Golden Corral opens in Tinley Park

Golden Corral opened today in Tinley Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The grand opening for the Golden Corral buffet restaurant in Tinley Park was scheduled for 10 a.m.  today.

 

The 11,000-square-foot restaurant is the biggest of three versions available and is expected to have parking for more than 150 cars and seating for 440 when it opens in front of the Menards home improvement store at 159th Street and Oak Park Avenue in Tinley Park.

The restaurant, which features breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet options along with specialty options such as a chocolate fountain, will employ between 130 and 150 workers.

Owner Bhavin Patel received a series of financial incentives from the village before agreeing to build the restaurant. Tinley officials waived thousands of dollars in fees, agreed to a property tax discount for the next decade and agreed to share sales taxes with Patel.

The restaurant had an estimated construction cost of $3.5 million.

Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The Golden Corral chain opened in North Carolina in 1973 and bills itself as America’s No. 1 buffet and grill.

Nearby locations are in Joliet, Bolingbrook and Schererville, Ind.

Joe's Italian Villa to close

Joe's Italian Villa Pizza, which has been serving pizza and pasta for the past 45 years from its location at 8807 S. Harlem Ave. in the Southfield Shopping Center in Bridgeview, has lost its lease and will be shutting down on Dec. 31.

Owners of the pizzeria have no intention of disappearing and are in the process of looking for a new home.

In the meantime, the restaurant's hours remain the same 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 2-10 p.m. Sundays.

Fans can stay abreast of the search for a new home by visiting the restaurant's website at www.joesitalianvilla.com or its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JoesItalianVilla.

Longtime Lansing restaurant Popolano's to close

Popolano's, an Italian restaurant that opened 30 years ago at 17940 S. Torrence Ave. in Lansing, will close its doors for the last time New Year's Eve.

Owners were not available but employees said the Lansing location had been hurt by economic changes in the southeast suburbs.

The restaurant is operated by a second generation of family owners -- Jerry Paliga Jr. and his wife Cyndy Paliga -- who purchased the eatery from his parents when they retired.

The decision will not affect a second location that opened 10 years ago in a century-old building in northwest Indiana. That location is larger than the Lansing site and has a large outdoor patio area in picturesque downtown Chesterton.

Courtright's to close in Willow Springs

Courtright's, a four-star restaurant at 8989 S. Archer Ave. in Willow Springs, will pack it in this week after 19 years.

Attempts to reach owners William or Rebecca Courtright were unsuccessful, but the couple posted this on the restaurant's Facebook page:

"It has been a magnificent ride and we thank you all for your love and support these past 19 years! As we bid farewell to this interesting, exciting, challenging, exhausting and wonderful time here on Earth, we experience myriad emotions, but the greatest is gratitude. Our doors will remain open until December 31st, so we are looking forward to everyone visiting us for lunch in December, the holidays or just enjoying one last evening enjoying the beauty of Courtright's. With much gratitude, we thank you all."

William Courtright has been involved in the restaurant business since he began sweeping floors at a family restaurant when he was only 9 years old. In 1965, the 17-year-old Courtright became a chef at Ken's on Western Avenue, the second of four family restaurants on the South Side.

Dan McGee's closes in Frankfort

Dan McGee Restaurant will close for the last time on New Year's Eve at 9975 W. Lincoln Highway in Frankfort.

The small but popular restaurant opened in the fall of 2007 as a "casual but elegant" establishment, according to owner Dan McGee.

The restaurant announced its closing several months ago on its 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 and www.southlandsavvy.blogspot.com.