New Owners Take Over at Dickey’s Barbecue in Orland Park

Sonny DeWitt (left) and Joe Pirelli prepare ribs at Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Sonny DeWitt and Joe Pirelli have taken over as owners of the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Orland Park.

DeWitt and Pirelli took ownership of the restaurant at 15110 S. LaGrange Road on July 6. It is the second location for them. They have owned a Dickey’s in Schererville, Ind., for three years.

“He’s a Chicago guy and I’m from northwest Indiana,” he said. “Joe is the meat guy and I take care of the rest of it.”

“We always knew we were going to open another Dickey’s,” said DeWitt, 46, who lives in Highland, Ind. 

“We just didn’t know it would be so soon.”

DeWitt and Pirelli bought the Orland location from brothers John and Joseph Bak, who opened the smokehouse in January. The Texas-based chain is noted for its beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken, smoked turkey, smoked ham, ribs and sausage.

“They had decided to sell the restaurant and asked if we wanted to buy it,” said DeWitt. “They closed on Thursday and we opened on Friday. No one even noticed the change it was that smooth.”

DeWitt said he and Pirelli are hands on owners and added customers should expect to see either one of them at the Orland location.

“We will walk the floor and make sure everybody knows who we are and make sure they are having a great experience,” DeWitt said.

DeWitt said while he is concentrating efforts on the Orland location, he knows the Schererville location is in good hands: his cousin’s.

DeWitt, who also is Midwest Area Manager for the Texas-based chain, said one of his jobs is talking with prospective franchisees about Dickey’s.

“That’s how I got to know the Bak brothers,” he said.

Hours will remain the same from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and the food will meet Dickey’s highest standards, DeWitt said. The Orland location has seating for about 55 people.

For information on the Orland location, call the restaurant at 708-226-3090 or visit its Facebook page. For information on Dickey’s, visit the company’s website Dickey’s Barbecue Pit.

Family Fun Night at Odyssey

Members of the Mokena, Orland Park and Tinley Park chambers of commerce are invited to a multi-chamber Family Fun Night from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, at Odyssey Fun World, 19111 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park. For information, call 708-429-3800. Members should RSVP to their respective chambers.

Library Names New Director

Oak Lawn resident Jim Deiters took over this month as new director of the Oak Lawn Public Library replacing longtime director James Casey, who retired on June 29.

Deiters was appointed to the post last month and moved over from a similar position at the Blue Island Public Library.

Deiters has a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Dominican University and has worked in public libraries for the past 16 years.

Jump Zone Opens

Jump Zone, an 11,000-square-foot indoor party and play center, has opened at 10140 Virginia Ave. in Chicago Ridge. For information, call 708-572-0155 or visit Jump Zone.

Credit Union 1 Opens

Lombard-based Credit Union 1 has opened a branch at 5535 W. 95^th St.

The credit union began in 1958 as the Chanute Military Credit Union at Chanute Air Force Base in downstate Rantoul. It changed its name in 1982 after the Air Force closed the base. In 1999, it merged with Paysaver Credit Union.

The credit union has more than 87,000 members, mostly in Illinois and Indiana.

For information, call 708-422-0124 or 800-252-6950 or visit Credit Union 1.

Special of the Weekend

You can save $3 off each adult brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday at 94 West Steak & Seafood in Orland Park if you mention you saw their ad in an email on Friday.

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.

Graystone Golf Course to Close

Graystone Golf Course in Tinley Park will close at the end of the season.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

If you’re a fan of Graystone Golf Course at 7600 W. 191^st St. in Tinley Park, you better make your tee times soon.

The nine-hole layout will end its run as a golf course at the end of its current season.

Owners of the course, which was built by Jim Gray and opened in 1995, want to turn the 48-acre site into either a sod farm or soybean farm. Odds favor a sod farm as there is already an irrigation system in place to water the grounds.

Karen Gray, one of three owners and the person who has operated the course since Mr. Gray’s death in 2009, did not return phone calls.

Village records indicate the course has been for sale since Mr. Gray died but there has been little real interest in buying the land, which is zoned for office and restricted industrial use.

The village board has to approve a special use permit to allow the farming, but that shouldn’t be a problem. There are farms all around the course and the Plan Commission has endorsed the permit.

As part of the special use permit, the folks who own the course have to keep trying to sell the land.

That’s no problem. The site is currently being advertised – as a former golf course – with the price listed as negotiable.

Wrestling Show at Convention Center

Purely Obsessed Wrestling World is bringing pro wrestling to the Tinley Park Convention Center on Saturday, July 21.

Former WWE stars “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn and Bob “Hardcore” Holly highlight the night’s action.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for a meet and greet with Gunn and Holly. General admission starts at 6 p.m. and the action starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

For information, visit POWWEntertainment.

Oak Ridge Family Dental Grows

Dr. Meghan E. Gaffney recently joined the staff at Oak Ridge Family Dental, 4445 W. 95^th St.

Dr. Gaffney grew up in Lemont and graduated cum laude in 2008 from Creighton University in Omaha with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. In 2012, Dr. Gaffney graduated with a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Creighton’s School of Dentistry. She is an active member of the American Dental Association, the Illinois Dental Society and the Chicago Dental Society.

While living in Nebraska, Dr. Gaffney was a dance instructor at Craio na Tire Studio of Irish Dance.

Bookworm Café Drops Expansion

Plans have been dropped for the Bookworm Café to open a second location inside the New Lenox Public Library, but it remains business as usual for the location inside the Oak Lawn Public Library, which celebrated its first anniversary in May.

The café is located on the library’s first floor near the Raymond Avenue entrance. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1-4 p.m.

The café offers free wireless Internet access.

For information on daily specials, call 708-357-9676.

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.

South Holland Bounce House Business Has its Ups and Downs

Mimi the Clown is one of the party offerings
at Bounce n House in South Holland.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Sandre Crane liked inflatable bounce houses so much that she kept renting them for family parties.

One day she decided to stop renting and bought one.

That fateful decision in January 2009 has turned into a home-based business for the South Holland mother of two that features 15 inflatables, three concession machines (snow cones, cotton candy and popcorn popper), magicians, clowns, face painting and characters such as Elmo, Dora the Explorer, Sponge Bob, Hello Kitty, and Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

“I got into this because we kept renting one for my niece’s birthday party,” said Crane, who has been known to do some face painting when she’s not studying to be a nurse.

“It’s been pretty good to me,” she said. “It has its ups and downs.”

She now has three employees who drop off and pick up the equipment and a fourth who drops off and picks up as well as cleans the equipment.

“We clean all of the inflatables at least once a week,” she said.

She said the most popular inflatable right now is a two-for-one combo that is a bounce house with a 13-foot-slide.

Storage is not a problem, she said.

“I store all 15 of them in my garage,” she said. “They roll up pretty small.”

She said she will continue the business even after she graduates from nursing school.

For information, call 708-516-4727 or visit Bounce n Houseat Facebook or on the web.

Regus Grand Opening

Regus Orland Executive Pointe will hold its grand opening and ribbon cutting from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 15255 S. 94^th Avenue in Orland Park.

Mayor Dan McLaughlin is expected to cut the ribbon.

Appetizers and beverages will be served.

RSVP to Joanne Sicher at 708-428-6200 or joanne.sicher@regus.com.

Elite Windows Closes in Mokena

Elite Windows closed recently at 19138 S. 88^th Avenue in Mokena.

Tinley Chamber to Tee Off

The Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual golf outing on Wednesday, July 18, at 8 a.m. at the Odyssey Country Club in Tinley Park. Golf begins with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m.

Cost is $125 per golfer for 18 holes of golf, cart, continental breakfast prior to start, complimentary beverages and lunch on the course and dinner buffet with open bar. Dinner only tickets are $40 per 

person.

For information or to reserve a tee time, call the chamber office at 708.532.5700 or email info@tinleychamber.org.

Tinley Hosts GSU Workshop on Starting a Business

CenterPoint at Governors State University is sponsoring a free Starting a Business in Illinois workshops from 9-11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 18, at Kallsen Center in the Tinley Park Village Hall.

The workshop will focus on personal, financial and legal aspects of starting a business. Participants will learn what steps to take and what resources are available to assist new business owners succeed.

Dan McAllister, Regional Representative for GSU CenterPoint, will present the program, sponsored by the Village of Tinley Park.

For information, contact CenterPoint at (708) 534-4927.

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.