A Galesburg neighborhood cafe known for pancakes and viral videos is moving to a new downtown location to accommodate its growing popularity.
Judy’s Family Cafe plans to relocate in the spring to 51 N. Prairie St. — most recently home to Prairie City Pasta and Charred 51. It has operated at 1195 N. Broad St. since 2019.
Jingjie “Judy” Wang tells WGIL, “Because of our business needs, a new adventure will begin in 2025.”
Those business needs escalated with the help of a vibrant social media campaign which has drawn national and international attention, including a feature in the New York Times and a live interview on WGN TV. Her TikTok account has nearly 100,000 followers and millions of likes and counting. One TikTok has been viewed more than 12 million times.
The attention has not only translated into interaction on social media, but exposure that has led Judy’s to attract visitors from all over the country.
“Since we started making short videos on social media, our business has been growing,” Wang said. “However, Judy’s has limited space. Many customers from other states have difficulty finding parking spaces. I feel sad when many old customers, neighbors and friends in the community who have supported us for many years have to wait for a table on busy weekends.
“So I hope the new address can solve this problem.”
Judy’s, located in the original home of the popular Swedough’s Doughnuts shop, can accommodate 80 people.
“The new location will have more space and ample parking spaces,” she said. “I have to do this so that it can be a better experience for my friends who come from afar and the community that has supported me over the years.
“Every step of Judy’s has grown with the help and support of the community.”
While the project is still in the planning stages, Judy says she expects the menu to be slightly modified when she located downtown in the spring.
And for those viral videos?
“My social media manager Victor Dantas and I will continue to create more videos and hope that more people will come to Galesburg to travel,” she said.