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I have more than 40 years in the news business and have successfully evolved into an electronic journalist. Comings & Goings and Southland Savvy track news about businesses in Chicago's Southland.

Smoothie Rox Closes in Orland Park

Smoothie Rox closed recently in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Smoothie Rox, a coffee and fruit smoothie shop, has closed its doors at 13133 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park.

The shop is part of a company that franchises Smoothie Rox and Paradise Smoothie shops in Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

No word from owners Terry and Laura Kelly on what happened. The shop opened in May 2009.

Arthur Custom Homes closes
Home builder and remodeler Arthur Custom Homes appears to have closed. Its phone number is disconnected and its showroom has closed at 7657 St. Francis Road in Frankfort Square. The Village of Peotone is finding contractors to finish work on a subdivision that Arthur said on its website it was developing in that town.

Bettenhausen adds Fiat
Bettenhausen Auto Group has been growing like crazy since Chrysler almost went under a couple of years ago. The latest addition for the Tinley Park dealership is Fiat, which acquired the carmaker a couple of years ago.

Bettenhausen now sells Fiats at its longstanding location at 17514 S. Oak Park Ave. in downtown Tinley Park. So far, only Fiat 500s are in stock at the dealership, but more models are coming. It’s the only Fiat store in the Southland and one of only a handful in the Midwest. Also coming sometime in the future will be Alpha Romeos, another brand owned by Fiat.

Bettenhausen also moved its Dodge and Ram truck operations to the former Saturn dealership at 8355 W. 159th St. in Tinley Park.

It sells Chryslers and Jeeps from its location at 15941 S. 94th Avenue in Orland Park. There also is a used car lot south of the Fiat store on Oak Park Avenue.

Free Lego Mini-Models
Children from 6-14 can get free Lego mini-models on the first Tuesday of the month at the Orland Square Mall store. On Aug. 2, Lego is giving away Adirondack Chair models at 5 p.m. Free while supplies last.

Going Out of Business Sales at Borders, Sid’s Greenhouse

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

There are bargains to be had starting today in Orland Park and Palos Hills as Borders and Sid’s Greenhouse have each started going out of business sales.

Sid’s Greenhouse has been a fixture at 10926 Southwest Highway in Palos Hills for 50 years. The company announced earlier this week it would close its retail nursery and garden center locations in Palos and Bolingbrook because of the weak economy. More than 100 employees will lose their jobs when the stores close.

Liquidation discounts of 30-50 percent off regular prices are now being offered at both stores. Sid’s Reward Bucks are still redeemable for up to 50 percent of the regular price. Sid’s will be accepting cash, checks, credit cards, gift cards and gift certificates during the inventory closeout.

At Borders, 15620 S. LaGrange Road, discounts are starting at 40 percent of the original price. The book store is accepting gift cards throughout the liquidation sale, but Borders Bucks will expire on July 31.Borders Rewards Plus members will enjoy additional discounts for a week longer.

The retailer said Friday that up to 35 stores may reopen as Books-a-Million locations, but did not indicate which stores might be saved or how soon a deal could be reached.

Farewell for Randy’s Market
The community is invited to Randy’s Market at 14250 S. Ravinia (143rd Street and LaGrange Road) in Orland Park at 10 a.m. tomorrow for a Prayer of Thanksgiving by All Saints Lutheran Church Pastor Don Borling. The store will end its 25-year run at 6 p.m. to make way for the village’s Main Street Triangle project.

Orland Borders Open as Usual

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The last remaining Borders bookstore in the Southland at 15620 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park is open and doing business as usual, until Thursday. That's when the retailer will ask the U.S. bankruptcy court to approve liquidation of the chain's remaing 399 stores.

On Thursday, the court is expected to sign off on the plan to shutter the stores by the end of September.

A manager at the Orland store said Tuesday that details will emerge after Thursday's court hearing but what she has heard so far is that gift cards will be redeemed throughout the liquidation and rewards will be accepted for at least the first two weeks of the liquidation.

"It sounds like rewards won't be accepted after the first two weeks," said the manager, who declined to give her name.

She also said customers were pouring into the store on Tuesday.

"It's been busier today than the past three days combined," she said. "I think it's people wanting to use up their gift cards. But we've been told gift cards will be accepted until the end."

Rosati’s Takes Over Piazza’s in Mokena

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Piazza’s Pizza closed last week at 19608 S. LaGrange Road in Mokena. But it is expected to reopen Tuesday as a Rosati’s Pizza.

The phone number is remaining the same 708-479-9400 but there are a few changes coming. For one, the hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Friday. For another, the menu is changing. To get an idea of the new menu, visit http://www.rosatislockport.com/. The owner of that location is taking over the Mokena site.

There apparently are two pizza chains called Rosati’s that have a common ancestor. One is based in Warrenville and the other in Elgin. The Mokena and Lockport locations are part of the Elgin group, which uses http://www.myrosatis.com/ 
as its website.

Mexican restaurant closes in South Holland

Taquitos Munoz closed recently at 253 E. 162nd St. in South Holland. The eatery had been open for about a year when it shut its doors.

Oak Forest businesses relocate

Pup N Suds, a dog grooming service, recently relocated from 15159 S. Cicero Ave. in Oak Forest to a new home a couple of blocks away at 4815 W. 155th St. The hours and phone number remain the same 708-687-4409.

Also moving was Great Clips, which moved its salon from 15825 S. Central Ave. to 5536 W. 159th St. The hours and phone number remain the same 708-535-9890.

El Cortez closes Orland location

El Cortez on June 26 closed its restaurant at 17171 S. Wolf Road in Orland Park. A manager at the nearby Mokena location said there wasn’t enough business at the Orland site to keep it open.

There had been lots of speculation that the Orland restaurant’s days were numbered after the chain opened at 10128 W. 191st St. in Mokena, which has proved to be quite popular. The flagship restaurant also remains open at 183rd Street and Cicero Avenue in Country Club Hills.

Deal of the week

A reminder that Speedway is giving discounts to Speedy Rewards card holders through July at locations acquired from Gas City earlier this summer. Card holders who swipe their cards get 5 cents off per gallon of regular and mid-range and 10 cents per gallon off premium. The chain also is selling any size iced tea or soft drink beverage for 67 cents.

Salina's Has New Home in Tinley Park

Salina's has a new home in Tinley Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

In case you wondered where they went, Salina’s moved into bigger and better digs at 7551 W. 175th St. in Tinley Park.

The company, which started in Oak Lawn in 1995 moved into Tinley Park in 2000, now calls itself Salina’s Catering Pizza & Rentals, which reflects its restaurant business with pizza, sandwiches and pasta, catering business for parties large and small, and rental business that can provide tables, chairs and tents for events.

Owner Neal Hummitsch said the company moved from three storefronts on 80th Avenue into a single building with lots more space and an oversized kitchen.

Hummitsch also said that for a limited time, Salina’s is offering a large (14-inch) cheese pizza for only $4.99.

“We want to stir things up a little bit to get customers to stop by our new location,” Hummitsch said.
“We want to create a little buzz for a few weeks.”

Hours at the new location remain Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 9 p.m.

But those hours can be expanded.
“We can cater 24 hours a day,” Hummitsch said. “In case there’s a business that has a night shift.”

For information, call Salina’s at 708-614-9100 or visit their website at Salina's Pizza & Catering. You can also follow them at Salina's on Facebook and Salina's on Twitter.

Komo’s Closes in Lansing
Another longtime southeast suburban business shut its doors recently with the closing of Komo’s Meats, Deli and Catering at 18036 S. Torrence Ave. in Lansing.

Owner Skip Komorowski said he closed the business after 33 years because he was retiring and his kids have their own businesses. He started at the store 50 years ago when it was called Lan-Oak Food. He changed the name after buying the business.

Komorowski, 67, was a daily fixture at the store right until the end despite suffering a heart attack and stroke.

“The worse thing is I can’t drink anymore,” he said with a laugh.

Komorowski said he intends to do a lot of fishing from his 27-foot Ranger in the future and may “do a little catering on the side.”

Bachrach Closed Temporarily
Bachrach at Orland Square Mall is temporarily closed for remodeling as the mall makes room for Francesca’s Collections, which is coming to the lower level Macy’s Court. Bachrach will reopen later this month.

Bath and Body Works Reopening
The Bath and Body Works store at 16035 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park Plaza will be reopening Aug. 3 after a remodel.

Deal of the Week
Salina’s large cheese pizza (14-inch) $4.99. Call 708-614-9100. Or order online at http://www.cateringbysalinas.com/.

 

Jewel to Close Store in Olympia Fields

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Without a change of heart by its corporate parent, Supervalu, the Jewel-Osco at 2500 Lincoln Highway in Olympia Fields will close its Osco pharmacy next week and the supermarket by the end of August. A TCF bank inside the store will stay open until October.

Olympia Fields officials are hoping – against hope probably – that the decision could be rescinded now that ownership of the retail plaza has changed hands and its new owners may be willing to make favorable changes in its lease agreement. The village has been in talks with Supervalu for the past two years to upgrade the aging store and has reportedly offered incentives to keep the store in the village.
A news release on Friday said the decision was based in part on poor performance.


The store’s 80 employees are unionized and some may be able to transfer to other Southland Jewel-Osco stores.

Jewel stores are under assault in many areas from stores such as Aldi and Food 4 Less that are far cheaper, which is a consideration given the still iffy economic situation many are facing.

Berkot’s in Lockport
Following up on an earlier item, Mokena-based Berkot’s Foods will be officially opening its new store at 500 Summit Drive in Lockport on July 28.

Chicken Deal at Chick-fil-A
Fans of the chicken sandwiches at Chick-fil-A have the chance to get free food on Friday at the restaurant at 15605 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park, or any other location for that matter. There is a catch. You have to dress like a cow. Chick-fil-A is making it easy, there’s a website that you can visit to download a cow costume kit at Cow Appreciation Day. The more you dress like a cow the more free food you will get. http://www.cowappreciationday.com/

If that doesn’t appeal to you, the restaurant also is giving away free Chicken Egg & Cheese Bagels from 6-10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 7.

Sonic Opens in Calumet City

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy


Sonic Drive-In fans in the Southeast Suburbs and Northwest Indiana no longer have to travel to Country Club Hills to get their fill of the chain’s hot dogs, burgers and frozen concoctions now that a restaurant has opened at 1299 Torrence Ave. in Calumet City.

The restaurant in the River Oaks Mall parking lot a couple of blocks south of 159th Street is the chain’s third in the Southland – joining Sonic eateries in Country Club Hills and Lockport. Its hours are 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

For information, visit Sonic Drive-In Calumet City.

Stateline Bakery closes
Paul and Joan Steffens have pulled the plug on their Stateline Bakery in Calumet City after decades of making some of the best atomic cakes, pastries and paczki in the Southland. The couple tried for years to sell the business but had no takers so they called it quits as of last June 26. Paul has indicated he will keep busy baking special orders such as wedding cakes but had enough of the daily grind.
Joan said the decision was “bittersweet” after so many years but she’s looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren.

Sephora opens in Orland
A Sephora beauty salon opened recently inside the J.C. Penney store in Orland Square Mall in Orland Park. The salon is open during store hours, Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Ashley Stewart relocates at Ford City
The Ashley Stewart women’s fashion store has moved into its new digs near Carsons at Ford City Mall in Chicago. Mall hours are Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sarku Japan at Chicago Ridge Mall
Sarku Japan, a quick service teriyaki and sushi restaurant, opened recently in the Westfield Chicago Ridge Mall food court.

Ultimate Exposure closes in Tinley
The Ultimate Exposure tanning salon closed recently at 16650 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park. But a new Ultimate Exposure took over the salon at 17821 S. 80th Avenue in the Tinley Corners shopping center.

Deal of the month: Speedway
Speedway is rolling back gas prices at gas stations it acquired recently from Gas City for holders of the chain’s Speedy Rewards card. Members can save 5 cents per gallon on regular and plus fuels and 10 cents per gallon on premium fuel from July 1-31. Stations include those in Tinley Park, Frankfort, Mokena and New Lenox. For a complete list of stations, visit Speedway July Gas Deal.