Forward Janesville - TheReport - Second Quarter 2024

"We see visitors to the community looking for both unique dining choices and familiar chains,” says Christine Rebout, executive director of the Janesville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “There really is a need for a variety of types of restaurants in a community to fill different needs for different audiences and times of day. We’ve had tremendous growth in smaller and more unique restaurants and also gained some of the larger chains that so many people know and love." Things'll Be Great When You’re Downtown Indeed, the local part of the equation has changed greatly over the last decade and especially in the last five years. Downtown streets that used to be abandoned on weekend evenings are now teeming with pedestrians and traffic. During the warmer months, outdoor patios are filled with contented customers and live music. According to Rebout, “When I first began working downtown (in 1998), there was one restaurant choice, and I often drove to Milton Avenue to find lunch." John Rocco, owner of Rock County Brewing Company, has seen the change first hand since opening his taproom downtown in 2016. “We were one of the first new companies to come down here,” he says. “We were taking a chance. There was no one coming downtown. Now (on weekends), all of the parking garages are packed. All the parking lots are packed. We definitely have created something.” What Rocco and others have created is a city with dining and nightlife experiences that are varied, unique, exciting and even surprising. Rock County Brewing resides in the Carriage Works, a 19th-century brick building on Parker Drive. “When we decided to open a brewery, we knew that we weren’t going to open anywhere but downtown,” Rocco says. “That was our one prerequisite. We loved (this space) when we walked in. The landlords worked with us, and we worked with them. It worked out really well. We’ve exceeded all projected sales.” Location and ambiance are also big contributing factors to the success of Genisa Wine Bar, a unique Italian restaurant and wine bar on Main Street that opened in 2021. Genisa features a beautiful exposed brick interior and an outdoor patio overlooking the Rock River. An aesthetic dream come true, Genisa features wall-sized art inside and a mural on the patio. It was all part of the plan for Genisa founder and principal Greg Hughes. “I wanted Genisa to have a different look and feel, and be unique and special, a cool urban place,” says Hughes. “If someone closed their eyes and were dropped off inside Genisa, they would open their eyes and think they were in Europe.” Hughes is a Janesville native whose day job is Executive Vice President of NBC Sports. Although he hasn’t lived in Janesville in years, he owns four local e s t ab l i shmen t s and is set to open another, the casual restaurant Jack & Jenny’s, in the near future. What persuaded Hughes to invest so heavily in his hometown? “I Not Standing Still How Janesville’s dine and drink scene is thriving By Jim Lyke The local food scene is changing. Sixty- fi ve percent of Janesville's dining options are uniquely local, meaning locally owned and not found anywhere else. Uniquely local options are complemented by the presence of many regional and national brands, signaling strength in the market. This mix of dining options provides a diverse dining scene that showcases Janesville's resilience and bene fi ts the community economically and aesthteically. Rock County Brewing Company is a nano-brewery located in the historic Carriage Works building It’s not just food, it’s great retail. Downtown Janesville isn’t just restaurants and bars; you can spend a whole afternoon here. Genisa is known for its artisan creations and woodfired pizza Happy customers sharing a pint 6 | FORWARD JANESVILLE