Sara Lee to Shut Outlet Stores in Homewood, Oak Lawn

Sara Lee will close its outlet stores in Oak Lawn (pictured) and Homewood. -- Courtesy Oak Lawn Patch

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The impending split of Sara Lee Corp. into a global coffee company and a North American operation under the Hillshire Brands banner, also means the demise of its 11 outlet stores including locations in Homewood and Oak Lawn.

The store manager in Oak Lawn said regular customers had been coming into the store today lamenting its eventual closing.

The Oak Lawn store is at 5711 W. 95^th St. and the Homewood store is at 18400 Governors Highway.

Matt Pakula, senior manager for corporate communications for Sara Lee, said there was no timetable for the closings but said the stores will close by the end of November.

Pakula said Hillshire Brands would not be able to devote the “attention required for success in stand-alone retail operations.”

Each store employs about seven people.

New book store opens at Chicago Ridge Mall

Books-a-Million opened its third Chicago-area bookstore on Thursday inside the former Borders Express at Chicago Ridge Mall in Chicago Ridge.

Books-a-Million is the third largest books retailer in the United States with more than 250 stores.

Manager Brandon Wolak said the company has been successful in the South and decided the recent demise of Borders gave it an opportunity to expand in the North. The retailer opened a store in Southlake Mall in Hobart, Ind., late last year and will open another store in a couple of weeks at Fox Valley Center in Aurora. The company has had a store in downtown Chicago for a while, Wolak said.

Wolak said there is still demand for books.

“We have more than enough customers who don’t like to read ebooks or books online,” he said. “They like the feel of a real book.”

The Chicago Ridge location is located close to Sears in the mall and is smaller than most Books-a-Million locations. Wolak said that despite its size, the store features a Joe Muggs Café coffee shop and espresso bar, books, magazines, cards, gifts and collectible supplies.

The store employs seven to eight people, he said.

For information, call 708-423-4285 or visit Books-a-Million.

Fox Head to open next week

Fox Head Inc., which made its name with a worldwide brand of motocross apparel and has since branched out into other performance sports, is scheduled to open its only Chicago-area store at Orland Square Mall on Monday. The company was started as Fox Racing in 1974 in Campbell, Calif.

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.

Mid-Oak Distillery Opens in Southland

Customers sample CD Vodka in the tasting room at Mid-Oak Distillery in Midlothian.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

If Matt Altman succeeds, the south suburbs may soon be known for its … vodka?

Altman, 33, a lifelong Midlothian resident last week opened Mid-Oak Distillery at 4704 W. 147^th St. in Midlothian’s Tiffany Plaza, where he produces CD Vodka.
 

“I was home brewing my own beer for years, and a friend of ours from New Zealand told us that we should get into craft distilling,” he said explaining the evolution from home brew master to commercial distiller.

“He said craft liquors were going to be the next big thing and here we are.”

Altman said the journey was not always an easy one.

“If you ask my wife, she’s now on board with this,” he said with a laugh. “But at the beginning …”

And making your own vodka is certainly not cheap.

“Everything we use is from the Midwest and that means it’s more expensive than if we got it from China,” he said. That includes everything from the bottles, which are made in Glenview and screened in Milwaukee, to the corn used to make the vodka, which is grown right here in Illinois.

Altman opened the Mid-Oak tasting room on June 14 after the village granted his a business license the night before.

“Response from the village has been so great,” he said.

Altman said the first batch of CD Vodka left the distillery last week and should be available at most south suburban bars including Sullivan’s in Midlothian as well as select liquor stores including Madori’s Liquor & Deli at 14710 S. Cicero Ave. in Midlothian.

You can also sample CD Vodka on Saturday at Bobby McGee’s, 10139 S. Harlem Ave. in Chicago Ridge. 

The CD Vodka Girls will be offering free tastings from 9-11 p.m.  The bar also will feature CD Vodka in $3 Bullfrogs all night.

Customers can sample CD Vodka at the tasting room, which is right next door to the distillery. If they like what they try, they can buy it there, as well.

“We can make 15 cases of vodka a day,” Altman said.

Mid-Oak at present only sells CD Vodka in 750 ml bottles (for $24.99), but that will change as the business grows. Altman said flavored vodkas will be coming later along with different sized bottles.

Different spirits may also be available in the future.

“We’re only in the preliminary stages,” Altman said. “But I plan on producing an American-made single-malt whiskey.”

For information on availability of CD Vodka and tasting room hours, call 708-925-9318, email them at admin@cdvodka.com, visit Mid-OakDistillery or check out their Facebook page.

Ultra Opens in Crestwood

Ultra Foods finally opened today at 13180 S. Cicero Ave. in Crestwood. The opening took longer than expected because of extensive remodeling required for the former Dominick’s Finer Foods.

Flossmoor Farmer’s Market Opens

The Flossmoor Farmers Market is now open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays at the Flossmoor Library parking lot, 1000 Sterling Ave.  It will run through Oct. 12.

Get Down with WCCQ Personalities

Roy Gregory from 98.3 WCCQ will broadcast from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at Aqua Pools in Homer Glen. Visitors will get a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw at Soldier Field.

WCCQ’s Bossman will host a pre-concert tailgate party from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday at Odyssey Sweet Spot Sports Bar in Tinley Park leading up to that night’s concert by Sugarland at the amphitheatre.

There will be a bags tournament, flippy cup, mechanical bull, Zip Line ride, BBQ and red solo cup drink specials.

Bossman will be giving away free pairs of lawn tickets every 30 minutes.

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.

Odyssey Fun World Opens State's First Mobile Zip Line Ride in Tinley Park

Odyssey Fun World in Tinley Park has opened a Zip Line ride.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Odyssey Fun World at 19111 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park last week opened the state’s first mobile Zip Line ride.

“It’s an extreme ride,” said General Manager Clint Paraday describing the ride that lasts only seconds but packs a wallop. “We opened it on Friday and the crowd response was phenomenal.”

Paraday said the ride Zip Line tower stands 30-feet high and the line stretches out to 130 feet long. There is a 60-pound minimum weight and a 250-pound maximum. 

“The heavier you are, the faster you go,” Paraday said. 

The Zip Line is one of many improvements Paraday has brought to the amusement park in the past year including a corn maize last Halloween and a musical light show at Christmastime.

“We’re trying to stay relevant,” he said. “We had 30,000 people go through the corn maize in 30 days last year and it’s going to be even better this year.”

The Zip Line ride is set up next to the go-cart track and while it will stay put this season, Paraday has big plans for next year.

“For insurance reasons, we aren’t taking it out this year,” he said. “But next year I plan to have it at festivals, Tinley Park Caribbean Days and other outdoor events.”

A ride costs $10.

For information, call 708-429-3800 or visit Odyssey Fun World.

New Owner for Joan’s Place

Kenneth Mandernach’s West End 6950 Corp. is the new owner of Joan’s Place at 6950 W. 95^th St. in Oak Lawn. The village granted the new owners a liquor license last month.

Beverly Closings

Café 103 at 1909 W. 103rd St. in Chicago’s Beverly community and its sister business, Beverly’s Pantry at 1907 W. 103^rd St. both closed recently.

Free Shredding

Parkway Bank & Trust at 14345 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park is offering free shredding to the community from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. You can bring up to five boxes of personal documents to be shredded. For information, call 708-460-4888.

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.