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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.

Eagle Sports Range, Point Blank Range now open in south suburbs

Eagle Sports Range is now open in Oak Forest. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

A new shooting range that was plagued by delays finally opened last month in Oak Forest and another new range opened in Mokena.

Eagle Sports Range opened Oct. 6 at 5900 W. 159th St. in Oak Forest at the former Community Motors auto dealership. Point Blank Range & Gun Shop opened Oct. 24 at 18810 S. 88th Avenue.

“We are so pleased to welcome Eagle Sports Range to our community,” Mayor Hank Kuspa said in a release.  “It’s definitely going to be a destination for Oak Forest and the Chicago Southland overall.” 

The 30,000-square-foot facility includes climate-controlled indoor shooting bays (six long-range, 22 short-range), firearm and retail space, a training simulator, a viewing area, a full-service gunsmith shop and private member lounges.  It also includes meeting rooms for conceal carry classes, safety seminars, instructional sport shooting, and self-defense training.

“There’s really nothing like it in the area,” Oak Forest Community Development Director Adam Dotson said in the release.  “From the lobby to the ranges to the classrooms, the owners have paid attention to detail to ensure a safe, positive experience for seasoned and novice shooters alike.”

"Eagle Sports Range will be an important economic driver that will benefit the City of Oak Forest and the Chicago Southland," Jim Garrett, President/CEO for the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau, said in the release. “We look forward to attracting marksmanship competitions that will lead to job creation and additional tax revenues.”

The gun range had been expected to open in the first quarter of 2016 but was delayed by construction problems, inspections  and permits.

"There have been many factors that have resulted in our missed dates, from construction to inspections, we have faced many hurdles that come with any business start up and major construction project," owners wrote in early September on the range's Facebook page.

The range is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

For more information, visit Eagle Sports  or call 708-535-3000. 

Ohio-based Point Blank Range & Gun Shop is now open in Mokena and a second southwest suburban store is getting ready to open in Hodgkins.

The two gun stores will be the company's first in Illinois. It also has stores in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky and plans to build more.

Plans were announced in August for a Point Blank location in Merrillville in northwest Indiana.

Construction started last year on the store at 9400 W. 63rd St. in Hodgkins near the Quarry Mall and is expected to be open soon. The store will have 20 shooting lanes and 4,000 square feet of classrooms and offices. The total size of the space is 15,080 square feet with parking space for 80-90 cars.

Construction began earlier this year on the 16,000-square-foot store at 18810 S. 88th Avenue in Mokena, which opened Oct. 24. The range there is expected to employ up to 40 people. The building will have 22 pistol ranges, two classrooms, a large retail area and a storage area. There will be 90 parking spaces with an entrance from 88th Avenue.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Plans call for Point Blank to later add a 13,000-square-foot rifle range at the same site.

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.com and www.southlandsavvy.blogspot.com

Office Max closing at Brookside Marketplace

Office Max is closing Nov. 12 at the Brookside Marketplace in Tinley Park. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Office Depot is closing its Office Max store at the Brookside Marketplace in Tinley Park.

The office supply store at 7360 W. 191st St. started its going out of business sale three weeks ago and will close on Saturday, Nov. 12.

The 18,000-square-foot store is one of 300 stores the company announced earlier this year it would close over the next three years. The chain had already closed 400 stores after its acquisition of Office Max in 2013.

The chain is advising customers to shop at the Office Max store in Matteson.

The store closing is the second at the shopping center since August when the Bank of America branch at 7228 W. 191st St. closed. That 4,000-square-foot property is listed for lease on the shopping center's website.

A sign on the front door said the location was closed because of its proximity to other Bank of America locations in Tinley Park, Frankfort, Country Club Hills and Matteson.

Irish sports bar opens in Midlothian


By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

JP Flannery's opened last month at 4025 W. 147th St. in Midlothian.

Co-owner Jim McAuliffe called the new pub, which opened on Sept. 22, an "Irish sports bar."

Although McAuliffe is part of the family that operates Durbin's restaurants across the south suburbs, he said PJ Flannery's is not affiliated with the chain.

McAuliffe said his partner is Robin Flannery and the idea for PJ Flannery's was his and hers.

"We came up with the idea for an Irish sports bar," he said and PJ Flannery's definitely fits that description.

The bar is about 4,400 square feet and has indoor table seating for 22 and seating for 35 at the bar. There's also an outdoor patio that has bar seating for 16 and table seating for 55.

The pub features pool tables, dart machines, Golden Tee golf game, hockey game and a bowling game. Patrons can also play bags on the patio. Leagues are forming.

And like any good sports bar there are big screen televisions. Sixteen of them. All 65 to 75 inches.
Video gaming machines are coming, McAuliffe said. "The state has to sign off on the license. It takes about  a month after you open."

PJ Flannery's also has food.

"It's good bar food," he said. "We have pizza, burgers, appetizers and salads." There are free appetizers and a free pizza buffet at halftime during Bears games.

While there's no private party room, McAuliffe said they could accommodate parties on the patio.
Hours are from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

For information, call 708-926-9662 or visit them on Facebook.

Champps closes in Orland Park

Three Champps sports bars in Illinois closed at the end of August including the location at 16165 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park. Also closed were Champps locations in Lombard and Schaumburg.

Last Call Guarantor LLC, the corporate parent for the Champps locations as well as Fox & Hound sports bars, closed 25 locations nationwide at the end of August as part of a deal to keep the company solvent long enough to be sold. Three Fox & Hound locations in Aurora, Schaumburg and Arlington Heights remain open.

Last week, Fun Eats and Drinks LLC, a subsidiary of San Diego-based investment firm Kelly Investment Group, bought Last Call for $26.8 million at a U.S. bankruptcy court auction.

The building is now for lease.

It was the second time a sports bar in that location was closed because of a bankruptcy. A Fox & Hound sports bar closed Nov. 30, 2014, before reopening Dec. 3, 2014, as a Champps.

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.com and www.southlandsavvy.blogspot.com

Billy Jo's now open in Bridgeview

Billy Jo's is now open in Bridgeview. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

A new restaurant with roots that stretch back to Calumet City opened last month in southwest suburban Bridgeview.

Owner Bill Karambenis opened Billy Jo's restaurant at 8032 S. Harlem Ave.

"We'll probably have our grand opening at the beginning of August," he said.

Karambenis said Billy Jo's would have a menu similar to the one at Panos Big Boy in Calumet City. He worked for his father-in-law there for 11 years.

"We would have customers come from as far away as Nashville," he said. "I'll try to stay with that concept.

"We'll have subs, gyros, Italian beef, hamburgers and hotdogs," he said.  The specialty of the house will be butter garlic fries.

The restaurant is a new construct and Karambenis said he had been working on Billy Jo's since November.

Billy Jo's will offer dine-in, carry out and have a drive-thru lane.

Karambenis said the restaurant would open at 10 a.m. daily. He said closing hours haven't been decided yet.

"We'll see how it is going at the beginning," he said.

Karambenis said he would probably have a staff of five or six when fully operational.

For information, check out his Facebook page at Billy Jo's - Bridgeview.

Frozen yogurt shop closes

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt, which opened in October 2014 in the former Wonderburger location, has closed at 11045 S. Kedzie Ave. in Chicago's Mount Greenwood community.

A sign on the door read, "We've closed our doors. Thank you for your business and support."

Wonderburger closed in March 2014 after being open for 60 years.

Arthouse closes in Palos

Despite efforts to sell the business, the Arthouse of Palos Heights closed last month after more than 30 years at 12707 S. Ridgeland Ave.

Mother and daughter owners Janice and Heather bought the business in 2006. It was known for custom framing everything from artwork to sports jerseys to wall collages.

Owners Janice and Heather decided to try their hand at something else and started looking for a buyer for the business to no avail.

U-Haul closes one store in Oak Lawn, opens another


U-Haul of Oak Lawn announced that its location at 4650 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn, which had been in operation since 1976, closed its doors for the final time on May 23.

The store was sold to neighboring business Mancari's Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram dealership, which will expand its lot with the adjoining property.

The company said the need to better serve U-Haul customers and upgrade performance prompted the closing. The closed U-Haul store was initially an adaptive reuse project that served as a car dealership property.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Oak Lawn at 8900 S. Cicero Ave. opened earlier this year to fill the void left by the closing of the 95th Street location and meet the moving and self-storage needs of southern Cook County.

The 2.43-acre U-Haul Moving & Storage of Oak Lawn property was acquired on May 12.

"With this store, we will be able to offer self-storage, more trucks and better accessibility to Cicero Avenue, the main thruway in town," Rocc Bolden, U-Haul Company of Chicago South & Southwest Suburbs president, said in a release.

"Pretty much everything is better at this store," Bolden said. "People are excited about the new location. A lot of customers from the closed store have come over to see us, and new customers have come in that didn't know we were there. Once our self-storage project is finished, this is going to be the type of full-service U-Haul facility that this community deserves."

The new location offers truck and trailer rentals, towing equipment and professional hitch installation, U-Box portable moving and self-storage containers, moving supplies, boxes and much more. Propane is expected to be available in the coming months. The lot allows for a significantly larger inventory of rental equipment than the smaller, closed location.

In addition to a 21,438-square-foot building on-site, U-Haul intends to construct a pristine self-storage facility that will hold about 600 indoor climate-controlled units at varying sizes and price points, with all of the latest security features available.

Self-storage units are expected to be available in 2017. In the meantime, customers have access to storage via U-Box containers, which encompass 257 cubic feet and feature one-ton-capacity. U-Haul Moving & Storage of Oak Lawn can store up to 100 U-Box containers.

For information, call general manager Marc Coffman at 708-422-2332. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday; 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Oak Lawn will hire at least two more employees once the storage facility is built, and Bolden said there would be an emphasis on hiring locally.

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.com 

Bertucci's to reopen in Palos Hills

Bertucci's is planning on reopening in Palos Hills under a new name. (Photo by Bob Bong)

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Bertucci's restaurant, which closed in Palos Hills without warning in early March, appears ready to make a comeback.

The Italian eatery at 10331 S. Roberts Road gave no indication or warning when it closed, but signs have been posted on the property indicating it will reopen and is now hiring.

A spokesman at Palos Hills City Hall, which is next door to the restaurant, said, "Evidently, he got his financing and plans to reopen."

The 2,000-square-foot building had been listed for sale at $179,000 on local real estate web sites and was sold for $160,000. The apparent buyer was PKKS Inc., which lists the property address as its business address and its agent as Klaudia Szulkowska.

The spokesman said that licenses for the business had been approved but had not been picked up, including a liquor license, which are necessary before it can get the state liquor license or open for business.

"It's new name will be Bertucci's Mediterranean Taverna," said the spokesman.

Meijer opens superstore in Flossmoor

The Michigan-based Meijer supermarket chain opened its new supercenter June 23 in south suburban Flossmoor.

The store at 3800 Vollmer Road was one of two new stores the chain opened in Illinois. The other is in north suburban Round Lake Beach. It will be the retailer's fifth store in the south suburbs with other locations in Orland Park, Evergreen Park, Mokena and Homer Glen.

The store opening culminates a project that began 25 years ago when Flossmoor bought the land, cleared it and added infrastructure in an effort to lure a big-box retailer to the village.

Construction on the 192,000-square-foot store took about a year. As a supercenter, it will carry food as well as general merchandise. The store will have a full service pharmacy with a drive-thru, electronics department and lawn and garden center.

Hours will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

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.com 

Sabre Room closes in Hickory Hills

The Sabre Room has closed for good in Hickory Hills. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The south suburbs lost another iconic meeting place when the Sabre Room shut its doors for good after 67 years of hosting weddings, New Year's Eve parties and Hollywood stars including Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra.

The banquet hall at 8900 W. 95th St. in Hickory Hills called it quits at the end of business May 29.

It's the second such landmark meeting place to close in Hickory Hills in less than a year. Lexington House closed in August and was the site was sold to DriveTime Auto Group for a used car dealership.

The Sabre Room was founded by Arnold and Marie Muzzarelli in 1949 on the 30-acre site of the luxury Dynell Spring Spa, which dates back to the 1920s.

A city official said that a developer had expressed interest in the property but no plans had been submitted.

Noodles sets grand opening in Tinley
Photo by Bob Bong
Noodles and Company will hold a grand opening Wednesday, July 13, for its newest store at the Tinley Park Plaza shopping center.

The grand opening will be from 10 a.m. to noon at 15915 S. Harlem Ave. in a newly constructed four-unit outlot building at the northern end of the plaza parking lot. The ribbon cutting is set for 10:45 a.m.

Noodles is a national chain that features  a variety of pasta dishes.

The plaza is owned by Brixmor.

Walmart opens in Richton Park

Arkansas-based Walmart opened its new superstore last month at Sauk Trail and Central Avenue in Richton Park.

The new store opened June 1 and replaces an existing store that had been operating at 21410 S. Cicero Ave. in Matteson.

About 150 new employees were hired to staff the new store along with about 200 employees who moved over from the Matteson store.

The new store is about 182,000 square feet and carries groceries and has a pharmacy in addition to the usual merchandise found at Walmart. It also has fueling stations.

As part of its move from Matteson to Richton Park, Walmart donated $1,500 to the Richton Park Police Department.

Mattress store closes in Tinley

A Mattress Firm store at 16005 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park closed recently.

The store used to be a Bedding Experts location and was among those acquired by Mattress Firm when that company bought up the Bedding Experts and Back to Bed chains as part of a $60 million deal in 2014 in which it moved into the Chicago marketplace.

The company also operates a Mattress Firm store across the street at 15970 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park.

A Bedding Expert store at 14724 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park has been converted into a Mattress Firm clearance store.

Houston-based Mattress Firm has been gobbling up smaller chains and earlier this year acquired Sleepy's, an East Coast-based mattress company, as part of a $780 million deal.


The combined company will have more than 3,500 stores nationwide and 80 distribution centers. Many of those stores are within block of each other as a result of the acquisitions.

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.com 

One-stop sweet shop opens in Tinley Park

Time 4 Sweets will hold its grand opening this week in Tinley Park. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Her love of coffee and his love of sweets lead an Orland Hills couple to open a sweet shop in Tinley Park.

Time 4 Sweets at 17119 S. 88th Avenue in Tinley Park is what co-owner Anita McGee calls a "one-stop sweet shop."

McGee, whose partner is her husband Robert, opened the store on Feb. 12 and will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 5, ahead of their grand opening weekend of May 6-7.

Although nothing was definite yet, McGee said they would have special deals and offers during the grand opening weekend.

"My husband and I came up with the idea because he's a lover of sweets and I love coffee," said McGee, who spent 18 years in the banking industry. "We decided to combine the ideas into a one-stop sweet shop."

McGee said the 1,000-square-foot shop offers a variety of products including coffee, candy by the pound, nuts by the pound, gourmet popcorn and vintage candy.

"(Vintage candy is) the kind of candy we remember from when we were kids," she said.

She said they plan to add ice cream as soon as the weather turns warmer.

The store is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Hours on Wednesday are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The shop is closed on Sunday.

For information, call Time 4 Sweets at 708-468-8959, visit them at Time 4 Sweets or check out their Facebook page.

Buona Beef to open first location in Chicago in Beverly

Berwyn-based Buona Beef has opened its first location in the city at 10659 S. Western Ave.

The total project cost was announced in December 2014 and was pegged at about $2.9 million and the developer received assistance from the city of about $450,000.

Buona has 16 Chicagoland locations as far west as St. Charles, to the south in Orland Park and up north in Hoffman Estates.

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.com

Chick-fil-A opens in Countryside

Owner Nathan Hunters stands inside the Chick-fil-A in Countryside. (Photo by Connie Templin)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A opened its newest Chicago-area restaurant last week in Countryside.

Fans of the chain's famed chicken sandwiches braved a cold snowy night to camp out in the parking at 6007 S. LaGrange Road to be among the first 100 customers when the restaurant opened Thursday morning.

Each of those in line received gift cards good for free food for a year.

Franchise owner Nathan Hunter said business has been brisk since opening.

"It was a great opening and has continued to be great this week," he said Monday.
Chick-fil-A fans brave cold and snow
 to be there for the opening. (Supplied photo)

Hunter was working for Chick-fil-A corporate in Atlanta when the opportunity presented itself to open a franchise in Countryside.

"This was just a fantastic business opportunity," he said. "I have been impressed with how friendly the people have been."

Hunter and his wife, Emily, moved to LaGrange in October in preparation for the restaurant opening.
"We're close to the restaurant," he said. "And we've enjoyed the mild winter."

The Countryside location is the chain's 23rd site in the Chicago area and one of six Chick-fil-A locations that will open this year in Illinois.

As part of the opening, Hunter collected children's books for a Book House at Ideal Elementary School in Countryside.

The new restaurant brought 85 new jobs to the area. The restaurant features the chain's newest interior design with tables made from reclaimed wood, subway tiles and a light fixture made from recycled Coke bottles.

The location has room for 150 in its dining room, a two-story interactive play area and free Wi-Fi. There are two drive-through lanes and a full service menu.

Hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Closed on Sunday.

Ariel's closes to reopen as South Side American Tavern

Ariel's, an Irish pub that opened a couple of years ago at 18401 N. Creek Drive in Tinley Park, closed on Feb. 5 and began its transformation into an American watering hole under new ownership and management.

South Side American Tavern opened March 11 and is scheduled to hold its ribbon-cutting grand opening from 5-7 p.m. on St. Patrick's Day, March 17.

A voice mail message asking for more information was not returned.

For information, call 708-928-8080 or visit their Facebook page.

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.com

Burger King closes in Frankfort, Starbucks not moving in

Burger King in Frankfort has closed. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Burger King recently closed its longstanding restaurant location in the Frankfort Town Center at Colorado Avenue and LaGrange Road in Frankfort.

The Miami-based corporation did not respond to an email asking about the reason for the closing.

A spokesman for Seattle-based Starbucks said despite rumors there was no plan to relocate the company's coffee shop within the mall to the vacant Burger King site.

"Right now, we’re focused on serving the Frankfort area at our existing stores and have no store opening plans to announce," the spokesman said in an email.

Lou Malnati's opens in New Lenox

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria opened its 44th location last month in New Lenox.

The latest location offers carryout, delivery and catering services at 2510 E. Lincoln Highway. The restaurant is known for its Chicago-style deep dish and also has a wide variety of other items on its menu.

Hours are from 4-10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Sunday.

The Malnati Organization had expressed an interest in expanding into New Lenox for some time, according to Stu Cohen, vice chairman of the Malnati Organization.

“We are thrilled to be able to join the Village of New Lenox. As a thriving community and a great place to raise a family, we feel it is a natural fit for a Lou Malnati’s,” said Cohen in a release.

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.com

Sports Authority to close 3 stores in south suburbs

Sports Authority is preparing to close at least three south suburban stores. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

According to employees, sports retailer Sports Authority is preparing to close three south suburban stores as part of a major reorganization aimed at keeping the struggling company afloat.

Employees said they had been informed that the Sports Authority store at 4832 Lincoln Highway in Matteson and 1510 Torrence Ave. in Calumet City would be closing though no timetable had been announced.

Employees at the Orland Hills store at 9231 W. 159th St. said nothing was official, but they had been told to expect the store to be among those closed by the retailer.

Employees at the Frankfort store at 11185 Lincoln Highway, Oak Lawn store at 9633 S. Cicero Ave., North Riverside store at 1800 Harlem Ave. and Burbank store at 7720 S. Cicero Ave.  said they were aware of the Matteson, Orland and Cal City closings, but added that their stores were not in danger of being shuttered. They also said the Water Tower place location in downtown Chicago would be closing.

There were conflicting reports about the store in Joliet. Employees at other stores said the Joliet store was among those slated for closing, but employees there said it would not be among the stores closing.

A call to the Colorado head office of Sports Authority was not returned.

The Village of Matteson posted on its Facebook page that staffers had been notified of the closing of the store at Matteson Square shopping center. The village said a liquidation sale would precede the closing, which might come as early as March.

A manager at the Cal City store said that location would act as a clearance outlet for merchandise from other stores and would not be closing immediately.

Many of the Sports Authority locations including Matteson, Calumet City, North Riverside and Oak Lawn were originally Sportsmart stores before that chain was acquired in a 1998 merger.

The chain is reportedly preparing to close at least 140 of its 450 stores.

Old Country Buffet closes

The Old Country Buffet in the Park Center Plaza at 159th Street and Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park closed abruptly recently.

There is a sign taped to the front door announcing the closing. It doesn't give a reason for the closing but does thank customers for their business.

The only remaining Old Country Buffet in the Southland is the one at 7601 S. Cicero Ave. near Ford City Mall on Chicago's Southwest Side.

Binny's now open in Mokena

Binny's is now open in Mokena. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Binny's Beverage Depot opened its doors at U.S. 30 and Wolf Road last week as part of a soft opening for the Chicago-area liquor store chain.

The 25,000-square-foot store opened Friday, Feb. 12, at its newest location at the Mokena Marketplace. The freestanding store features a walk-in humidor for cigar sales and a wine cellar.

It is the company's 32nd store and third in the south suburbs, including locations in Orland Park and Evergreen Park. It is the chain's first store south of Interstate 80.

Hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The store will celebrate its grand opening from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27. The store will hold a ribbon-cutting at 11:45 a.m. with Mokena Mayor Frank Fleischer.

Guests are invited to sign up for a free Binny's Card, enjoy tastings of staff favorite wines and new California releases, local and national craft  beers and free giveaways.

For information, call the store at 815-534-8980 or visit Binny's.

Gas station closes

The BP gas station at 94th Avenue and 159th Street in Orland Park closed recently.

Wendy's closes

The Wendy's restaurant at 14555 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park closed recently.

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.com 

Bob's Discount Furniture opens next week in Burbank, Orland Park

Bob's Discount Furniture will open next week in Burbank and Orland Park. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Bob's Discount Furniture, an East Coast-based furniture chain, announced it will open the first five of eight planned Chicago-area stores next week including locations in Orland Park and Burbank.

The Orland Park store will open with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:45 a.m. Feb. 11 at 15830 S. LaGrange Road in the Lake View Plaza. The Burbank store will open at the same time at 7760 S. Cicero Ave. 

Other stores will open the same day in Skokie, Villa Park and Aurora. Three additional stores will open later this year. The locations were not disclosed.

In preparation for its Chicago expansion, Bob's leased a distribution center last year in Shorewood.

As part of the opening ceremonies, Bob's chose Burbank School as one of their recipients of a $2,500 donation as a random act of kindness.

The company is known for its commercials featuring co-founder Bob Kaufman in person or as a claymation character.

The company was founded in 1991. There are now 64 Bob's showrooms in 11 states, not counting Illinois.

End of era as Hickory Hills Tastee-Freez closes

Tastee-Freez has closed its last south suburban location in Hickory Hills. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The last Tastee-Freez location in the south suburbs and one of the last in the Chicago area closed late last year in Hickory Hills.

The iconic chain, which was founded in Joliet in 1950 and has been featured in hit songs by John Mellancamp and Trisha Yearwood as well as "The Outsiders" novel by S.E. Hinton, shut its doors in November at 9348 S. Roberts Road.

The Hickory Hills location became the last one in the south suburbs after the Tastee-Freez in Palos Heights moved earlier last year and changed its name to Diane's Place.

According to the company's website, there are only two Tastee-Freez locations in Illinois in Spring Valley and Mt. Carmel.  But a reader, Rita Maniotis, of Berwyn, says the brand is alive and well in her town. According to Rita, Tastee-Freez is alive and well in Berwyn on the corner of  26th Street and Clarence Avenue.

Calls  to the company were not returned.

The dessert chain expanded fast and there were almost 1,800 locations in 1957. The chain was acquired in 2003 by a California-based franchising group and the number of locations has since fallen to less than 50.

Like many of the current locations, the Hickory Hills location offered a menu that also included burgers and other fast food items in addition to breakfast and ice cream treats.

New shrimp house opens in Palos

Ongoing construction of LaGrange Road did not deter Tim Keefer and his partners from going ahead with plans to open a shrimp house in Palos Park last year.

Response to the Original Island Shrimp House at 12909 S. LaGrange Road has been "surprisingly strong despite the road work," said Keefer, who is the managing director for the partnership group.

"Word of mouth advertising has been very positive," said Keefer, of Orland Park. "We are seeing a lot of repeat business."

Keefer said serendipity played a hand in choosing the Palos Park location. "I was driving down LaGrange Road. Saw the 'for rent' sign in the Capri location. Dialed the number. Checked out the building and knew it was the perfect place."

Keefer said the restaurant uses a lot of the same recipes as Goose Island Shrimp House and features sauces developed with the help of a five star chef.

Keefer said all of the food is prepared in house from fresh ingredients.

The restaurant features fried shrimp, scallops, oysters, white fish and calamari as well as New England lobster rolls (on weekends only) and great desserts.

"The lobster rolls are a huge item for us," he said. "We sell 200-400 a weekend. It's all lobster in there."

He also said the key lime tort is a big seller.

"We use key lime juice that is flown in from Florida. We sell a couple of hundred a week."
Another popular item is the cornbread.

"We bake it daily and sell 70-125 a day."

Now that the weather is changing, Keefer said the restaurant has added soups.

"We have New England chowder, shrimp bisque and jambalaya."

Keefer said his only goal is for people "to come in and leave saying it was incredible. We try to achieve that through quality. Quality makes a huge difference."

He also prides himself on delivering a "great family feeling and atmosphere."

The restaurant has seating for 65 in oversized and sturdy booths. "We put a lot of extra effort into building sturdy booths. We also put the booths and tables far enough apart so everyone is not in your conversation."

The restaurant is closed Monday but open from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Keefer said franchising is an option for the future.

"We built it as a franchisable business," he said. "We want to make sure we have everything perfect before we do it."

Nothing Bundt Cakes opens in Oak Lawn

Nothing Bundt Cakes, a new bakery that specializes in those funny looking cakes with a hole in the middle, held its grand opening late last year in Oak Lawn.

The store at 10912 S. Cicero Ave. opened in November and is owned by Jeffrey Reynolds and Ryan Devlin.

The Oak Lawn location is the eighth Nothing Bundt Cakes in Illinois and another one is under construction in Chicago's Lincoln Park community. The Las Vegas-based company has more than 100 locations nationwide.

Nothing Bundt Cakes offers a variety of sizes from bite-sized bundtlets to eight-inch tiered cakes. There are nine standard flavors such as red velvet and lemon and a 10th flavor of the month. 

Customers can stop in any time to sample the top four flavors of red velvet, chocolate, chocolate chip, lemon and white chocolate raspberry.

All cakes are made at the bakery.

Hours at Nothing Bundt Cakes are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For information and ordering, call 708-422-7449 or visit Nothing Bundt Cakes.

The first Nothing Bundt Cakes in the south suburbs opened a year ago in Orland Park. Chicago-area stores  are also located in LaGrange, Mount Prospect, Skokie, Wheaton, Elmhurst, and Naperville.

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.com 

AMC shuts down 16-screen theater in Country Club Hills

A rental truck sits in front of the closed AMC theater in Country Club Hills a few days after it closed. (Photo by Bob Bong)
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The AMC movie chain has closed its 16-screen theater at 167th Street and Interstate 57 in Country Club Hills.

"AMC was unable to reach an agreement with the landlord and the theatre’s final day of operations was Sunday, Jan. 10," Ryan Noonan, director of corporate communications for AMC, said in an email. "We thank our guests at AMC Country Club Hills and invite them to continue enjoying their AMC experience a few miles away at AMC Loews Crestwood 18."

Thrift center moves to Lansing

The Harvest Thrift Store has moved from its longtime home in Calumet City to a new location in Lansing and renamed itself the New 2 You Quality Resale Shop in the process.

The thrift store recently moved into its new digs at 18230 S. Torrence Ave. in the former Dekker Electric building.

The thrift store has been operated for the past 15 years by parents, alumni and staff of Lansing Christian School in Lansing and Calvin Christian School in South Holland. All proceeds are divided between the two schools to help parents pay for tuition to the two private schools. Since opening, the store has contributed about $2.8 million to the two schools.

The schools decided to move the store because of the deterioration of the Wentworth Woods shopping center building and surrounding area, the high cost of rent and the reduced amount of customer traffic in the area. 

Store managers said they hope the new location would result in an increase in sales, a renewed enthusiasm for the store, and a more pleasant and inviting environment for shoppers and volunteers.

The store is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Donations are accepted during store hours, or furniture items can be scheduled for pick up. Accepted items include: clothing, furniture, house wares, books, shoes, sporting goods, toys, magazines, seasonal items and tools. The store does not accept infant car seats, mattresses, bowling balls and appliances. 

For information or to volunteer, call 708-889-6369.

Panera adds drive-through

The Panera Bread store at 11069 W. Lincoln Highway in Frankfort recently added a drive-through lane to accommodate motorists.

Hours of operation for the Frankfort location are Sunday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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.com