Thursday, October 1, 2009 9:00 PM CDT
Boxa's closing a loss to community
By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — The Eastern Illinois University athletic department periodically gets advance calls from visiting teams’ fans who enjoy eating at Boxa and want to know if the restaurant is still open.
“This week we have had to tell them no, so that has been disheartening,” said Ryan Gilmore, director of marketing and promotions for the athletic department.
Boxa closed Sunday night after selling baked grinder sandwiches and pizza for nearly nine years in University Village on Lincoln Avenue, across from EIU’s castle-like Old Main. This locally owned business had worked closely with Eastern, supported local charities and youth sports, and provided a ready source of food for customers at neighboring Ike’s bar.
Gilmore said Michael Boksa, who co-owned the restaurant with his wife, Traci, was always easy to work with and his support for the athletic department was a huge help. As examples, he said Boxa had provided food for the hospitality area at EIU basketball games and discounted pizzas for other promotions.
“It hurt to lose Boxa. They were right there right next door,” Gilmore said, adding it seems to be tough to keep a restaurant going in Charleston.
Roy Lanham worked with Boxa as an adviser to the Haiti Connection EIU student group and as a volunteer with Coles County Habitat for Humanity.
Michael and Traci Boksa, both EIU alumni, for the past eight years donated 25 percent of one evening’s Boxa proceeds to the Haiti Connection. Lanham said they had also let him into the restaurant at closing time every July 3 to collect all the ice needed for Habitat’s Four on the Fourth foot race the following morning.
Lanham said he has always believed in the importance of people supporting their local businesses because these businesses, in turn, support charitable efforts in their community.
“You begin to see the goodness of local business owners when you get to know them and support them,” Lanham said. He added small businesses often operate on a “shoestring budget,” but still find ways to support some of the many worthy causes in the community that approach them for help.
Lanham noted that Jackson Avenue Coffee and Jerry’s Pizza have stepped up to take on some of the charitable roles that Boxa had played.
Boxa had been located in the University Village shopping center between Cam’s Computer and Ike’s. Tammy Bell, manager of Ike’s, said she worked with the Boksas to make improvements to their end of the center and to share customers. She said her customers and employees often brought Boxa grinders and pizza back to Ike’s.
“We don’t have food at Ike’s, so we sent people over there,” Bell said. “People who would spend the whole day at Ike’s could just run over there and get something.”
Bell said Boxa’s absence will be particularly felt at Ike’s during EIU’s Family Weekend, which has just started, and during homecoming in a couple weeks. She said it is sad to see the Boksas go as business neighbors and wished them luck with their future endeavors.
The couple opened Boxa in fall 2000. While operating Boxa, they also took over the former EL Krackers restaurant in fall 2005. They operated this restaurant, first known as Michael Domani’s and later as A.J.’s, until it closed about a year ago. The Boksas could not be reached for comment this week.
University Village owner Kirby Johnson said he hopes to find a new restaurant tenant for the main section of the former Boxa space and offer the overflow seating area for rent as a separate business.
“I have had several phone calls and a high level of interest,” said Johnson, noting that he considers having an eatery at that location a key to success there.
Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 238-6861.
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longflower wrote on Oct 1, 2009 9:45 PM: