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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, In 1966, Guido and Albert Zeller established
3Avanti's restaurant on Main Street in Peoria adjacent to
4Bradley University; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Following the success of the Avanti's near
6Bradley's campus, Guido and Albert decided to open a second
7Avanti's restaurant on the west edge of the Illinois State
8University (ISU) Campus in Normal in June of 1971; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Avanti's quickly became an institution for
10Illinois State University students and faculty; returning ISU
11students and staff, as well as Normal residents who have moved
12away, often choose it as the place they want to eat and bring
13their friends and family; and
 
14    WHEREAS, In 1973, Guido bought his brother Albert's share
15and became the sole proprietor; Guido's brother Leo joined the
16operation in 1976 and became an integral part of the business;
17and
 
18    WHEREAS, Guido and his wife Anna lived in Normal and
19raised their four children, Marcus, Richard, Maria, and Judy;
20they are all involved in the business and live in the area;
21Guido became a U.S. citizen in the late 70s; he was very proud

 

 

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1of his dual citizenship and attributed much of his success to
2the opportunities available to him in the United States; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Guido generously supported his Catholic faith
4through Epiphany Church and School; Epiphany Elementary named
5their playground "Guido's Grounds"; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Today, Guido's two sons, Marcus and Richard, are
7involved in the ownership and management of Avanti's; in June
8of 2009, they opened a Bloomington location on East Empire;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, Albert retired in 2018, and his son Stefan became
11majority owner and President and CEO of the five Avanti's
12Italian Restaurants in Peoria, East Peoria, and Pekin,
13Illinois; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Avanti's continues Guido's generous tradition of
15giving back to the community; the Special Olympics, the Baby
16Fold, the American Cancer Society, and the ISU Scholarships
17Foundation are just a few of the many charitable organizations
18it supports, and it partners with many local schools and
19churches in fundraising throughout the year with sales of its
20signature bread and Gondola sandwich; and
 
21    WHEREAS, This year, Avanti's is celebrating a landmark

 

 

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150th anniversary in central Illinois; therefore, be it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
3HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
4we congratulate and thank the Zeller family for 50 years of
5great food and outstanding public service to the Peoria,
6Pekin, and Bloomington-Normal communities; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8presented to the Zeller family as a symbol of our esteem and
9respect.