The Franchesco’s Restaurant Group announces the latest addition and grand opening of a new restaurant named Benny’s Bar & Lounge. (The Franchesco’s group also owns and operates Fresco at the Gardens, which is a popular breakfast and lunch restaurant located on the grounds of Anderson Japanese Gardens.)

Over the months of the pandemic, Franchesco’s owner Benny Salamone and his team made good use of the downtime by embarking on a major construction project, knocking down walls and completely revamping the footprint of the Franchesco’s property to make way for the addition of a new more casual atmosphere restaurant, Benny’s Bar & Lounge.

The flagship restaurant, Franchesco’s, was not part of the revamp. The Franchesco’s dining room remains unchanged and will continue to offer the more elegant special occasion dining that Rockford has come to expect.

The new Benny’s restaurant occupies the space that was the original Franchesco’s bar area and has expanded to include space from an adjacent banquet and private party room that was used only on special occasions.

“It made sense to incorporate that space into something that can be used on a regular basis versus only a couple days a week. Plus the new Benny’s restaurant expansion gives us the opportunity to offer a more casual dining vibe and ultimately serve more people,” says Benny Salamone. “We will be two restaurants, but under one roof!” The atmosphere is fresh and inviting, the seating is designed for comfort, and the food is a combination of more casual fare like burgers, salads, and pizza, joined with the newest culinary creations that stem from different areas of the world.”

Benny’s Bar & Lounge is now fully open for business Tuesday – Sunday.