Brown Shingle to be demolished, new owner says

DIXON – The Brown Shingle will be demolished this summer, its new owner said.

The former restaurant on Palmyra Road has sat vacant since summer 2009, and it would cost a lot of money to restore, Dixon resident Tom Conley said.

In its place, Conley and his brother, Rick, of Sterling, plan to build a new place, a bar and grill with a large deck looking out over the Plum Creek Arboretum and Botanical Center. Tom will be the sole owner, and Rick, who is retiring from his carpenter’s job, will be the manager.

“I love what the arboretum has done for this area,” Tom said. “I think there’s definitely a need for outside seating in Dixon.”

The restaurant – to be named Bombdigity Bar and Grill, which was chosen by Conley’s 9-year-old granddaughter, Jessie Chapman – will have a small menu with sandwiches and “the best hamburgers you can possibly buy,” he said.

It will serve coffee and pastries in the morning and offer free Wi-Fi.

Ornate mirrors and lighting still hang in the Brown Shingle, and the Conleys plan to auction off whatever they don’t want to keep.

“This place has a lot of heritage and history,” Tom said.

Vicki Brantner, who lives up the hill from the restaurant, agrees. She’s sad to see it go.

“It’s part of Dixon’s heritage,” she said. “I’m 60 years old now. It’s something my dad took me to. I remember them talking about when it used to be a roadhouse. It’s definitely a sad day.”

The plan is to have the auction within a month and demolish the building soon after.

Construction should be completed by late fall, he said.

Tom’s background isn’t in the food business. He was the Midwest divisional manager for L’Oreal International, a subsidiary of which bought out Marshall Salon Services in 2010.

He worked for the Marshalls for 20-plus years. He now owns his own consulting business, Salon Business Coaching, which he plans to keep open.