When Little Raven Creamery abruptly closed its doors in June, customers grimly squawked “nevermore” to cake shakes and paninis in Campustown.
However, under new management, Little Raven has reopened as Little Raven Eatery, welcoming the return of many fan favorites, as well as new menu items.
“Little Raven has established itself … I know a lot of people really missed it when it was gone,” said Amanda Dellaria, new general manager of Little Raven Eatery.
Although the interior layout and decor of the restaurant remains the same as previously, many changes have been implemented.
New owners Tom and Mindy Moore bring with them award-winning Quad City-style pizza from their restaurant Knuckles, located in Dunlap for over seven years. The dough, sauce and toppings are made fresh and from recipes learned from years of living in the Quad Cities.
“You never forget the pizza you loved as a kid,” Mindy Moore said.
Little Raven Eatery’s soft opening in December offered only a small taste of what their menu would grow to become.
“We’ve come so far in a short amount of time,” Dellaria said. “We started out small and we’ve just been adding to [the menu] and listening to customers’ feedback on what they miss.”
With new items being tested constantly, Little Raven Eatery expects to soon offer a menu loaded with allergy-friendly options, including gluten-free bread, pizza crust and cupcakes, plus vegan ice cream and mac and cheese.
“It’s not an easy thing. We don’t want to put out something just because it’s vegan, that doesn’t taste good and won’t win people over,” Mindy Moore said. “It’s gotta taste good.”
New management is hoping that birds of a feather flock together in the familiar, cozy environment of Little Raven Eatery.
“Whether you’re 85 or eight months old, we really want to provide an environment where everybody feels comfortable and everybody on different diets can eat here at the same time,” Dellaria said.
Once their basics are more established, Little Raven Eatery wants to become more involved in the community through displaying local art and hosting events such as poetry readings.
In order to further cater to the needs of Bradley students in particular, Little Raven Eatery is also working to soon accept Bradley QuickCash as payment.
Dellaria said that they look forward to seeing new generations of Bradley students every four years and reuniting with former students through alumni visits to campus in the upcomiing years.
Updates to the menu, payment methods and discounts can be tracked on their Facebook page, which is simply Little Raven Eatery.
Little Raven Eatery is open every Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
