Rock Falls father-daughter duo reopen former Arnie’s Happy Spot in Deer Grove

A Rock Falls father and daughter have teamed up to bring back local favorite Arnie’s Happy Spot and its original chicken recipe.

Owners Dave and Maddie Cochran have opened The Happy Spot restaurant at 1667 Hoover Road in Deer Grove, south of Rock Falls, and its banquet space called The Grove Event Venue, Dave Cochran told Shaw Local.

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The new owners are excited to bring back the old recipes that made the chicken well known and loved around the area. (Alex T. Paschal)

“We’re just going to keep it simple, kind of give the area what they’ve known over the years, and just be part of the community,” Cochran said. “So far, the support has been outstanding. We’ve had a lot of positive input.”

Starting out, its open hours are from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. with food served from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays; and from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with food served from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Cochran said.

The Happy Spot originally opened under that name in 1937. It became Arnie’s in 1967 when Arnie Johnson purchased the building and introduced the fried chicken recipe that it’s become known for. The recipe was continued by its next owner Larry Whitebread, who bought the place in 1999, Shaw Local reported in 2018.

The restaurant was destroyed by fire in late July 2018 just months after Whitebread sold it to Richard T. “Rick” and Angela K. Lance that year. The Lances rebuilt it and sold it to Jason Willett in 2023 before the Cochrans bought it, Whiteside County records show.

“All the previous owners, all the way back to Arnie [Johnson]. They’ve all been helpful in one way or another,” Cochran said.

Whitebread came in and taught the Cochrans the original chicken recipe, how to cook it and what products to use, Cochran said.

“That’s one of the big things that we’re going back to,” Cochran said. “The last five years it had been gone.”

They’ve also gone back to the original chicken dinner served with bread and a pickle along with the original fries, Cochran said.

The Cochrans have also been working to redesign a space to serve as the former banquet room, which could seat about 400 people and was a popular spot for weddings, comedy, bands and other entertainment, he said.

That space, called The Grove, has already been booked for Christmas parties and weddings throughout 2026, Cochran said.

“We’re just problem solving until we have an actual grand opening,” Cochran said.

Cochran also owns Sammy’s Slots & Video Poker Cafe at 606 12th Ave. in Rock Falls and Cochran’s Pub at 223 W. Second St. in Rock Falls.

For information visit The Happy Spot on Facebook or email thehappyspot1.0@gmail.com.