A family-run restaurant’s journey through community, culture, and economic resilience.

Inside Neil St. Blues, warm golden light reflects off a polished concrete floor and vibrant wall murals as the dinner rush settles in. On a brisk evening in downtown Champaign, the savory aroma of Cajun spices wafts through the front door of Neil St. Blues.

A jazz tune drifts softly from the speakers, mingling with the sizzle of catfish in the fryer and the laughter of diners leaning into family-style tables. At the bar, a regular sways to the rhythm, while near the entrance a row of video slot machines beams neon colors a modern juke joint touch on Neil Street.

In this inviting glow, Neil St. Blues feels less like a restaurant and more like a lively living room for the community.

Situated on the corner of Neil and Hill streets, Neil St. Blues has become an anchor of culture and comfort in Downtown Champaign. The Black- and woman-owned soul food restaurant now seven years in business offers more than fried chicken and blues music. It offers an experience born of family traditions and civic pride.

Co-owner Gayle Starks, who founded the restaurant with her family, said they created Neil St. Blues “for the community,” aiming to fill a void in town.

From Family Table to Downtown Cornerstone

Family is the secret ingredient at Neil St. Blues. The idea for the restaurant was born around Gayle Starks’ own dinner table, inspired by a lifetime of family gatherings filled with “food, good eating, good dancing and good music.”

Gayle’s son Michael Starks, who helps run day-to-day operations, jokes that he doesn’t even have an official title.

“On paper, I’d just say Miss Gayle’s son,” he said.

Michael, 26, practically grew up with the business and now handles everything from front-of-house management to marketing. If he had to sum up Neil St. Blues’ vibe in one word, Michael said it would be “family.”

“Family, family, family, family. That is the number one thing,” he said.

That warmth extends to customers. Walk in and you might be greeted by Gayle’s daughter at the host stand or a nephew refilling your sweet tea. Jenna Manolakes of the Champaign Center Partnership said this authenticity sets the establishment apart.

“Neil St. Blues adds authenticity, soul, and personality [to downtown],” she said. “Chains bring familiarity, but local businesses bring identity.”

Soul on a Plate: Food That Forges Connection

Neil St. Blues’ menu reads like a greatest hits of Southern comfort food.

“We didn’t recreate [the wheel],” Gayle said. “We combined what we like at home with what we liked at other places.”

You’ll find staples like crispy fried chicken, mac ’n’ cheese, collard greens and candied yams — “the trinity of soul foods,” Gayle calls them, alongside Cajun and Creole specialties. They added a few surprises, too.

“Chef McGee was really big on the frog legs and the alligator,” Gayle laughs. “I’m like, ‘Oh, I never ate alligator.’ But now it’s a pretty popular item!”

Gayle insists she loves everything on the menu.

“I don’t have a favorite, every week it changes,” she said. “One week I might want the fried chicken and collard greens … then I get that twinkling, and I just want that Creole pasta. I love the shrimp and grits. I love the catfish.”

Challenges and COVID Era

Neil St. Blues has faced its share of challenges from opening day hurdles to the global pandemic.

“Starting up a business of this magnitude, you have to worry about everything,” Gayle said, “from the type of ketchup bottles to how much the power bill is.” Weekly obstacles, training staff, managing over “412 items that have to be ordered,” and navigating online reviews made things “very challenging and sometimes very overwhelming.”

That support network proved essential when COVID-19 hit the area in March 2020.

“We opened right before COVID,” Michael recalls. “And then everything just shut down.”

Nationwide, 44.7% of small food service businesses were still negatively impacted by April 2022, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

 “We didn’t know what was going to happen. I was 21 when we started this. I had never been through anything like that,” he said.

The restaurant quickly adapted.

“We had to make a lot of changes,” Gayle said, such as simplifying the menu, shifting to takeout and pausing events.

“The business part was hard,” Michael adds. “But we made it through. Sundays, especially, we started to see people come back in.”

A Downtown Gem with Community Impact

Beyond serving customers, Neil St. Blues plays a broader role in Champaign’s downtown ecosystem. It creates jobs, supports local suppliers, and draws visitors into the area.

“Economically, it creates jobs, supports local vendors, and attracts diners from all over,” Manolakes said.

State Representative Carol Ammons, a progressive Democrat representing Illinois’ 103rd district, echoed that view. She called businesses like Neil St. Blues “critical in our communities,” saying they function not just as employers, but as “places that celebrate Black heritage and culture.”

Ammons added that Neil St. Blues stimulates local economic activity while also providing a gathering place where residents can “celebrate and connect.”

As former chair of the House Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Tech Innovation Committee, Ammons has championed legislation aimed at reducing licensing barriers and expanding access to funding. She noted programs like the Back 2 Business grant, which helped minority-owned businesses during the pandemic, and emphasized that more targeted support is still needed.

“Representation of Black- and women-owned businesses is crucial for creating an inclusive economy,” she said. “They ensure that the economic landscape reflects the demographics of the community it serves.”

According to the U.S. Census, 22.6% of America’s 5.9 million employer firms are minority-owned, and Black-owned businesses like Neil St. Blues represent a small but vital share. The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation emphasizes the importance of inclusion in growth efforts. Neil St. Blues reflects that a locally-rooted, minority-owned business enriching downtown.

Looking Ahead: Keeping the Music Playing

As the dinner hour gives way to a late-night jam, Gayle and Michael Starks aren’t slowing down. They hope to eventually purchase their own building in Champaign.

“Right now, we’re leasing,” Michael said, and ownership would secure their future.

They’re also expanding. The family plans to launch “Stan Seasonings,” a line of spices, and grow catering services.

“We do have a lot of goals over the next 2 to 5 years,” Michael said. “But for right now, it’s about surviving this next season … survival is definitely the name of the game, ever since COVID.”

That view echoes many small business owners in 2025. But as tables fill up and music plays, Neil St. Blues has turned a corner.

Gayle surveys the scene of strangers and friends sharing cornbread and laughs and smiles.

“We have a lot of heart and a lot of passion,” she said. And at Neil St. Blues, that’s what keeps the lights on and the soul food flowing.