Effingham, IL – August 18, 2026 — A lifelong passion for cooking, more than two decades spent building restaurants across the country, and a leap into the restaurant business during the height of COVID-19 all helped shape Lucia’s Italian Kitchen, one of the newest members of the Effingham County Chamber.
Owned by Chef Geno McWilliams, Lucia’s Italian Kitchen brings traditional Italian dishes, quality ingredients and a distinctive open-kitchen dining experience to 400 W. Clark Ave., Suite 108 in Effingham.
McWilliams’ interest in Italian cooking began as a child watching his Italian mother cook in Cicero, Illinois. Although he dreamed of becoming a chef, his career initially took him into construction. He spent 23 years in the industry, eventually owning a construction company specializing in building restaurants throughout the country.
Cooking, however, remained a constant. While traveling for construction projects, McWilliams continued developing his skills, bringing along cooking equipment and spending time learning in restaurants across the country before ultimately leaving construction to pursue his passion full-time.
Lucia’s opened in November 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as one of three concepts operating from McWilliams’ Kitchens Unlimited ghost kitchen. With dine-in service unavailable, Lucia’s began with takeout and delivery before gaining a following and moving into its current dine-in location in November 2021.
Today, the intimate restaurant features an entirely open kitchen, allowing guests to watch dishes being prepared and plated. Ten chef-counter seats offer an even closer look and the opportunity to interact with McWilliams and his team. The concept was designed to recreate the feeling of being welcomed into the kitchen for a Sunday dinner at home.
That emphasis on hospitality has become just as important to McWilliams as the food itself. Lucia’s pairs traditional Italian cooking with an experience centered on making guests feel welcome, while using carefully selected ingredients that include locally sourced products and flour imported from Italy.
McWilliams is a member of the U.S. Pizza Team and continues to hone his craft while introducing diners in Effingham and beyond to his approach to Italian cuisine.
To view the menu or learn more, visit LuciasIK.com, follow Lucia’s Italian Kitchen on Facebook @Lucia’s Italian Kitchen or Instagram @LuciasEffingham, email geno.lucias@gmail.com, or call (217) 207-0226.
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Pictured: Geno McWilliams, Owner/Chef, Lucia’s Italian Kitchen; members of the Lucia’s Italian Kitchen team; and Effingham County Chamber President & CEO Katie Koester, Chamber Membership Director Becky Brown, and Chamber Ambassador Michael Wall (HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital Foundation).