ROCKFORD — After months of delays, it appears what is billed as Rockford’s first hybrid restaurant — serving everything from coffee to sushi and spirits — is on the verge of opening.

"We’re hell-bent on opening in the first week of February,” said Ted Brothers, a partner in Capital House, 308 W. State St. Brothers is overseeing the construction of the restaurant, which occupies the site of the former Kryptonite Bar. Kryptonite closed in July 2016.

Capital House was originally slated to open last spring but the establishment’s Facebook page says it has had to “patiently navigate through the bureaucracy of the city of Rockford and the county of Winnebago.” Brothers, a Boston native, said the delay is “partially my fault. I’m not from Illinois. I didn’t know the political landscape. While the process has been frustrating, there has been a significant learning curve.”

Winnebago County Health Department Director of Environmental Health Todd Marshall confirms the Health Department conducted a final inspection of Capital House on Thursday. Marshall says Capital House has received a food permit. As for the delay? Marshall said, "It's the responsibility of the owner of the establishment to have final inspections conducted by all of the appropriate agencies. In this case, it's the city of Rockford, the Rockford Fire Department and the Rock River Water Reclamation District. Once we received confirmation that those inspections were completed, the Health Department followed up immediately."

The Capital House construction was completed nearly four months ago at a cost of $250,000, Brothers said.

“We had to put in an additional $30,000 in changes after we were approved by the city,” he said. Those changes include a new tile wall behind the restaurant’s coffee section, a new ceiling in the dish room, and an additional venting system. Brothers said the Winnebago County Health Department’s final inspection of Capital House “should be in the next couple of days.” According to Brothers, “We have complied with everything asked of us. I think the city and the county can streamline the permit process to make it a little easier.”

Alderman Chad Tuneberg represents Rockford’s 3rd Ward, which includes a portion of downtown. "The McNamara Administration has done some things to improve the business climate in Rockford. I want to make sure we are constantly striving to lay the groundwork for making the community as business friendly as possible. I want to make sure entrepreneurs coming into downtown are being welcomed." Tuneberg added, "I want to make sure the rules and regulations aren't so burdensome and cumbersome that they prevent businesses from opening."

Capital House’s menu will include steaks, seafood, sautés, pastas, breakfast sandwiches and homemade soups. The establishment will also feature a coffee bar, sushi bar, and a wine and martini bar. “We are targeting urban workers and urban dwellers,” Brothers said. The restaurant will have 16 employees and will be open from 7 a.m. until late, seven days a week. Capital House is expected to generate $365,000 a year in sales tax revenue.

Brothers said his plans to open an urban grocery store on the ground floor of the Rockford Trust Building at West State and Wyman streets are on hold until Capital House opens its doors to the public. The 113-year-old Trust Building houses the recently opened Burnham Loft Apartments. “I’m going to take things step by step and have the city and the county more heavily involved.” Brothers said he is scrapping plans to open a Chicago-style chop house in downtown Rockford. The revised plan, he said, is to open the restaurant in The Wagner House, a three-story industrial warehouse in downtown Freeport.

While Capital House is not yet open to the public, the restaurant has hosted occasional special events, including The Better Business Bureau’s Torch Awards on Wednesday night.

Brothers said he is excited about Capital House’s business model. He said the restaurant will feature live blues and jazz performers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Brothers is also bullish on downtown Rockford’s future. “Downtown, west of the river, has tremendous potential,” he said. Brothers disagrees with the perception that downtown Rockford is unsafe but he adds, “Commerce is the best tool to combat crime or the perception of a crime problem downtown.”