Betty's Bistro, Penny's Place gaming cafes open in Southland

A player tries his luck at one of the machines at Betty's Bistro in Countryside.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The gaming cafe scene in the Southland added another player recently with the opening of new gambling parlors under the ownership of Blackhawk Restaurant Group, which operates its cafes as Penny's Place or Betty's Bistro.

The company has opened more than two dozen cafes in communities including Hickory Hills, Countryside, Calumet Park, Lemont, Lockport, Crestwood, Alsip, Joliet and Crest Hill. A new one is expected to open this month on the border of Oak Lawn and Chicago Ridge and new locations are being built or planned in Bridgeview, Calumet City, Matteson and Tinley Park.

"Ours operate like delis or bistros," said co-owner Mike Thiessen. "We offer sandwiches and a light menu with free coffee for players.

"We are not a bar," said Thiessen. "We are well lit. We have plenty of cameras for security. We have a three-drink limit. We figure our clientele to be about 60-40 women."

The cafes range from about 1,500 square feet to 2,100 square feet. Each has five of the gambling machines allowed by state law and there are attendants to make sure the players have what they need.

"We specialize in customer service," said Jerry Luterman, an attendant at the Countryside Betty's Bistro since it opened in February. "There are about 20 regulars who come in on my shift. Some like friendly banter while others want to be left alone with their cup of coffee.

"The guests love that there are no TVs," he said.

As for their locations, Thiessen said "we like busy corners. We usually like to be near malls with grocery store anchors. The Hickory Hills location is in the same mall as a Fairplay Foods."

"We figure to have 50 to 60 open eventually," he said with each cafe employing from 10-16 employees.

Hours can vary from location to location but generally are open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the week and as late as 11 p.m. or midnight on weekends.

"We are flexible on our hours," Thiessen said. "We can close early if business is light or stay open as long as our liquor license allows if we are busy."

The company got its start in Oregon and operates cafes in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California and Illinois.

Angelo's now open in Tinley Park

Angelo's Fresh Markets finally opened last week at its second location at 7150 W. 183rd St. in Tinley Park, after equipment delays pushed the original opening back more than two weeks.

Owner Carla Bolin said a large meat case, which is a focal point of the new shop, arrived with a glass panel shattered and other problems.

The case finally arrived last week and the store held its grand opening over the Father's Day weekend.

Angelo's will feature top quality meats and also a full deli line, she said, which is not available at the original Flossmoor location.

"We will carry homemade pastas, sauces and flavored olive oils," she said. "The menu will offer 14 different sandwiches, both hot and cold."

The Tinley Park store is about 1,800 square feet and Bolin said she hired four people to work the new store.

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

For information, visit them online at Angelo's Fresh Markets or check out their Facebook page at Angelo's Fresh Markets.

Georgious closes without warning in Burbank

Georgious Restaurant, a family eatery that specialized in American and Grecian food since 1965, closed at 5900 W. 79th St. in Burbank without notice at the end of May.

The restaurant had been fighting foreclosure proceedings for more than a year filed by American Metro Bank in Chicago. 

The establishment posted a notice on its front door saying the business was closed because of action by American Metro. It's phone has been disconnected and its website has been taken down.

The eatery had been in receivership since November, according to court records. The foreclosure proceedings began in March 2013, according to court records.

The restaurant, which had added video gaming devices in the past year, had been robbed in April.

Georgious was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 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.