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| Lisa Abu-Samra and Mohammed Abu-Samra help a customer at the Book Worm Cafe inside the Oak Lawn Library. |
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy
Chef Andy Vaitkus said the hardest part of opening the Book Worm Café in the Oak Lawn Public Library was having to work in such a small space.
“It’s only 550 square feet,” he said. “So, we do a lot of cooking with countertop ovens and convection ovens.”
That restraint hasn’t kept Vaitkus and his partners from making a go of the café, which will celebrate its first anniversary next month.
Vaitkus, who has 12 years of restaurant experience, said business has been great in their first year.
“We’re doing a lot of business,” he said. “But we still get a lot of new customers.”
Book Worm Café has a pretty extensive menu for such a small space. “Everything we make is from scratch,” he said.
The menu, so far, has included deli sandwiches, paninis, mini-pizzas, soups, pastries and brownies, though that’s about to change.
“In another week or so, we’re changing the menu to begin offering healthy choice items, vegetarian dishes, wraps and falafel,” he said.
The business is also expanding.
“We just signed a contract to open a Book Worm Café at the New Lenox Public Library,” Vaitkus said. “It will be opening June 1 and my wife will be running it.”
Vaitkus, his wife Nancy Jensen and sister Lisa Abu-Samra and her husband Mohammed Abu-Samra are partners.
Vaitkus and his sister grew up in Oak Lawn and his sister and her family still live in the village.
The café is located on the library’s first floor near the Raymond Avenue entrance. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1-4 p.m.
The café offers free wireless Internet access.
For information on daily specials, call 708-357-9676.
PNC Branch in Oak Forest Closes
PNC, which was one of the original businesses to locate in Oak Forest’s Gateway development at 159th Street and Cicero Avenue, closed its doors last week. The branch was closed on Friday as PNC moved accounts at that location to its branch at 7151 W. 159th St. in Tinley Park.
Lockport Express Medical Opens
Lockport Express Medical opened an immediate care facility Wednesday at 16427 W. 159th St. in Lockport, just off the Interstate 355 exit.
An open house grand opening will be Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with food, music and giveaways. White Sox mascot Southpaw will pose for pictures from 10-11 a.m. WCCQ DJ Roy Gregory will broadcast live from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be free blood pressure screenings and child car seat inspections by the Lockport Police Department. There also will be drawings for a Kindle Fire, a Day at American Girl Place and two tickets to a White Sox game.
The clinic is open daily and accepts most insurance plans. Staff doctors are Nagui Hanna, an MD who specializes in pediatrics and emergency medicine, and Matthew Glowacki, a DO who specializes in Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine.
Clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. No appointments are necessary.
For information, call 815-588-1111 or visit their website or check out 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@chotmail.com.
You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland at http://www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com./
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