A New Taste of Culture is Coming to Peoria
An elevated dining experience is coming to Peoria IL. Reservations will open in early fall 2024 at 718 W Glen Ave (formerly The Spotted Cow)., promising a variety of flavors from around the world and an atmosphere incomparable to Peoria’s current restaurant options. Whether you are out for a date night or looking for a welcoming atmosphere to meet new, exciting people, Reservations will surely meet your dining experience needs. With signature cocktails and menu options ranging from fine dining to cultural tastes from India or the Caribbean, each visit promises a new experience for your taste buds.
Jeremy Washum, founder and head chef of Reservations, has always had a deep-rooted passion for creating innovations in the kitchen. He spent his earlier years working in various roles in the restaurant industry nationwide. The more he learned about food, the more he wanted to create and share new flavors with others. The most influential mentor in his culinary career, David Larkworthy of the former 5 Seasons Brewing Company in Atlanta, GA., was a chef he worked under who took the time to develop his skills to match his passions.
In 2020, Washum was living in Atlanta, where he built a business plan and began the LLC process to brand Reservations private dining and catering services. He had already started offering in-home private dining, quickly followed by expanding to provide catering services. This side business helped him bring in additional income to combat the unexpected challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reservations, beginning as a solo mission to capitalize off his passion for culinary arts, quickly became a dream come true when he moved back to Peoria and realized the potential to pursue this dream full-time in 2022.
Washum’s popularity multiplied, with most of his clientele being the product of word-of-mouth recommendations. He began to grow his team, which now consists of 4-5 reliable staff members. Through many of his catering services for public events in the local government circle, such as the Lights On program for School District 150 and the Black Chamber of Commerce’s welcoming ceremony of its annual convention, he began to develop partnerships with other small businesses in the community and Reservations was scaling faster than he could keep up. He began searching for funding to grow with the rising need for more space and equipment, which led him to connect with Chris Youngmark (then Assistant SBDC Director), his mentor, with the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Bradley (SBDC). (Chris is currently the Director of Peoria NEXT Innovation Center, Peoria IL)
Even though Washum had much of the foundation of Reservation already established upon entering his partnership with SBDC, Youngmark’s contribution has been essential to its overall success. “He helped me with the funding, and that saved me. It allowed me to expand my equipment, manage incoming orders without requiring a deposit, and pay out the service team the same day as the service. These funds played a vital role in establishing trust and legitimacy with my growing team,” Washum shared. Youngmark also helped Washum solidify his vision for the Reservations restaurant and identify his target client. “Figure out who your target clientele is, and don’t waver from that,” Youngmark’s words are something that Washum considers in every building block of this new venture, reminding him to stay true to his vision and trust the process that his clients will gravitate to Reservations. “If I ever had a question about anything, Chris is just an email away,” giving Washum a sense of security and community in knowing he has the unwavering support of Youngmark and the SBDC.
Washum confesses that he will slow down the catering side of Reservations as he launches the restaurant. He wants to spend adequate time training and establishing the right team to uphold his vision's standard and transfer the catering success into the restaurant’s dining experience. “I pride myself on providing the best quality food, the highest quality and professional experience, and great service, and I believe in that mission. I don’t want that to suffer because I take on too much,” Washum shared. His willingness to prioritize the dining experience is only a twinkle of the foreseen value that this establishment will bring to Peoria’s dining options. Stay updated on the progress and exact opening date by following Reservations on social media to take your taste buds on a cultural journey on opening day.
Contact Info:(973) 281-6463 | Website
–Stephanie Bridgeman-McClaskey, (Journalism Intern, Turner Center for Entrepreneurship)
