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Franki Fioretti, owner of Rock Inn in Kankakee, stands in front of the bar adorned with personal and Kankakee history. 

Just past the entrance of Rock Inn is a seating area featuring old pews from a nearby church. 

Franki Fioretti, owner of Rock Inn in Kankakee, stands in front of the bar adorned with personal and Kankakee history. 

Franki Fioretti, owner of Rock Inn in Kankakee, stands in front of the bar adorned with personal and Kankakee history. 

Just past the entrance of Rock Inn is a seating area featuring old pews from a nearby church. 

Franki Fioretti, owner of Rock Inn in Kankakee, stands in front of the bar adorned with personal and Kankakee history. 

KANKAKEE — A new business on East Court Street is ready to rock — well, at the moment, maybe soft rock.

"We're taking baby steps," said Franki Fioretti, owner of Rock Inn, a new bar at 239 E. Court St., which had been the home of Crawford Barbershop for the past 18 years. 

While the the approximately 2,000-square-foot first-floor bar is open for business, Fioretti made it clear he's more interested in getting to know the community rather than have a big grand opening. He said they did a soft opening on Wednesday "to let people know we're here."

"Our focus is trying to get into the community and into the fabric of the community."

The community certainly is etched into the fabric of the bar, as the bottom of the bar itself is lined with old binders from the Kankakee County Circuit Court. 

"When we found those, we said, 'Hey, we need to have that,'" Fioretti said.

The "we" he refers to is himself and building owners Dustin Kooy and Erik Wojtecki, two men heavily invested in the revitalization of downtown Kankakee. 

"He brings a lot of energy, a lot of excitement to the area," Kooy said of Fioretti.

The community fabric continues as there is a small "Crawford Barbershop" sign on the front door. Just past the entrance is seating of old pews from a nearby church. 

The meaning behind the name is two-fold. First, the bar is adorned with posters and memorabilia from rock groups of the 60s, 70s and 80s, giving it a classic rock vibe. 

Second, when rehabbing the space, they took down drywall to find a solid rock wall believed to be from the 1930s. 

The theme continues as the long, L-shaped bar has a rock base and is smattered with an array of items belonging to Fioretti, his friends and those involved in Rock Inn.

"It's a collaboration of [the people] who built and own the bar," he said.

From coins to photos to candy and more, Fioretti described the look as "walking down the railroad tracks." Such a trip is fitting for a Kankakee business, considering Kankakee was developed in large part around the railroad.

But it isn't just found items haphazardly thrown together, there are many items with personal meaning, making the bar top a different take on a scrapbook.

Fioretti included items of friends and family who have passed away, including roses from his parents' funerals and bracelets belonging to his sister. There even are shell casings of the remnants of the 21-gun salute from his veteran father's funeral. These are strewn out near a photo from his parents' wedding day. 

Being a motorcycle rider and enthusiast, the bar top and the bar itself has biker-related items such as Harley Davidson signs. 

Taking things slow as the Rock Inn opens, Fioretti — who has owned two other bars, Exit and Buzz, in Chicago and has consulted on many other establishments — looks forward to being part of the community.

Being that it's a two-story location, the owner hopes to eventually have live music on the second floor. He also has plans for "Wax Wednesday," where patrons can bring in their favorite vinyl albums and have listening parties. 

The bar will likely have gaming machines eventually, though Fioretti said that's not his current focus. Right now he is about determining hours, hiring staff and focusing on the menu.

Rock Inn will serve food items, including burgers, bologna sandwiches and fried egg sandwiches — menu items Fioretti said are inspired from "old school taverns." 

While he is not a musician, the South Side of Chicago resident talked about his favorite genres.

"[My] pulse is the blues," he said. 

Taylor Leddin-McMaster is Life editor of The Daily Journal and editor of Lifestyles of Kankakee County. A graduate of Illinois State, she was featured as a prominent journalist by Thrive Global. Email: tleddin@daily-journal.com.

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