Mayan Palace replaces La Mex in Orland

Mayan Palace opened recently in the former La Mex location on 159th Street in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

La Mex restaurant in Orland Park’s Seville Plaza recently changed ownership and its name to Mayan Palace.

New owner Rudy Delarosa also owns the original Mayan Palace at 2703 S. Halsted St. in Chicago.

Delarosa purchased the 8600 W. 159^th St. location a few months ago from his nephew, who still owns La Mex locations in Morris and Joliet.

A manager at the Orland location said Delarosa has been involved at the restaurant for about a year but recently acquired the location and made the name change about three weeks ago after making some minor adjustments to the menu.

A manager at the Halsted Street location said the new restaurant features most of the same menu items but they are prepared differently.

“There is new management, a new kitchen and better food,” the manager said.

Hours under Mayan Palace will be 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

For information, call 708-349-8339.

Riley’s Trick Shop has new home

Riley’s Trick Shop, which sold costumes, gag gifts and magic tricks for 40 years at 6442 W. 111^th St. in Worth opened in its new, smaller home in Palos Hills earlier this month.

The new location at 8086 W. 111^th St. is in a strip center near Stagg High School and Sacred Heart Church and has been renamed Riley’s Tricks & Gifts. It opened on Oct. 5.

The store, which was founded in 1937 by current owner Jim Riley’s father, has moved twice since it was founded.  

There was also a second store in Frankfort from 2007 to 2010 that was operated by Riley’s daughter.

The family-owned store is getting out of the costume business and is offering some for as low as $10 and some are buy one, get one free, according to its Facebook page.

Hours at the new location are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

For information, call 800-474-5397 or visit their website at Riley's Trick Shop. 

Title Max opens second Orland location

Title Max, one of those companies that provides loans to people who use their car title as collateral, has opened a second Orland Park location at 9400 W. 159^th St., next door to the new Pop’s Italian Beef restaurant.

For information, call 708-403-2855.

Sleepy’s opens in Orland Park

Sleepy's, a New York-based company that calls itself the world's largest mattress retailer and which is in the midst of a major expansion into the Chicago marketplace in general and the south suburban marketplace in particular, has opened a new store at 15840 S. Harlem Ave. in Orland Park.

The Hicksville-based company, which has more than 800 showrooms in 14 Eastern and mid-Atlantic states and carries a wide selection of mattress brands, opened its first Chicago-area store at the end of June in Evergreen Park and has since opened additional stores at 11043 W. Lincoln Highway in Frankfort's Prairie Crossing shopping center, and at Ford City shopping center at 71st Street and Cicero Avenue in Chicago.

The chain also is preparing to open a store in The Landing shopping center at 16821 S. Torrence Ave. in Lansing.

The company, which got its start in 1931 in Brooklyn, did not respond to numerous calls and emails asking about its plans.

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 follow business happenings at Comings & Goings.