Oak Lawn Couple Open Marie’s Café

By Bob Bong

Southland Savvy

When Dean Kochert started looking for a place to open a restaurant of his own, he ruled out being an Italian beef or hot dog kind of place.

“There are plenty of those already,” he said.

Kochert decided on quick casual, a concept he was familiar with after working for years at the Italian Village and Panera.

The result was Marie’s Café and Catering at 3660 W. 111th St. in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community, which opened on May 7.

“I’ve worked for a number of fast casual restaurants,” he said. “Marie’s is similar to Corner Bakery or Panera.”

“Our niche is gourmet burgers,” Kochert said. “We have six signature burgers and a BYO burger, all served on a unique butter egg bun; toasted.”

Marie’s also has assorted fresh pastries in the morning, breakfast sandwiches, eight kinds of salads, specialty sandwiches and three Panini sandwiches. For a complete list of their menu items, visit Marie’s Café and Catering.

Kochert and his wife and co-owner, Allison, live in Oak Lawn and wanted to open their café in the village.

“We tried to locate in Oak Lawn,” he said. “We looked and looked and couldn’t find a location that worked.”

They settled on a space owned by St. Xavier University that formerly was a Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream shop.

“It’s a good space,” Kochert said. “It seats 55 and is across the street from Mount Greenwood Park, so we get a lot people in from the neighborhood or after they visit the park.”

Kochert said Marie’s has a great stereo system that plays Frank Sinatra music in the morning, easy rock like the Eagles and Bruce Springsteen in the afternoon and dinner music like Natalie Cole in the evenings.

Marie’s is open from Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For information, call 773-840-3344 or visit Marie’s Facebook page.

Baise to Address Southland Chamber

Illinois Manufacturers Association President and CEO Gregory W. Baise will talk about the state’s fiscal recovery during his keynote presentation at the June 11 Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce Regional Consensus Luncheon at the Tinley Park Convention Center.

With more than 20 years in the IMA top spot, preceded by several high level state appointments, Baise has an inside track on just about everything in Illinois. He will talk about how to change non-residents’ perception of doing business in Illinois as well as the present state of manufacturing.

The luncheon, which begins at 11:30 a.m., is open to the public. Reservations are $30 for members, $40 for non-members and can be made on the chamber website, http://www.chicagosouthland.com/, and by telephone at 708-957-6950.

On Stage Salon Opens in Alsip

On Stage Salon, 5418 W. 127th St. in Alsip, held its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony last week. For information, call owner Olga Trujillo at 708-239-1111.

Wireless Connection Celebrates Anniversary in Lansing

Wireless Connection, 3320 Ridge Road in Lansing, will celebrate one year in business from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Evergreen Park Market Returns

The Evergreen Park Farmer’s Market resumed today at Yukich Field at 89th Street and Kedzie Avenue, next to the fire station. The Evergreen Park market runs from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday through Oct. 26.

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/.

Oak Lawn Farmer’s Market Returns

The ladies of Sunshine Bakery in Middlebury, Ind., at last year's
Oak Lawn Farmer's Market. Courtesy of Oak Lawn Patch

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

This year’s Farmer’s Market in Oak Lawn will be the biggest yet, said Deputy Village Clerk Chris O’Grady, who has been in charge of the annual market for the past seven years.

“We will have 38 spaces this year,” said O’Grady. “When I started seven years ago we had 10 vendors. We have really grown.”

The market will run from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 52nd Avenue and Dumke Drive every Wednesday from June 6 to Oct. 17.

O’Grady said there will be five farmers at this year’s market including one returning farmer who sells potted plants.

“I wait until the market starts to buy my plants from him,” said O’Grady. “His potted plants are fantastic and huge.”

“New this year is a cheese vendor,” said O’Grady.

Other vendors will be selling fruits and berries, potatoes, leafy, green vegetables, juices, spices, jellies and jams, bread and pastries, sausages and fresh flowers. There also will be an Amish baker and a knife sharpener.

Oak Lawn Boy Scouts will be serving Chicago-style hot dogs, Polish sausages, chips and soda. Christenson’s Popcorn Wagon will be dishing out snow cones, lemon shake-ups and buckets of popcorn.

“You can find some really nice bargains,” said O’Grady.

She’s also still on the lookout for more vendors.

“I’m looking for an organic farmer,” she said. If there’s one out there, give her a call at Village Hall.

For a complete list of vendors, check out today’s Oak Lawn Patch.

Southland Chamber Names New CEO

David Hinderliter was named recently as new President and CEO of the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce. He fills a position that has been vacant for more than three years.

A Bourbonnais resident with an extensive executive resume, Hinderliter had led the Kankakee Regional Chamber of Commerce since 1993.

“You have no idea how excited I am to be here,” he said to members and guests at the Southland Chamber Regional Lunch on May 14.

The newly tapped Chamber chief expressed an eagerness to get down to business and push forward in his new position. His work is cut out in an organization that has an 85-community footprint.

Payless Shoesource Reopens

Payless Shoesource has reopened at Orland Square Mall in its new location in the upper level JCPenney Court, next to Home Spa.

Chuck E. Cheese Expanding

Work has begun on a 4,300 square foot addition to the front of Chuck E. Cheese restaurant and arcade at 16090 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park.

Mokena Chamber Tees it Up

The Mokena Chamber of Commerce will tee off with a shotgun start at noon Wednesday, June 13, at its annual golf outing at Sanctuary Golf Course in New Lenox.

New this year is a giant ball drop on the 16th Hole, a massive putting contest and a hole-in-one contest with the grand prize winner getting a new car from Bettenhausen Automotive.

For information, call the chamber at 708-479-2468.

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/.

Tinley Park Trustees to Consider Plans for Golden Corral Buffet

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Tinley trustees are scheduled to consider this week a special use permit and variances for an 11,000 square foot Golden Corral restaurant at the southwest corner of 159th Street and Oak Park Avenue in two Brementowne Mall outlots.

Plans for the restaurant are scheduled to come before the Village Board on Tuesday night. A site plan was approved by the Plan Commission on May 17, which also held a public meeting on plans that night.

Preliminary plans call for 152 parking spaces, between 130 and 150 employees and seating for 440 in the restaurant that would front 159th Street in front of Menards.

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

The closest restaurants to the Southland are in Joliet, Bolingbrook and Schererville, Ind.

Requests for more information from Golden Corral were not returned.

Olympic Star Open Again

The Olympic Star restaurant, which closed in April for its first renovations since opening in the late 1970s, reopened its new-look quarters this morning at 7100 W. 171st St. in Tinley Park. For information, call 708-532-8900.

Tinley Cruise Nights Begin Tuesday

Car fans take heart, the second annual Tinley Park Cruise Night begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday in downtown Tinley Park. The free car show runs from 5-9 p.m. every Tuesday through August on Oak Park Avenue from 171st Street to the Metra Station. The show is sponsored by VFW Post 2791 and the Tinley Park MainStreet Commission. There will be music, food and beverages and plenty of cars of all ages and models. For information, call 708-444-5678.

Papa’s Pizza Closes in Oak Forest

Papa’s Pizza closed last week at 16040 S. Cicero Ave. in Oak Forest. The pizzeria had been in business for 40-some years.

Southland Chamber Names New CEO

David Hinderliter was named recently as new President and CEO of the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce. He fills a position that has been vacant for more than three years.

A Bourbonnais resident with an extensive executive resume, Hinderliter had led the Kankakee Regional Chamber of Commerce since 1993.

“You have no idea how excited I am to be here,” he said to members and guests at the Southland Chamber Regional Lunch on May 14.

The newly tapped Chamber chief expressed an eagerness to get down to business and push forward in his new position. His work is cut out in an organization that has an 85-community footprint.

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/.