Springfield's Interconnected Restaurant Scene

1983

Jay Parrino and Bob Ikemeier open J. Parrino's Bar & Grill.

1987–1994

Bob Ikemeier runs J. Parrino's Garden Room on the fourth floor of the Heers building plus a cafeteria setup in the mezzanine.

1989

James Clary launches Amir's.

1989

James Clary opens Clary's Restaurant & Market on Sunshine Street.

1990

Jay Parrino and Bob Ikemeier launch Pasta Express.

1990

James Clary launches Clary's American Grill.

1994

Fred Coco, Bob Ikemeier and Jay Parrino launch Metropolitan Grill.

1994

Bob Ikemeier buys Jay Parrino out of Pasta Express.

1998

James Clary and Peter Tinson open Gallery Bistro.

2000

Jay Parrino sells J. Parrino's Bar & Grill to Kenneth Rigby.

2002

The Pasta Express on National Avenue becomes Pasta Pronto.

2002

Fred Coco buys out Jay Parrino and Bob Ikemeier and moves Metropolitan Grill from Glenstone Avenue to its current location on Battlefield Road.

JUNE 2003

James Clary launches Fish with Wes Elms and Crenna Butterbaugh.

2005

Pat Duran purchases Metropolitan Grill.

2006

Jay Parrino opens Tuscan Bar & Grill.

2006

James Clary sells Clary's to David and Lynee Fender.

2007

Clary's closes.

OCTOBER 2009

Bill Griffiths and Christina Fugitt-Griffiths open Farmers Gastropub.

JUNE 30, 2010

Jay Parrino closes Tuscan Bar & Grill and sells the space and equipment to Nicola Gilardi.

JULY 30, 2010

Kenneth Rigby closes J. Parrino's Bar & Grill.

2011

Jay Parrino opens J. Parrino's Queen City Deli.

2011

Cody Smith becomes sous chef at the Aviary Café & Creperie.

APRIL 2012

Pat Duran opens Santa Fe Grill.

SEPTEMBER 2013

Pat Duran re-launches Santa Fe Grill as Springfield Gourmet Taco Co. in the same location.

DECEMBER 2013

Farmers Gastropub moves to its current location on Glenstone Avenue.

2013

Cody Smith becomes a chef at La Galette Berrichonne in Fordland.

2013

James Clary and John Q. Hammons industries relaunch The Tower Club with pastry chef Vic Pace.

2014

Pat Duran begins entering barbecue competitions with Tyler Thompson.

FEBRUARY 2014

Cody Smith leaves La Galette Berrichonne to found charcuterie business Le Cochon Charcuterie.

JUNE 2014

Peter Tinson becomes a chef at Farmers Gastropub.

NOVEMBER 2014

Cody Smith and Jeremy Smith launch City Butcher and Barbecue.

OCTOBER 2015

Springfield Gourmet Taco Co. becomes Great American Taco Co. and moves to a new location on Battlefield Road.

NOVEMBER 2015

Andy Hampshire buys Farmers Gastropub with his wife, Misty.

2016

Cody Smith; Jeremy Smith; Brent, Robert and Carrie Sonnemaker form parent company CB Concepts, housing City Butcher and soon-to-open fine-dining offshoot CB Social House.

JULY 2016

Pat Duran launches a second Great American Taco Co. in Bentonville, Arkansas.

MAY 2017

Jeremy Smith relinquishes ownership in CB Concepts, and beverage manager and impresario Doug Riddle joins the partnership.

MAY 2017

Pat Duran launches Vespa Kitchen with Peter Tinson.

JULY 2017

Pat Duran launches a second Springfield Great American Taco Co. location on Republic Road.

DECEMBER 2017

Vic Pace opens Vic's Pastries.

JANUARY 2018

Pat Duran closes the Bentonville Great American Taco Co. location.

FEBRUARY 2018

CB Social House is renamed Social on Patton with ownership transferring to Robert and Carrie Sonnemaker. Executive chef Daniel Stern, kitchen manager Cary Harris, business manager Brent Sonnemaker and beverage impresario Doug Riddle begin development of Team Taco.

FEBRUARY 2018

Cody Smith relinquishes ownership in CB Social House to focus on City Butcher.

JULY 2018

Vespa Kitchen closes.

2018

Peter Tinson becomes executive chef at Fire & Ice.

2018

James Clary becomes Food and Beverage Director at Classic Rock Coffee.

JUNE 2019

Social on Patton closes.

JULY 2019

Brent, Carrie and Robert Sonnemaker; Daniel Stern; Doug Riddle; and Cary Harris open Team Taco.

JULY 2019

Pat Duran and Tyler Thompson with pitmaster Jeremy Smith open Hard Knox BBQ in the former Vespa Kitchen space.

SEPTEMBER 2019

Cody Smith opens Lucky Tiger Sandwich Co.