Siam Marina shooting for March opening in Tinley Park

Siam Marina erected a sign last week in front of the business at 16846 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy 

An upscale Thai restaurant is moving in to the former Casto's Italian restaurant at 16846 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park and co-owner Sam Chung is hoping for a late March opening. 

"We are about 90 percent done with the remodeling," Chung said, adding signage with the restaurant's name just went up in front of the building last week.

"Construction has taken a lot longer than we expected," he said. Chung and Tinley officials have been in discussions over the new restaurant for more than a year.

"Part of the problem is that the Village of Tinley Park has thousands of projects going on, but only two or three inspectors," Chung said. "You schedule an inspection and they can't get to you for a couple of weeks."

Chung said fans of the popular Siam Marina, which was located in Calumet City for years until closing last summer, can visit his other restaurant, Asparagus, which is located in Merrillville, Ind. 

Chung said the menu will consist of Thai cuisine and Vietnamese specialties created by his wife and partner executive chef Tammy Pham, who grew up in Saigon. Other offerings will include Asian Fusion, seafood, vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Chung said the exact opening date will depend on the weather as well as getting inspectors to the restaurant. He said grand opening information will be included in the restaurant's monthly newsletter as well as posted on its Facebook page and at Siam Marina.

IHOP opens in New Lenox

An International House of Pancakes, home of the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, opened in late December at 411 E. Lincoln Highway in New Lenox.

The restaurant is open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.

For information, call the store at 815-717-6373.

Freebie of the Week: Mokena Chamber Business Expo

The Mokena Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Community Business Expo and Health Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Mokena Park District's Oaks Recreation and Fitness Center, 10847 LaPorte Road.

Visitors will be able to find a dentist, a plumber, sports team, dance classes, home repair services, gift shops, bank, restaurants, insurance agent, practically everything your family needs to live, work and play.

Visitors will be able to get free blood pressure tests, be screened for diabetes and discover your body fat ratio.

Admission is free.

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.

J.D. Byrider opens in Bridgeview; Happy Hyundai takes Oak Lawn spot

J.D. Byrider has moved into new digs in Bridgeview.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

J.D. Byrider, a franchised used car dealership, opened in its new digs at 9150 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview last month after moving 77 cars from its Oak Lawn location over the weekend.

General Manager Nicole Martin said the staff spent several hours driving its inventory of cars from Oak Lawn to Bridgeview in the middle of the night.

Martin said the dealership moved from its original location at 9121 S. Cicero Ave. because the Bridgeview site was a better fit.

"We thought it would be a better location, and after only a week we know our hunch was right," she said. "In Oak Lawn, we had lots of drive-bys, but here we're getting a lot more people actually stopping." 

She said the Bridgeview location, which was a former auto service center, has better frontage for the dealership.

"We were able to repurpose the building," she said. "My office was a former quick lube bay. We were also able to make the building look more like a traditional J.D. Byrider location."

"Being next to Menards also helps," said Martin, who has been GM at the store since it opened in a former Saturn dealership in March 2012.

Martin said J.D. Byrider sold the Cicero location to Happy Hyundai, which moved down the street from its previous site at 89th Street and Cicero after remodeling the showroom.

"They are happy," Martin said. "They're getting a bigger location and they will own the site rather than lease."

“We are a specialty dealership that tries to help people with no credit or bad credit re-establish their credit and drive away with a car,” said Martin.

The Bridgeview location is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All Illinois dealerships are closed on Sunday.

For information, call 708-422-9100 or visit J.D. Byrider.

J.D. Byrider was established in 1989 in Carmel, Ind. The company has a dozen locations in Illinois and 145 in 30 states.

Pronto Pizza grand opening

Pronto Pizza, one of the new build-your-own pizza places that are popping up, held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 15222 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park's Ravinia Plaza.

The pizzeria, which features 45 toppings one can choose from, opened in December and prides itself on being able to cook a pizza (10-inch personal size pies) in less than five minutes. It also offers build-your-own salads as well as signature pizzas and salads.

Pronto Pizza Kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and offers dine-in or carryout. It has beer and wine bar service.

For information, call 708-966-0010 or visit Pronto Pizza Kitchen.

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.

Thai restaurants open in Orland Park

The Joy of Thai opened in November in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Orland Park diners with a hankering for Thai food have two new restaurant choices to choose from with the recent openings of The Joy of Thai and Indra's Thai Restaurant.

Indra's opened  in early November at 15880 S. Wolf Road in the former Chicago Taste Gyros in the County West Plaza Shopping Center.

The 2,200-square-foot restaurant is a full service eatery with a bar, patron seating, carry out and delivery options. 

Its owner is Thai native Chaiyut Puangkham, of Tinley Park, who said the restaurant features Thai specialties "but not all Thai dishes are spicy." 

Puangkham made the move to open his own eatery after years as a chef at a south suburban hibachi restaurant.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, from noon to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. The restaurant is closed Mondays. 

For information, call 708-942-8088 or visit Indras Thai.

The Joy of Thai opened in mid-November at 11013 W. 179th St. in a strip mall near Wolf Road. 

Attempts to reach its owners were unsuccessful, but its website says the eatery features Thai cuisine including curries, salads and soups.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call 708-995-1232 or visit Joy of Thai.

Pet rescue center to open at Alsip Nursery

Alsip Home & Nursery, which recently announced it would stop selling dogs and cats and transform its pet center into an adoption center for rescued animals, will hold a grand opening for the rescue centers at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, at its Frankfort location and Saturday, Feb. 22, at its St. John, Ind., location.

The Frankfort Animal Clinic opened in December inside the Frankfort location at 20601 S. LaGrange Road, which was the first step in transitioning from a pet store into a rescue center.

Dr. John Coyne opened the clinic after operating a similar clinic for the past year in Alsip's store in St. John, Ind.

The walk-in clinic offers routine exams, spays and neuters, microchips and X-rays.

The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 

For more information, call the clinic at 779-324-5239.

Gayety's reopens Schererville location

Gayety's Chocolates and Ice Cream Co., which closed its store in Schererville, Ind., last month, has reopened as a "sister" store under family ownership at 36 U.S. 41 in the Town Square shopping center.

Co-owner Beth Flessor said she was pleased with the corporate expansion.

"(Husband) Jim (Flessor) and I are happy to announce the grand reopening of our Schererville location. It will have everything it had before and more," she said.

The Schererville location had been operated by an independent owner since October 2011. 

Gayety's location in downtown Lansing at 3306 Ridge Road, meanwhile, is continuing its 93-year-old tradition of making the best hand-dipped chocolates and homemade ice cream. 

Gayety's was established in 1920 in the South Chicago community.

For information, call 708-418-0062 or 800-491-0755, or visit Gayety's on Facebook and online at Gayety's Lansing. 

Italio's grand opening

Fast-casual Italian restaurant Italio, which opened last month at 15139 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park, will hold its grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20. Come out and meet the staff.

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.

Dotty's, Stella's gambling cafes popping up across Southland

A Dotty's gambling cafe opened recently on Harlem Avenue in Worth.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy
 

Nine video gaming cafes with friendly names like Stella's Place and Dotty's have opened in the last several weeks in south suburbs from Oak Lawn to Matteson.

These cafes are essentially mini-casinos each with the state limit of five video gaming machines. 

Des Plaines-based Stella’s Place is owned by Laredo Hospitality Ventures, and opened locations last month at Hickory Palos Square mall, 8067 W. 95th St., Hickory Hills, and 8759 S. Ridgeland Avenue, Oak Lawn. A location opened in November at Chicago Ridge Commons. All are open daily from 8 a.m. to  2 a.m.

Dotty's is based in Naperville and in recent weeks has opened at 11015 S. Harlem Ave. in Worth, 6070 W. 159th St. in Oak Forest, 13555 S. Cicero Ave. in Crestwood,  14714 S. Cicero Ave. in Midlothian, and 4740 Lincoln Highway in Matteson. Another location opened last fall at 1066 State St. in Lemont. All are open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Dotty’s also is working on locations in Homer Glen, Alsip, Country Club Hills, Blue Island, Joliet, Dolton, Romeoville and Lyons. 

Dotty’s, which got its start in 1992 in Nevada, has big plans for Illinois.

Dotty's CEO Dan Fischer plans to open at least 150 “warm, cozy and inviting cafes” equipped with video gaming machines as opposed to dark bars that are the usual location for machines in Illinois.

“We cater to women,” he said. “They like to play at Dotty’s because of the atmosphere. It’s nothing like a regular bar. Our locations are small, about 1,500 square feet,” he said. “They will have liquor licenses but our emphasis will be more grandma’s kitchen than tavern.”

Fischer, who hails from Minnesota, last year moved his base of operations to Naperville from Las Vegas.

“I’m a Midwesterner,” he said. “We’re negotiating another 75-80 leases,” he said. “I come in and tell the town fathers, ‘We don’t compete with any businesses in your town. We’re a new niche’.”

Big Lots now Hostess outlet store

The new owner of Hostess Twinkies, Cup Cakes and Ding-Dongs has decided to bring back the popular thrift stores, in a manner of speaking.

Instead of being small outlet stores tucked in strip centers, the new Hostess thrift store will be found in Big Lots.

The Ohio-based chain with about three dozen stores in the Chicago area has started carrying the Hostess snack cake products in a kind of store-within-a-store. 

Just like the popular Hostess stores, Big Lots will get Hostess products that have a couple of weeks of shelf life left in them before expiring. And just like the Hostess stores, the goodies at Big Lots will be deeply discounted, as much as 40 percent off.

The Hostess products will be displayed at the front of the stores and new stock will arrive daily, a Big Lots spokesman said in a release.

Hostess bread products were purchased by a separate company and are not included in this deal with Big Lots.

Al's Beef, Nancy's Pizza back in Oak Lawn

New owners remodeled the Al's Beef and Nancy's Pizza location at 5128 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn and reopened the combo restaurant a few weeks ago more than a year after the same two restaurants suddenly closed in the same location.

The new owners opened the floor plan and overhauled the menu adding new salads and new french fry variations to go along with the traditional Italian beef and pizza. The restaurant still offers delivery and take out and has added catering to its menu.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, they close an hour later on Friday and Saturday and an hour earlier on Sunday.

For information, call 708-581-4936.

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.

Grand opening for Orland sushi restaurant

Yucca Asian Cuisine will hold its grand opening this week in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Yucca Asian Cuisine, a new restaurant that features sushi and Asian fusion dining, will hold its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at 16081 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park, behind Houlihan's.

The restaurant, which has been open for a couple of months, specializes in traditional sushi but also features dishes such as walnut shrimps, kungbao chicken, orange chicken,   Macau curry,  Singapore  beef and yucca special fried noodle.

Its chef, John Zhao, has 20 years experience at five-star hotels in China including Hyatt Macao as well as Peninsula in Chicago.

Grand opening festivities will take place from 5:15-6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Hours for Yucca are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Yucca is offering a grand opening discount through April starting at $10 off a $50 bill.

For information, call 708-460-4778 or visit Yucca Asian Cuisine.

Ford City AMC to get star treatment

AMC Theatres has plans to give the Ford City 14 theater the same kind of renovation it gave the Chicago Ridge Mall AMC theater a couple of years ago.

The company is seeking bids on a $4 million makeover for the 68,000-square-foot theater complex at Ford City Mall at 76th Street and Cicero Avenue, according to bidclerk.com.

Changes will include new seats with power recliners, new screens, upgraded food and drink menus and possibly the addition of a MacGuffin's Bar, which AMC added at Chicago Ridge and has been adding to theaters ever since.

At theaters with a MacGuffin's Bar, which is named in homage to noted director Alfred Hitchcock, patrons can take their cocktails into the theater to enjoy while watching the movie. 

The mall was taken over by iStar Financial Inc. last year from Chicago real estate investor Sam Zell as part of a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure.

There is no timetable for the construction.

Jacob's Ladder closes in Brookfield

Jacob's Ladder, a gift and collectibles shop in Brookfield, closed at the end of January because its owners  wanted to retire.

Bobbi and Bruce Jacobs opened the shop 37 years ago and bought the building it was located in 29 years ago.

Bruce Jacobs is in his late 70s and said running the store was getting to be too much for the elderly couple.

Smokehouse reopens

Smokehouse restaurant has finished its remodeling and reopened recently in the Chicago Ridge Mall food court in Chicago Ridge.

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.

Unique Resale Shop now open in Justice

Justice Unique Resale Shop opened last month.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

A new resale shop opened recently at 8533 W. 79th St. in Justice with the apt name of Justice Unique Resale Shop. 

Owner Mariola Hagen said the shop is open every day and there's a sign out front that says they speak Polish.

Gilly Hicks closes in Orland Park

Gilly Hicks, a branch of the Abercrombie & Fitch retail chain that specialized in women's underwear, sleepwear and swimwear, closed all of its retail locations in the U.S. on Jan. 1 including two Illinois stores at Orland Square Mall in Orland Park and in Schaumburg.

The retailer will continue to operate as an online only store.

Mother Butter’s moves to Evergreen Park 

Mother Butter's Popcorn & Confectionary, which opened in 2009 at 17 W. 35th St. near U.S. Cellular Field, moved to new digs at 3342 W. 95th St. in Evergreen Park on Jan. 25.

The shop, which is owned by Tim and Jennifer Donnelly, has been praised for its gourmet popcorn and also sells fudge, individually hand-dipped caramel pecan patties, bulk candy and nuts.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

For information, call 708-423-7677 or visit motherbutterspopcorn.com.

Grand opening party for Pure Barre

Pure Barre, a new fitness center, will hold its grand opening party from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at 14932 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park. Light snacks will be provided.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 11:45 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 6. A free class will be offered after the ceremony.

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.