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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.

Advance Auto Parts Opens in Mokena

Advance Auto Parts is now open in Mokena.
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy


Virginia-based Advance Auto Parts opened its after-market auto store today in the last remaining outlot at the Mokena Town Square shopping center at LaGrange and LaPorte roads in Mokena.

The store, which is next to the A&W Root Beer and KFC restaurant, is the company’s 11th in the Chicago Southland.
For information, call 708-478-8098 or visit them online at Advance Auto.

Jos. A Bank Reopens at Orland Square Mall

Men’s clothier Jos. A. Bank opened recently its new upper level location on Aug. 18 at Orland Square Mall 
in Orland Park.

The store moved into the space vacated by Ruby Tuesday while its own former downstairs space will become home later this year to The Cheesecake Factory.

For information, call 708-226-1191 or visit them online atJos. A. Bank.

Sweet Deal for Metra Station

Tinley Park officials have selected Isn’t That Sweet of Palos Heights to provide pastries, light lunch and coffee to commuters at the 80th Avenue Metra Station. Owner Nicole Betourney should be open for business later this year.

Home Run Inn Coming to Beverly

Home Run Inn has announced on its Facebook page that its pizzeria at 10900 S. Western Ave. in the Beverly community is scheduled to open in October. The restaurant originally was expected to be open by this spring.

The Beverly location will be the chain’s ninth restaurant in the Chicago area.

The dine-in restaurant will be about 4,000 square feet in size and is being built on two adjoining lots. It will seat about 120 people and offer liquor.

The chain was started in 1947 at 4254 W. 31st St.

Calls to marketing director Gina Bolger were not returned.

New Look for Lady Foot Locker

The Lady Foot Locker shoe store inside Ford City Shopping Center, 7601 S. Cicero Ave. in Chicago, recently finished a remodeling project.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland at www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com.

Lou Malnati’s Coming to Oak Lawn

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy 

Lou Malnati’s pizza chain is hoping to open its latest location at 5261 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn by the first week of November.

The Oak Lawn location would be No. 35 for the chain, which is famous for its deep dish pizza.

“Most of our locations are in Chicago and the northern suburbs,” said Director of Marketing Mindy Kaplan. 
“But we just opened a store in Joliet and are looking more into expanding in the south suburbs.

“We’re really excited about opening a location in Oak Lawn,” Kaplan said.

Lou Malnati’s is renovating a vacant building next door to the new Eva’s Bridal shop and across the street from the library in downtown Oak Lawn.

The new restaurant will offer catering, carry-out and delivery only. The chain has 22 carry-out stores and 12 locations that offer sit-down dining.

The company was established by Lou Malnati in Lincolnwood in 1971 and is still owned by the Malnati family.

For more information, visit Lou Malnati’s online.

Carson’s to Close at River Oaks

Bon-Ton Stores announced earlier this week it would close its Carson’s store at River Oaks Mall in Calumet City when its lease expires at the end of January.

The company said the 75 employees at the store would be allowed to interview for positions at other Carson’s stores or would receive severance benefits.

Mariano’s Groundbreaking in Frankfort

Village of Frankfort officials and corporate bigwigs from Roundy’s Supermarket in Milwaukee officially broke ground this week for the company’s Mariano’s Fresh Market near U.S. 30 and LaGrange Road in the village. The store is scheduled to open in the spring.

Bedding Experts Now Open in Romeoville

A Bedding Experts store is holding its grand opening at 42 S. Weber Road in Romeoville in the Jewel-Osco plaza. For information, call 815-372-9012 or visit the store online.

Schilling Now Hiring

Schilling Design Center and Lumber Yard at 9900 W. 191st St. in Mokena is hiring drivers, sales expeditors, warehouse workers and yard associates. For information and an online application, visit them online at Schilling Lumber in Mokena.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland at www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com.

BP says bad gas was sold at stations across the Southland, not all were BP

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Turns out, BP stations as far west as Joliet received the fuel and that the bad gas also was sold by several non-BP stations including Speedway and Thorntons.

BP says drivers who bought the bad gas will notice immediate problems including hard starting, stalling and rough idling. Repairs require draining the gas tank and cleaning the fuel system and can run from $300 to more than $1,000.

If you think you purchased the bad gas, call the BP claim center at 800-599-9040 or visit the company’s web site at www.bpresponse.com.

Here is a list of gas stations in the Southland that sold the bad gas, according to BP.

Frankfort
BP at Lincoln Highway and LaGrange Road
Speedway stations at 19730 S. Harlem Ave., 11151 W. Lincoln Highway, 7218 W. Lincoln Highway

Evergreen Park
BP at 2620 W. 95th St.
Independent station at 9803 S. Kedzie

Chicago Heights
BPs at 605 Dixie Highway, 322 W. Lincoln Highway

Crestwood
BP at 13459 S. Cicero Ave.

Crete
BP at 24525 S. Western Ave.

Calumet Park
BP at 12701 S. Paulina
Independent station at 12659 S. Ashland

Harvey
Marathon station at 15355 Dixie Highway

Hazel Crest
BP at 17460 Kedzie

Hickory Hills
BP at 7933 W. 95th St.

Homer Glen
Speedway at 15060 S. Bell Road

Hometown
BP at 4721 W. 87th St.

Joliet
BPs at 1987 W. Jefferson, 1411 Riverboat
Thornton stations at 1602 Essington Road, 2798 W. Jefferson

Justice
Citgo station at 8755 W. 79th St.

Lansing
BP at 17002 S. Torrence Ave.
GoLo station at 18595 S. Torrence Ave.

Markham
BP at 16655 S. Crawford

Mokena
BP at 9545 W. 191st St.

New Lenox
BP at 103 Maple St.

Matteson
BP at 21102 Governors Highway
Speedway at 19880 Crawford Ave.

Oak Forest
BP at 5548 W. 159th St.

Oak Lawn
BPs at 5870 W. 95th St., 10259 S. Cicero Ave., 11040 S. Crawford Ave.

Olympia Fields
Speedway at 3602 W. 211th St.

Orland Park
BP 14299 S. LaGrange Road

Palos Heights
BP at 12700 S. Harlem Ave.
Power station at 6400 W. 127th St.

Richton Park
BP at 4769 Sauk Trail

South Holland
BP at 951 E. 162nd St.

Tinley Park
Delta Sonic at 6800 W. 159th St.
Speedway stations at 18460 S. 80th Avenue, 7201 W. 183rd St.

University Park
Raceco station at Stuenkel Road and Cicero Avenue

Chicago
BPs at 10302 S. Torrence, 6500 S. Kedzie, 10300 S. Western Ave.

Bookie’s Paperbacks Survives Run-In

Bookie's Paperbacks is open after surviving a run-in with a car.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Bookie’s Paperbacks is the second area business to survive a run-in with a vehicle this month.

A motorist plowed into the bookstore on Aug. 12 and knocked out a wall, front window and front counter at 2419 W. 103rd St. in Chicago’s Beverly community.

“The store was crowded, but miraculously, nobody was hurt,” said owner Allison Platt.

“We were closed for three days while we cleaned up,” she said. “Now we’re open for business again.”

Platt said a brick mason was at the store last week to start putting the wall back up.


Earlier this month, the Hostess/Wonder Bread outlet store at 87th Street and Ridgeland Avenue in Burbank was hit by a car after hours. An employee was in the back of the store but no one was injured in that incident.
  
Brookside Marketplace Expansion

DDR Corp., which purchased Brookside Marketplace in Tinley Park earlier this year, has proposed adding a 23,344-square-foot free-standing building for an unnamed nationally known retailer.

The development would be built between the Best Buy parking lot and a small strip of stores to the south.

It would be the first new development by DDR and the first for the shopping center since an expansion last year opened up space for Old Navy, Home Goods and Five Below.

Palos McDonald’s Being Demolished

The McDonald’s at 7100 W. 127th St. in Palos Heights closed Saturday afternoon and demolition was to begin today on the fast-food restaurant.

Once the site has been cleared, work will begin on a new McDonald’s that will feature a new design. The children’s play area will disappear but the new building will have side-by-side ordering lanes, an upscale interior, free Wi-Fi and laptop charging stations.

Construction on the new McDonald’s should be complete by late fall or early winter.

The work is part of a nationwide remodeling campaign by McDonald’s and its franchise owners. Older McDonald’s have been torn down and rebuilt in recent months in South Holland and Munster, Ind.

Free Gyros on Tuesday
Our deal of the week comes from Kronos Foods, the purveyor of meat and other foods to many Greek restaurants in the Southland, which is offering its fourth annual free gyros day on Tuesday, Aug. 28.  


Participating restaurants also will be taking donations for the Fisher House Foundation’s Help Yourself & You Can Help a Hero campaign to raise money for Fisher House on the campus at Hines VA Hospital in Maywood.

This year, the top four restaurants whose customers raise the most money for the Fisher House Foundation will each give a free Kronos T-shirt to the first 100 customers who order a gyros sandwich on Tuesday, Sept. 25. The restaurants will be announced on Facebook, Twitter and Kronos’ website.

Participating restaurants can be found at the Kronos website but they include Bees Steak and Lemonade in Country Club Hills, Goody’s & Gyros in Homer Glen, Grill King in Palos Hills, Johnny’s Wee-Nee Wagon in Markham, Kojaks in Burbank, Nick’s BBQ in Palos Heights, Burbank, Homer Glen, Romeoville and Tinley Park, Pop’s in Lockport, Crown Point, Dyer, Tinley Park, Romeoville, Orland Park, Mokena, Homewood and Palos Heights, and The Original Babys in Country Club Hills.

Rosati’s Closes in Tinley, to Relocate

Rosati’s closed recently at 171st Street and Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park, but a spokesman for the company said the franchise would be reopening soon at 76th Avenue and 159th Street in the village.

Pure Core Nutrition Opens in Orland

Owner John Ziccarelli recently opened a Pure Core Nutrition health store at 15880 S. LaGrange Road in 

Orland Park. For information, call 708-403-1000.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland at www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com.

Tinley Couple Open Bakery in Frankfort

Sweet Dreams Cakes and Bakery is now open in Frankfort Square.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Deon and Vicki O'Bryant, who live in Tinley Park and have been selling cakes at farmers markets under the name Sweet Dreams Cakes, opened a bakery over the weekend at 80th Avenue and Lincoln Highway in Frankfort Square.

Sweet Dreams Cakes and Bakery is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6:30 a.m. to noon Sundays.


Bar Louie Opens in Matteson

Bar Louie, a national chain of nightclubs, opened earlier this year inside the renovated Matteson Holiday Inn, 500 Holiday Plaza Dr. (next to the U.S. 30 and Interstate 57 interchange).

A Bar Louie location on LaGrange Road in Orland Park closed back in February 2010.

For information, call 708-898-0124 or visit them online atBar Louie or visit their Facebook page.

Portillo’s Hiring in New Lenox

Portillo’s is hiring for its new location at 2306 E. Lincoln Highway in New Lenox. Apply in person on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Atrium Point, 1938 E. Lincoln Highway, Suite 214. For information, visit them online at Portillo’s.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland at www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com.

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