Machesney Park's Route 173 Coffee Stands Showed Up First for a Reason

Rockford Speedway's old track was razed in 2024. Part of that ground at the corner of Speedway and Deery drives now holds a 1,100-square-foot Dutch Bros. It has a dual-lane drive-thru, a walk-up window, a few outdoor seats and no indoor seating at all. A little east on Illinois 173, 7 Brew built its first stand in the region on a former parking lot next to Kohl's.

If you drive West Lane Road every day, you've watched this happen one construction fence at a time. The order of arrival is planned, and it explains what's coming to the corridor in 2027.

The developer explained the order on the record

When Dutch Bros was announced in January, Rock River Current reported that Ryan Fitzgerald, a partner with Shorewood Development Group, said coffee stands draw customers at different peak times than nearby quick-service restaurants. He told the outlet:

"This is one of the few smaller-format tenants that will draw co-tenancy. This will continue to draw national credit co-tenancy across our development."

In that same report, Fitzgerald called Route 173 "one of those prime corridors" where national retailers focus their Rockford-area locations. In plain terms, a drive-thru that's busy at 6 a.m. makes the lot next door more appealing to a restaurant that's busy at noon and 6 p.m. The coffee stand comes first, and the lunch and dinner tenants follow.

That's the lens for everything that opened along this stretch in 2026.

The corridor now opens at 5 a.m.

Before this year, a morning drink on 173 meant a gas station or a detour. The new stops cover nearly the whole day, and each one has its own slot.

7 Brew made its arrival hard to miss. In August, Q98.5 reported free small drinks with no purchase required from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19 and Thursday, Aug. 20, followed by "Pay What You Want" days and swag giveaways. The chain was founded in Rogers, Arkansas, in 2017. Before this stand opened, its closest locations were in Huntley and Algonquin. For a 7 Brew run, Route 173 used to mean a drive of nearly an hour. Now it's a stop on the way to work.

Dutch Bros had hoped to open in late in the third quarter or early in the fourth. Its own location page shows customer reviews from late September, so it hit roughly that window. It's the first Dutch Bros in Loves Park. Fitzgerald said he hoped it would arrive around the same time as a second shop at 7131 E. State St. in Rockford, giving the region a two-store launch so neither location carries all the opening crowds.

Afternoons belong to the sweet-drink stops

Between the morning coffee rush and dinner, the corridor's other drink concepts cover the after-school and mid-afternoon stretch.

Candy Cloud opened its first drive-thru at 1533 W. Lane Road in early June. The business is locally owned and was founded by Alex and Paityn Edwards. The menu leans toward treats: layered ice-cream drinks, boba milk teas, shakes, lemonade and energy drinks, plus grilled cheese and pretzel bites for anyone who needs food with the sugar. It opens at 7 a.m., but closing times have changed since it opened. Rock River Current listed 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends in June. A July report from Rockford News First listed 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Call ahead before a late run.

Fizzy's Soda Shop works on a different model. Haley and Jeff Williams run it from a trailer selling dirty sodas and energy drinks. It held its grand opening on June 27 in the Home Depot parking lot at 1580 W. Lane Road, with regular hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Rockford News First reported in July that the trailer moves around the Stateline and parks most often at the Home Depot lot. A mobile stand's schedule changes once the weather turns, so check where it's parked before you drive over.

The meal tenants are already filling in

Fitzgerald's theory needs restaurants to follow the drinks. The ones that opened this year are clustered along the same two highways.

Charleys Cheesesteaks opened at 1768 W. Lane Road, Suite C, in early June and held its ribbon-cutting on June 5. On North Second Street, Wing Snob opened Oct. 12 in the former Bet EZ video-poker space at 10125 N. Second St. Local franchisee Jay Patel of Machesney Park runs it. The menu covers fresh, never-frozen wings, tenders, seasoned fries, cauliflower wings and chicken sandwiches, and Rock River Current reported that the chicken is hand-cut and marinated for 16 hours.

Further north, Rock River Current reported that Iconic Fungi cut the ribbon in April on a year-round storefront at 11707 N. Second St. It sells mushrooms, teas, tinctures, coffee and related products.

Older storefronts are turning over, too. The former GameStop at 1556 W. Lane Road is now an Xfinity Store, open daily with Sunday hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Speedway Auto Mall closed its 1590 W. Lane Road site on April 1, and the property was later sold to Kunes. The owner said the dealership would move to a smaller site in Machesney Park.

What's queued for 2027

The best evidence that the drink stands are drawing other tenants is a building that sat empty for years. The former Illinois Bank & Trust at 1515 W. Lane Road is being turned into two restaurants.

1. QDOBA and Dave's Hot Chicken, 1515 and 1517 W. Lane Road. First Midwest Group bought the building for $1.1 million on Dec. 31, 2024. An earlier plan to put a cannabis dispensary there never happened. The roughly 5,300-square-foot renovation adds a new drive-thru for QDOBA, an outdoor patio, a new facade and new landscaping. The Village Board's Oct. 19 agenda included an incentive agreement that would rebate 50% of the sales tax the property generates, up to $500,000 or seven years, whichever comes first. The agreement calls for the work to be finished within six months of approval. Both restaurants are planned for 2027.
2. Salamone's, 9901 Orlando St. The restaurant is under contract to buy the former Freddy's and plans to renovate it, with an opening targeted for late 2027.

Village leaders were open about why they want these projects. Speaking to Rock River Current, Kevyn Sherman, assistant to the village administrator, said the bank project "will break up some of the standard looks on (Illinois) 173." Mayor Steve Johnson told the outlet he wants to "attract people from maybe Beloit, Janesville, whatever, to have a destination of Machesney Park."

The village is also thinking about the whole corridor, beyond single buildings. At an August public hearing covered by Rockford News First, residents spoke on a proposed business district around the Route 251 and Route 173 intersection. It could add up to 1% in sales tax, collected in quarter-percent steps, to help pay for redevelopment.

Putting the new corridor to use this season

These openings make a different kind of Saturday possible for people who live nearby: an early 7 Brew or Dutch Bros run before errands, Charleys or Wing Snob for lunch, and Candy Cloud when the kids start asking. The holiday season gives you an evening reason to be on these roads, too. The joint Light Up the Parks celebration is Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026, starting at 5:30 p.m., with tree lightings, fireworks, Santa and a parade. The parade route starts at Loves Park City Hall and ends at Machesney Park Town Center. If you want a hot drink for the parade, the stands along 173 are still open at that hour.

If you own a home near Route 173 or North Second Street and want to know how all this activity shows up in your property's value, Teresa Skridla follows these changes closely and can walk you through the numbers for your address. Request Your Free Home Valuation.