Halloween pop-up stores return

Yankee Bill's Costume Superstore opened recently at 159th Street and Harlem Avenue in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Pop-up Halloween shops have risen like zombies across the Southland to fill empty storefronts that help us celebrate the season of the witch in the style to which we have become accustomed.

One newcomer to the Halloween scene this year is a store that hails from the Northeast called Yankee Bill’s Costume Superstore at 15818 S. Harlem Ave. in the Home Depot Center in Orland Park. Hours there are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday thru Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

One familiar face, Spirit Halloween, has the most shops in the south suburbs this year as the improving economy has claimed many of the storefronts that were used by these pop-up shops for Halloweens past.

Spirit, which carries an assortment of costumes, masks, fake blood and animatronic ghosts, witches and vampires, is already open at 5849 W. 95^th St. in Oak Lawn, 14726 S. Cicero Ave. in Mid-Oak Plaza in Midlothian, 15846 S. LaGrange Road in Lakeview Plaza in Orland Park, 19933 S. LaGrange Road in Hickory Creek Marketplace in Frankfort and 12700 Illinois 59 in Kensington Center in Plainfield. Hours for all of the stores is 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The retailer also has a smaller Gallery store that only carries costumes and accessories open at 16521 W. 159^th St. in Lockport. An additional Gallery store is coming soon to 410 Nelson Road in the Nelson Plaza in New Lenox.

Halloween City has only one Southland location this year at 1 Orland Park Place at Orland Park Place mall in Orland Park.  Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Lyons Middle Eastern restaurant opening 2nd location

Falafelji, a Middle Eastern restaurant that opened less than a year ago at 3910 S. Harlem Ave. in Lyons, is preparing to open a second location at 13 S. LaGrange Road in LaGrange, in the former location of the Back Alley Burger.

Owner Bilal Beiram, who moved to the United States from Jordan 25 years ago, said the LaGrange location should be open by October. Hours will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays. 

Falafelji features falafels, hummus, shawerma, kabobs, sandwiches and more. 

For information, call 708-447-4757 or visit their website at www.myfalafelji.com.

Jasmine Fashion opens in Palos Hills

Jasmine Fashion opened recently at 10418 S. Harlem Ave. in Palos Hills in part of the space formerly used by Shefoun Fashion, which moved some months ago into a building at 11220 S. Harlem Ave. in Worth.

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 business news in other parts of the Southland at Comings & Goings.