CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Local businesses are gearing up as alumni from across the nation head back to the University of Illinois for homecoming. For one beloved campus restaurant, this year’s event will carry a sentimental undertone.

Restaurants are expected to be overflowing with Fighting Illini supporters, especially with the football team’s favorable ranking. This is particularly true for Papa Del’s Pizza, a place many regard as a campus tradition. The restaurant eagerly anticipates the weekend, though they acknowledge it will feel different without the presence of the person who solidified Papa Del’s legacy.

This homecoming, the General Manager of Papa Del’s remarked that the atmosphere will not be the same. Andrea Seten, the daughter of the original founder and owner Robert Monti, shared her thoughts on the occasion.

“Homecoming has always been a major event for us; we actually opened during Homecoming weekend in 1970,” Seten reflected. “My father would always leave the game early to assist, whether we needed it or not, to ensure everything ran smoothly.”

Monti died in June. Seten said he lived and breathed Fighting Illini athletics.

“It is a little different not having him going to those games,” Seten said.

And he appreciated people choosing to spend their time at Papa Del’s after Illinois games.

“Seeing the crowd pour in after the game, everyone dressed in orange, eager to place their orders was something he cherished,” Seten continued. “For him, the blend of sports like football and basketball with pizza was a sign he was on the right track.”

And some new decorations are making their way to the restaurant to help honor his love of the orange and blue.

“We’ve coordinated with the university to secure his parking spot signs and more,” Seten noted. “I plan to have them installed by tomorrow.”

Seten said she’s looking forward to serving deep dish to Illini fans this weekend, and that it would help if the team walked away with a win.