Terri Ryburn opened her new business, Ryburn Place Gifts and Gab, on August 12, 2017! With a strong passion for Route 66, Terri purchased Sprague’s Super Service, built in 1930, in 2006. The building sits at 305 Pine Street, and is on the National Register of Historic Places, in the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame, and is a Town of Normal Local Landmark. Terri spent the next ten years restoring the building, until the Town of Normal purchased it and will finish the restoration. Ryburn Place Gifts and Gab features Route 66, vintage, and collectible items, as well as local art. In the three months the store has been open, it has attracted over 2,000 Route 66 travelers and local people. In September alone, over 889 people signed the guest book, representing 18 counties and 30 states. Terri shares that having never been a business owner before, Karen Bussone and Katelyn Hill of the SBDC “were so helpful to me as I figured out everything from my register system to paying taxes online.” In the coming years, Terri hopes to serve as the “front door” of Normal to those traveling the road as well as those who are curious about the building and its history. Oh, and sell some gifts, too!”
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