency.

“We’re bumping the counters out a bit to remodel the front counter area on the staff side to help make things more efficient,” he said, “as well as upgrades to some finishes.”

Davis said the goal is to complete the work with minimal disruption to dine-in service; however, the restaurants might be limited to drive-through service for a short period of time.

Davis purchased six of the seven Springfield McDonald’s locations owned by McGraw Enterprises in February. Prior to that, the McGraw family had been Springfield’s largest McDonald’s franchise operator for three decades.

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Davis also picked up locations at 2100 N. Dirksen Parkway, 3151 S. Dirksen Parkway and 3250 S. Sixth St. Similar renovations are planned for the Sixth Street McDonald’s in August and the North Dirksen Parkway outlet in 2023, he said.

Kim Derringer – who already owned McDonald’s at 3035 Chatham Road and 3420 Freedom Drive – purchased McGraw Enterprises’ final Springfield holding at 2303 W. Monroe St.

The upgrades to the McDonald’s owned by Davis come after McGraw Enterprises overhauled their Springfield properties over the past four years.

Sunrise Cafe has eliminated dinner service for now due to staffing shortages.

New hours are 7 a.m.-2 p.m. daily. Previously, the cafe at 1201 S. Second St. served customers until 8 p.m.

Management said they hope to restore evening hours in the future.

Luminary: Kitchen & Provisions is taking diners on an international tour with its whole hog chef tasting July 23.

The dine-in only event will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the 3121 Hedley Road restaurant. Cost is $80 a person with the option for drink pairings for an additional $20.

Chef Jordan Coffey is transforming everything from the snout to the tail into Cuban-themed mojo pork steam buns, pork tacos birra style, the French-inspired pork spread rillettes with peach jam and Chinese barbecue pork ribs.

Plated selections include hot and spicy udon Asian pork ragu, southern-style smothered country fried pork with spring peas and onions and the spicy Italian pork sausage Nduja served with butter beans, collard greens and gremolata. The porcine theme even found its way into dessert – banana upside-down cake topped with whisky and chocolate-covered bacon.

Still not enough? Patrons can add country fried oysters with potato salad and bacon jam ($16), house-made pepperoni with burrata on flatbread ($15) and rack of ribs with pork salt-dusted fries and house pickles ($25).

The A La Carte column highlights restaurant openings, closing, renovations and relocations, as well as personnel changes and business news. Natalie Morris can be reached at 737-7254 or by email at natalie.sjr@gmail.com.