Abe's, We're Proud of You!

[JAN. 27, 2000]  When your brother-in-law from Hinsdale visits Lincoln and you want to impress him with the quality of life in our fair town, where do you go? Ask most Logan County folks that question, and their answer will include Abe’s, the carmelcorn shop on North Kickapoo Street.

Why is a carmelcorn shop considered something so special that Lincolnites gloat about it? For one thing, Abe’s is far more than a carmelcorn shop; it outgrew its name years ago. But the real reason is that the family that owns the business believes in old-fashioned pride in workmanship.

“This is a family-owned business,” explains Helen Rainforth, “and everything that Abe’s is reflects on the Rainforths. We are proud of our family and proud of our business. We have worked very hard for many years to build what we have today.”

In September of 1983 the Rainforths purchased the Carmelcorn Shoppe from Nancy Pineda of Lincoln. The store was located on the corner of Kickapoo and Pekin and featured chocolates, penny candy and popcorn. The Rainforths changed the name to Abe’s, fitting in the town that Honest Abe christened with watermelon juice in 1853.

“We enlarged and enhanced the popcorn production and began to secure corporate clients,” Mrs. Rainforth tells with a gleam of reminiscence in her eye. “We added toys, stuffed animals, more candy and gift items.”

Within two years the Rainforths opened an Abe’s in downtown Normal, where it served college students from Illinois State University and families from the community. In 1990, Helen’s husband Larry quit his job as a veterinary supply vendor and went full-time with Abe’s.

"We took a big step in 1992, when our son Lance graduated from Illinois State University,” says Mrs. Rainforth. “With Lance now on board as part of our management team, we opened an Abe’s at the Metro Centre in Peoria and we purchased the Knights of Columbus building in Lincoln.”

The Knights of Columbus building was just a half block south of Abe’s on Kickapoo Street. First the Rainforths set up a popcorn production center on the second floor of the KCs, and the KCs still occupied the ground floor. By 1994, the KCs had moved to their new building on the east side of Lincoln and Abe’s opened a specialty food shop on the first floor of the old KCs building. They continued to operate the Abe’s at the corner of Kickapoo and Pekin, adding a Lickety Split ice cream shop in the summertime.

When they needed extra help, someone from the family always seemed available to fill a void. Lance’s older brother, Vince, worked with the business at several points along the way before joining Principal Financial in Chicago.

“Finally, we moved our entire Lincoln operation to 117 N. Kickapoo [former KCs building],” Mrs. Rainforth continues. “We fashioned the store after the successful format we had developed in Peoria. We were now able to offer the community of Lincoln much more. We put in gourmet food, kitchenware, windsocks, toiletries, candles and home accents.”

If you think the Rainforths are ready to rest on their laurels, you are wrong. Lance is taking the lead in a new online business that will enable anyone in the world to order Abe’s products. The company already ships products worldwide, for corporate clients and for individuals. The online store will greatly expand the scope of the business. The Rainforths expect the online business to be fully operating by Easter of this year.

The next time your brother-in-law comes to Lincoln and you point your car toward Abe’s, tell him the story of the Rainforth family. A family’s pride in workmanship and good decision making have given Lincoln a special spot to show our out-of-town relatives.