THE BUZZ: Berta's in Ottawa for sale

Berta's Tap, 616 Clinton St., Ottawa, is on the market.

The building was listed at $450,000 through Berkshire Hathaway and includes two apartments.

Those interested in the property can call Blake Mgbada at 630-377-9200.

Another party was interested in leasing the building earlier in the year, but had a "change of heart" owner John Cook told The Times in February.

Cook did not return two phone calls prior to publication.

Riverfront opens at old Waterstreet in Peru

A new restaurant is on the cusp of opening at the former Waterstreet Pub & Eatery.

Riverfront Bar & Grill will celebrate a grand opening from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22 at 1525 Water St., Peru.

The business made the announcement on Facebook where they've also teased diners with photos of a redesigned dining area.

For more information, visit fb.com/Riverfrontbg.

Harrison Towing opens at new location in Marseilles

Harrison Towing, formerly Zig's Towing, has opened in Marseilles.

The company announced on Facebook they've opened at a new location at 293 Commercial St.

"Our commitment to your remains the same and we very much appreciate your continued support," the post read.

For more information, call 815-795-6241 or visit fb.com/Harrison-Towing-107129380733247.

New Tonica Casey’s to open next week

The new Casey’s in Tonica is set to open at 6 a.m. Thursday Nov. 21, and new location — with 12 fuel islands for cars and three fueling stations for semi trucks — is the chain’s largest in Illinois, said Shari Piccatto, area supervisor.

The old Casey’s General Store, located at 306 S. First St., will close Wednesday night at 11 p.m. as employees officially make the move to the new store.

“It’s exciting. I just can’t wait to get into a bigger kitchen,” said employee Jennifer Breit.

The shelves are getting emptier at the original location, and signs note to customers that beer sales ceased on Nov. 3. On Thursday, employees for a local distributor were carting beer into the new store, where employees were setting up shelves.

The new location moves the store out of a floodplain and closer to Interstate 39 on the northwest corner of Route 251 and Ray Richardson Road — the former site of the Village Inn. The new store is 1,000 square feet larger than the new Peru store and will be open 24 hours, said Piccatto.

“This is the first of its kind in Illinois,” said Piccatto. While the new Casey’s in Utica has an area for diesel fueling, the new one at Tonica also has five overnight parking spots for semis.

Piccatto said the corporation had been interested in the Tonica site for quite some time.

“The Tonica location was a very busy store in town,” Piccatto said, adding that the larger store will help the village and should bring in a lot of motorists from the interstate.

Holiday Huskies will deliver Santa to Peru Mall

"Holiday Huskies" will escort a special holiday visitor to the Peru Mall on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Santa Claus' furry friends will chauffeur him via sleigh to the shopping center at 11 a.m., arriving at the south end of the mall by Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts then traveling through the mall to Santa's winter wonderland home at center court.

Children are invited to gather and welcome the jolly fellow as he makes way to his temporary home. Refreshments will be served while supplies last as Santa settles in and the friendly Huskies will issue free kisses in return for back scratches and holiday selfies.

Kids can visit Santa and share Christmas wishes through Tuesday, Dec. 24 and those that do will receive a Winter Wonderland activity book.

While visiting with Santa is free, photography packages are available to capture the moment.

The Times is committed to keeping readers up to date with business happenings in the area. This can include the opening of new businesses and businesses that are closing. Much of our reporting relies on what we see and hear, but we're also reaching out to readers for tips on business items. If you have a tip to share, email Brent Bader at bbader@shawmedia.com or call 815-431-4045. Shaw Media's Brett Herrmann and Craig Sterrett contributed to this report.