At 2 p.m. Fridays, our Kathy Reiser answers restaurant questions. Put her to the test by clicking here or email kreiser@news-gazette.com.
Carrying on a tradition started by Dennis Riggs, owners of iconic Sidney Dairy Barn have used the old-fashioned sign along high-traffic Main Street to post clues about opening day.
On Feb, 15, for example, one side of the sign read: # OF LETTERS IN KASPARAS JAKUCIONIS IS THE G.O.A.T. The other offered the answer: 27 (as in days until re-opening).
“We’re huge Illinois fans,” co-owner Ella Beal said. “We make it Illini-themed whenever possible.”
Today, her husband and fellow owner Jake will manually put up a new hint on the eve of a big day for faithful customers: # OF PLACES SERVING THE WORLD’S BEST ICE CREAM. The answer: 1.
Sidney Dairy Barn opens at 2 p.m. Friday and will serve on weekends until summer hours kick in over Memorial Day weekend.
Jake, Ella and her parents, Tonya and Ed Dunn, were happy to carry on what Riggs started when they took over in 2022. New clues greet passers-by a couple times every week starting a month out.
“It’s one of the great things about Sidney Dairy Barn and what Dennis did so well,” Ella sad. “It’s a lot of work but it’s a good, small-town thing that we like to do. It definitely gets people excited.”
