Two Restaurants Remodeling in Orland Park, Tinley Park

Olympic Star in Tinley Park is closed for remodeling.
 The restaurant should reopen by Mother's Day.

By Bob Bong

Southland Savvy

Two popular and longtime restaurants in Orland Park and Tinley Park have closed for remodeling.

Pop’s at 14279 S. Wolf Road in Orland Park is closed for remodeling that a sign in front of the restaurant says will take two weeks.

Olympic Star at 7100 W. 171st St. in Tinley Park is also closed for remodeling. A sign in front of the building says the restaurant will be back in business by Mother’s Day.

The Olympic Star remodeling is well overdue. I think the décor and furniture at the 24-hour Greek diner is the same as it was when I first ate there 25 years ago after moving to the area. It may not have changed since the restaurant opened in 1978.

Can’t wait to see its fresh new look.

Tinley Brew and Vine Fest is Saturday

The third annual Tinley Park Brew and Vine Festival will take place from 2-11 p.m. on Saturday at the Tinley Park Convention Center at 183rd Street and Harlem Avenue.

Sample beer, wine and food from local vendors and enjoy live entertainment. You can also visit with former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas, who will be on hand from 2-4 p.m. hawking his new The Big Hurt brand of suds.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the chamber office, 17316 S. Oak Park Ave., or online at http://www.tinleyparkbrewandvinefest.com/.

Join the Fox Team

Fox Head, which is opening its first Chicago-area store in June, is hosting a job fair starting at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday at Center Court at Orland Square Mall.

The chain made its name with a worldwide brand of motocross apparel and has since branched out into other performance sports.

The mall said the store will be moving into part of the space being vacated by Bath & Body Works, which is downsizing and moving across the way.

The company was started as Fox Racing in 1974 in Campbell, Calif.

For information, visit the company’s website at http://www.foxhead.com/us/.

Orland Rotary Seeks Host Families

The Orland Park Rotary Club is looking for International Exchange Student Host Families within the borders of Sandburg High School for a student who will be living in Orland Park from the fall of 2012 until the summer of 2013. Host families provide a safe and loving environment for approximately three months.

Students have health insurance as well as an allowance from Orland Park Rotary. Contact Debra Baker at 708-362-1058 for information.

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 at www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com.

Frank Thomas to Promote Big Hurt Beer at Durbin's, Beer and Vine Fest

By Bob Bong

Southland Savvy

Former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas will be visiting Durbin’s locations this week and the Tinley Park Beer and Vine Fest on Saturday to promote his Big Hurt Beer.

Thomas, who was known as the Big Hurt while a player, will be at the Tinley Park location tonight at 6:30 p.m. and at the Midlothian Durbin’s at 8 p.m., the Palos Hills Durbin’s at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Evergreen Park Durbin’s at 6:30 p.m. Friday and the Burbank location at 8 p.m. Friday, and the Frankfort Durbin’s at 7 p.m. Saturday. He’ll be at the Beer and Vine Fest in Tinley Park from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday.

Tenant Found for Tinley Distribution Center

Bedford Park-based M. Block & Sons, which is the leading distributor of consumer products to retailers throughout the United States, according to its website, will be moving in to the Tinley Park Corporate Center at Oak Park Avenue and Prosperi Drive in Tinley Park.

The 915,000 square foot distribution center has never been occupied since it was built back in 2008.

The deal was announced last week by commercial real estate firm CBRE Group.

Tinley Economic Development Director Ivan Baker said some tenant build out would be required because the building was never finished in 2008.

As part of the deal, Tinley Park is going to prohibit parking on Prosperi Drive east of Oak Park Avenue so trucks using the warehouse will not have to negotiate parked cars.

CBRE said M. Block & Sons would be moving in sometime in June.

M. Block said its vendor partners include Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and their Keurig single serve coffee division, Proctor & Gamble, Kraft, Sensio, Tristar Products Inc., Applica Inc., Jarden Consumer Solutions, Blue Avocado, and Arc International. Major retail accounts include Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart, Target, JC Penney, Macy's, Costco, Kohl's and other leading home retailers. M. Block manages distribution centers in Redlands, Calif., and Bedford Park.

Cicero Avenue Construction Projects

The Illinois Department of Transportation has started resurfacing Cicero Avenue from 95th Street to 127th Street and from 147th Street to 175th Street.

Milling and resurfacing work began Monday and is scheduled to end on Sept. 7. There will be intermittent lane closures in Oak Lawn, Alsip, Midlothian, Oak Forest and Country Club Hills.

Cicero already is reduced to one lane in each direction for bridge work at the Cal-Sag Channel just south of 127th Street. That project is expected to last through August.

There will be additional lane closures when work begins later this spring on the CSX Railroad overpass just south of 115th Street. That project is expected to last until mid-July.

IDOT reminds motorists to anticipate delays and allow extra time for trips through these areas.

Dunkin’ is Hiring in Indiana

Dunkin’ Donuts is holding a Career Fair tomorrow from 1-4 p.m. at its Merrillville, Ind., location at 2050 W. 81st Avenue.

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 http://www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com/.

Central Collision Acquires Phase 1

Central Collision Center has acquired Phase 1 Coach Works in Tinley Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Mokena-based Central Collision Center Inc. has acquired Phase 1 Coach Works at 18040 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park.

The new location will be the seventh for the collision repair chain owned by Michael Caruso.

The 20,000-square-foot center in Tinley Park was owned by Jack and Monika Ditmars. Central will retain the facility’s 13 employees.

“This acquisition continues our commitment to the south suburban community and the growth of the Central Collision family,” Caruso, president and CEO of Central Collision, said in a news release. “We will continue to develop high-quality repair centers to meet the specific needs of our clients. Our goal is to improve the repair process for our customers.”

Central Collision operates five traditional repair facilities in Peotone, Mokena, Crete, New Lenox and Oak Forest. The company also operates one rapid repair facility, called Central Express, in Oak Forest.

For more information, visit http://www.centralcollision.com/ or their Facebook page.

Matteson Best Buy Closing

Electronics and appliance retailer Best Buy announced over the weekend that it would be closing its store at 4707 Lincoln Mall Dr. in Matteson as part of its plan to shutter 50 stores nationwide.

The store is expected to close within the next month.

Health & Wellness Fair Coming to Oak Lawn

More than two dozen health and wellness related businesses and organizations will have booths at this year’s Health & Wellness Fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday at the Senior Center, 5330 W. 95th St. The fair is free and open to all. For information, call the Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce at 708-424-8300.

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.blogspot.com.