THE SPORTING HOUSE HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING, UNVEILS NEW MURAL
The Sporting House
618-352-3145
11 7 N. Oak St. | Centralia, IL
https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Sporting-House-61584210642888/
The Sporting House, in partnership with the Centralia Chamber of Commerce, hosted a ribbon cutting Wednesday in honor of the new restaurant’s opening.
Attended by The Sporting House owners and staff, Chamber members, and local media, the ceremony was held outside the business underneath its brand-new hand-painted mural by Jamie Allen of Studio Bee.
Owners Shannon and Mindy Cooney thanked those who came, as well as Allen for her work on the mural, and the staff at The Sporting House.
“I just want to say thank you. The Sporting House has been really well-received by the community,” said Shannon. “We are excited to have a place where families can come and watch sporting events, support the Orphans, Kaskaskia, or any other local sports teams.”
Mindy added, “I think this is exciting. It’s not really about any one business downtown. It’s really about the synergy of the businesses down here, of all the action down here. Each little thing that opens feeds into that synergy, and it’s really fun to see and hopefully has a snowball effect.
City Manager Galen Mahle congratulated the Cooneys on their latest downtown restaurant, mentioning the positive impact they have had on both Centralia and its surrounding communities.
“I think a lot of that attributes back to the Cooneys and what they started here, and what so many other people have picked up, and continuing to build steam here in downtown and throughout other parts as a whole,” said Mahle. “Other communities are seeing it, too….thank you to the Cooneys and everyone that is involved in what they do, because it really is helping Centralia make some strides in continuing to be a better community.”
Matthew Packman, membership director of the Centralia Chamber of Commerce, thanked the Cooney’s for their continued investment in the Greater Centralia Area, insisting that their endeavors have amplified the everyday living experience in the community.
“On behalf of the chamber we want to thank you all for being here today to celebrate The Sporting House. We want to thank Shannon and Mindy and Cooney Hospitality Group for continuing to invest in this community and really enriching the quality of life here in town.”
The Sporting House opened for business on Dec. 3, 2025. The restaurant features a full bar, lunch, Happy Hour, and late-night menus, sports coverage, gaming, and more.
