An idea that just kept growing becomes RoadRunner Station

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By Nolan Morse

Pizzas cooked in under five minutes, decor that’s handcrafted and picked from all across the country, and gaming in a side room, Camargo’s newest restaurant, RoadRunner Station, offers a distinctly unique experience, coupled with an equally unique story.

Attached to Three C’s Automotive, the journey of RoadRunner Station began as a simple slot machine. Owner of both businesses, Dustin Carter, said it all started when he had the idea to include gaming in his auto body shop. Quickly halted by the law, Carter was required to first obtain an Illinois liquor license, which gave him the idea to open a small bar.

Gaming would still be the primary focus, the bar just being a little add on. Then, while unassumingly sifting through Facebook, Dustin saw a post that would change his life. A wood oven stove for sale. Everything else was put on the back burner and pizza became the core.

Crafting his new idea for a restaurant, Dustin began scouring across the country for decor. Retro booths from an old Long John Slivers, a wooden paddle boat from Wisconsin, and stools that were styled in the 50s blend together. The theme is based around rustic old cars, something Dustin said he’s always loved.

Construction was the fun part, learning to run a restaurant was not, he said. His only food experience being a busboy at 18, the hurdles began to pile up. Fourteen hours being spent on getting a food license, complying with every rule and regulation set by the health department, and most challenging of all, learning how to use the wood oven stove.

Thankfully, Dustin had someone with restaurant experience, a tow truck driver who previously worked at a pizzeria in California, and someone Dustin said has been a huge help. When asked about the juggling act of running a mechanic shop and a new restaurant, Dustin again showed appreciation for his employees, saying he’s been managing Three C’s for so long now he has multiple people he can trust to run that while he focuses on RoadRunner Station.

Opening up Jan. 27, the early reviews have been uplifting, and ideas for improvement have been flowing. Talks of adding cinnamon buns for breakfast and any other food experiment that they can think of has been brought up.

What started out as a little idea for gaming that turned into a full-scale restaurant brimming with its own unique personality, Dustin said his plan for the future is to just go with the flow, and see what happens at the end of the road.