5 questions: ‘It’s all about love,’ long-time restauranteur says

PEORIA HEIGHTS - A couple of blocks south of where the Spotted Cow served ice cream for about 20 years, founder Frank Abdnour shared some time at his new Italian beef venture, Frank’s, hours before opening the doors one morning.

Abdnour, 66, likes serving people – even serving as Peoria Township Supervisor from 2017-2021. He lost races in 2021 and this year (but agrees that one-for-three is a decent average, as his friend and Hall of Famer Jim Thome might note).

Born in Streator, Abdnour was the youngest of seven kids – 2 girls and 5 boys – who moved to Peoria when Frank was 7. He attended St. Bernard and Spalding, then “USC – the University of Spotted Cow,” he says.

Before selling that business, Frank and his wife Donna worked together to make it a success. She passed away four years ago this month.

Between emptying a trash can, having an electrician finish some repairs, and accepting the day’s delivery of fresh hoagie rolls from Trefzger's Bakery down the hill, Frank chuckles, shrugs and says, “It never ends,” and sits down and answers the Community Word’s “Five Questions”:

 

1. Is the restaurant business as challenging as it’s said?

It’s always had the highest failure rate for businesses, something like 85% fail in the first few years. It’s hard work; you can’t do it for the money. But if you love it, it’s not work – and I’d forgotten how much I love it.

Also, restaurants have been romanticized by TV. There, you don’t see equipment problems, the steam table’s gas running out, the problems, the bills. For me, Donna handled all that behind-the-scenes stuff, the bookkeeping, correspondence and so on. She didn’t really want the people contact  -- which I love.

On the one hand, you don’t need a degree; I can’t be a lawyer or doctor. But restaurants can be open to creativity. On the other hand, restaurants love money; they want you to sink every dime into them. So, again, you have to have a love.

 

2. What’s the opposite – the easiest job?

Work for somebody else. Let them embrace the risks.

 

3. Have you even given any advice to Jim Thome?

No, no – although I pitched to him once. And another time he was thinking about opening a breakfast place. He decided against it. Maybe he had a thought like when I threw to him: ‘Ah, that’s not for me.’

 

4. What’s the last “escape” for you – that last good book, maybe?

I don’t read a lot of books – I read articles and stuff online – but I enjoyed “Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain.

 

5. Your son and daughter are part of the new eatery. Any recommendations for working with family?

Noah wanted to get involved, and Sydney works in marketing, so she’s handling that part of things. I know: Significant others can be a big, important part of success in anything. But maybe everybody should stay in their lane.

Central Illinois' 'Good Trouble'-makers

Seeing five people sharing a table at a downtown coffeehouse, you might think they’re a law firm’s pickleball team or a PTA book club or a prayer group. Instead, together, they’re providing information and opportunities for other everyday Americans in greater Peoria to defend democracy and exercise the Bill of Rights we all enjoy – including assembling, speaking and pressing to remedy grievances.

Among their various plans is another mass get-together to celebrate living in a country with “No Kings,” as the October 18 rally will note.

Since so much – too much? – has happened since the impressive initial “D-Day for Democracy/No Kings” rally at Peoria Stadium in June, expectations are that October’s could be bigger, voicing opposition to ICE, troops in cities, and a stream of Executive Orders seemingly upending laws, if not the Constitution.

It makes sense, said Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, which has more than 2,000 local affiliates.

“The only known solution to creeping authoritarianism is broad-based, peaceful, geographically dispersed mass engagement by everyday Americans,” he said. “That’s it. That’s what works.”

One of the people involved with Democracy 309, which has dozens off area organizations involved, is Ann Schreifels, who said, “Democracy 309 started as a small group of people horrified by the actions of the current administration. We recognized that the people most directly and immediately harmed are those without wealth, power and influence. However, by threatening our peaceful coexistence and the environment in which we live, we will all suffer the consequences.

“There are many people affected negatively by what's happening in Washington, and we welcome all voices who don't like the intentionally divisive, fact-free policy-making that enriches few while harming many.”

Democracy 309’s statement of purpose says they seek to “come together in common cause to defend our republic… in a commitment to human rights, strengthening democracy, and protecting and empowering people to exercise the rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. Using nonviolent disciplines and respecting various viewpoints, our network collaborates to uphold these rights by amplifying each other’s voices and actions.”

“The groups involved with Democracy 309 are incredibly diverse,” she says. “We are non-political in that we are not aligned with any particular [political] party. Additionally, we don't ‘vet’ groups that want to be included other than we ask if they agree with our purpose.

Peoria 50501 (for “50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement”) – has a decentralized approach, like its national grassroots movement. So, appropriately, they collaborated in responding to the Community Word. Jim Haptonstahl, Theresa Kuhlmann, Melissa Millinger and Eleanor Salazar collectively replied that they’re a “peaceful, nonviolent resistance movement welcoming people from all walks of life who stand for democracy and who stand against the authoritarian actions of the Trump Administration and an all-too compliant Congress.

“Our nation – including Central Illinois - is effectively ‘on fire.’,” they said. “We need all ‘hands on deck’ to put out the destructive fires of fascism.”

In Tazewell County, Fired Up for Democracy is slightly more partisan, but its crowded meetings at the United Auto Workers hall have had a cross-section of people, from veterans, business people and seniors to Gen-Zers, Democrats and some Republicans.

“This united front isn’t just about what we oppose,” explains Fired Up founder Mari Osborne. “It’s about what we believe in: fairness, inclusion, free and fair elections, rule of law, civil rights, protecting institutions, strengthening communities, truth and the promise of democracy for all.”

 

Working together

Osborne says the three groups partner often.

“We share information and volunteers, and support each other as much as possible.”

Schreifels says that makes sense.

“We realized that we didn't need to duplicate actions already underway. Thus networking became one of the main benefits – an organization of organizers.”

Peoria 50501 said, “The cornerstones of our organization’s mission is to form partnerships with other local groups, nonprofits and activists to strengthen our collective efforts. For this mass movement to succeed, we need a ‘big tent.’ There is a ‘cross-pollination’ among these groups – that is, Peoria 50501 members may also be part of other organizations, and vice versa.”

Rallies and marches are the most visible events for the groups. Fired Up took part in the Morton Pumpkin Festival parade Sept. 13 and though another 50501 group, in Fulton County, was excluded from Canton’s Friendship Festival parade due to a confrontation with people saying they were conservative, it was settled when festival leaders and city officials praised 50501, saying the controversy derived from “actions of outside individuals not reflective of 50501 or our local community,” adding, “We are immensely grateful for the collaborative spirit shown by the 50501 group.”

But the Labor Day parade in West Peoria was a highlight of the summer.

“We felt that our theme, ‘Workers over Billionaires,’ celebrated and advocated for the labor movement,” Peoria 50501 said. “This was an excellent match with the overall meaning of Labor Day. Among the 33 groups in the parade – unions, bands and local political parties – we marched along Farmington Road chanting and rallying for democracy, decrying the fascist regime, passing out candy and providing goodwill.”

Osborne adds, “The impressive turnout Labor Day showed respect for working people/unions and it was wonderful! Being with and seeing so many participating, and the crowd waving and cheering was encouraging. It gives groups like ours the resolve to stand strong and continue to do whatever it takes to save democracy.”

Democracy 309’s Schreifels says, “One of the reasons people attend rallies and marches is because it's affirming to see so many like-minded people. It's frustrating to see politicians be unresponsive to our concerns. But more than politicians, we have to try to get the attention of the people supporting the harmful actions President Trump has taken, as well as the attention of the people who have tuned out of politics.”

 

Beyond high-profile gatherings

The groups’ low-key activities range from information booths to charitable outreach.

“Smaller, steady efforts aren’t as visible as protests/rallies, but they add up,” says Osborne, noting Fired Up hosts tables at area events, shows up at local government meetings and learns from each other.

“We had two members spend five days in D.C.,” she says. “They saw first-hand how ICE,  FBI and DEA are terrorizing communities.”

Future Fired Up activities include voter outreach and registration, plus training people to canvass and organize digitally, she says.

Peoria 50501 has conducted letter/postcard writing sessions, workshops, voter-registration drives, participated in a rapid-response team to protect immigrants, and had booths at the Juneteenth Fest in Gwynn Park, connecting with groups and individuals within Peoria’s Black community, and at the River City Pride Festival, “demonstrating our alliance with the vibrant LGBTQIA+ community.

“Peoria 50501 is also committed to providing mutual aid to local communities by building strong ties and delivering direct support to those in need,” they added.

Indeed, 50501 said it’s collected cash and in-kind contributions donated to the Veteran’s Assistance Commission, the Peoria-area ACLU, the NAACP Peoria Branch, and the Peoria Public Schools Foundation.

“We believe we need to help people [who are] negatively impacted by funding cuts, job layoffs, cutbacks in essential services, and other harmful actions of the regime,” the group said.

A young group, Peoria 50501 has almost 1,200 in its Facebook group to give “power to the people” by soliciting input, and said, “Given the constant barrage of malevolent policies and cruel actions coming from this federal government, we need to further strengthen our movement and broadening it so elected officials, CEOs and other pillars of power have no choice but to respond, helping to save our democracy from the ravages of the regime. Somehow, some way, we must remain hopeful that we can make this happen.”

Fired Up for Democracy’s Osborne says she’s also pragmatic.

“In these challenging times, optimism can feel out of reach,” she says. “We have a long way to go for a ‘turning point.’ My goal is to stay focused on what we can control. We may not be able to change every situation, but we can always choose our next action.”