We opened our South Sixth Street Branch in 2002. Recently, a bank customer provided Mortgage Loan Officer Todd Weir some more information on the history of the property where the branch is located.

We knew the branch had been home to a fast food restaurant; when we bought the land, the contract read that no restaurant selling hamburgers or cheeseburgers could be constructed on the property. That worked for us.

But Todd’s client says there were INB connections to the property as far back as 1957 when John, Sr. and Mary Mack wanted to build the fast food chain in the first place. They needed a bank loan and were turned down by many banks. (This was a big jump for the couple who, up until that time, ran a corner grocery store.) But the original Illinois National Bank — which was bought out in the 1980s — gave the Mack’s $100,000 to start their business.

The Mack’s eventually owned eight restaurants in Springfield.

Todd Weir’s NMLS# 502389.