Jamaica Jerk Choice Opens in Tinley

Jamaican Jerk Choice opened in July in Tinley Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Jamaican Jerk Choice, which offers Caribbean cuisine including jerk chicken and curry goat, opened earlier this month at 15910 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park.

The 1,200-square-foot restaurant has a sister store in Calumet City.

Hours are Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sundays from noon to 9 p.m.

For information, check out the menu at Jamaica Jerk Choice.

Justice Adding Brothers at Orland Store

Justice, a clothing store aimed at girls from ages 7 to 14, is opening the door to boys at some of its outlets including one at Orland Park Place mall in Orland Park.

The Ohio-based chain plans to open 10 Justice & Brothers stores, including the one in Orland Park, by the end of the summer.

The Orland Park Place store reopened this week after being closed for remodeling and the addition of the Brothers store within a store.

The chain’s store in Orland Square Mall is open and will remain a Justice store for girls.

Durbin’s to Open Monday in Plainfield

Durbin’s will open its seventh location in Plainfield at 11 a.m. Monday in the former Pom Poms All-American Bar & Grill at 16031 S. Lincoln Highway.

The family-owned chain, which also has locations in Burbank, Evergreen Park, Midlothian, Tinley Park, 

Palos Hills and Frankfort, is celebrating its 25^th anniversary this month. Durbin’s is noted for its pizza, ribs, burgers and homemade doughnut holes.

Renovations to the building included a 4,000-square-foot enclosed beer garden.

Mirror Image Salon Opens

Mirror Image Salon held its grand opening this week at 17722 Oak Park Ave. in downtown Tinley Park.

Marquette Bank, Charter Fitness Seek School Supplies

Marquette Bank and Charter Fitness are holding school supply drives in August.

Marquette Bank is holding its annual drive through Friday, Aug. 10. Customers, employees, neighbors and businesses can donate school supplies at any of the bank’s 23 locations. For information, call 1-888-254-9500.

Charter Fitness is hosting its annual drive through Sunday, Aug. 19.  Brand-new school supplies may be dropped off at any participating locations.  The donations will benefit local students and schools in each of the communities Charter Fitness serves. 

For information, ask at your local center or visit CharterFitness.

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.

Flip Flop Shop Opens in Orland Park

The first Flip Flop Shop in Illinois opened last month at Orland Square Mall. -- Orland Square Mall photo

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Orland Park is now home to the first Flip Flop Shop in Illinois, which opened July 20 at Orland Square Mall.

These aren’t the inexpensive, rubbery kind of flip flops you may be accustomed to, said store manager Cathie Roth, who lives in a nearby suburb.

The store carries two dozen brands of flip flops, sandals and street shoes ranging from $22 to more than $100, she said. Top selling brands include Sanuk, Cobian, OluKai and Reef.

“We have brands that no one else in the mall has,” said Roth adding there are plenty of them. “I have more than 1,000 pairs of sandals on the wall.”

The store offers child and adult sizes. “We carry men’s sandals up to size 14 and can order larger sizes.”

She said the company recently outfitted the Los Angeles Lakers in flip flops.

“People have been really, really excited to see us open,” she said. “Maybe they saw one of our stores in an airport somewhere and were hoping we’d come to the Midwest. Now we have.”

What about Chicago’s infamous winters?

“We may carry boots,” Roth said. “But we’re here for someone looking for sandals when they are heading to Florida on vacation in November or December.”

Roth said the store will have regular promotions, such as buy one pair and get a free T-shirt.

She said the store is franchised and has five part-time team members.

For more information, visit Flip Flop Shops Chicago on Facebook.

Work Under Way at Planet Fitness

Work has finally started on the Planet Fitness center at 9503 S. Cicero Ave. in the Green Oak Shopping Center.

“They started working on it a few weeks ago, and workers are in there every day now,” said Steve Kant, vice president of Robin Realty, the company that owns and manages the mall.

Kant said he didn’t know when the 17,400-square-foot fitness center would be opening.

An email to the marketing department at Planet Fitness was not answered.

Planet Fitness operates more than 500 fitness centers in 46 states and the vast majority of them are franchised operations.

The chain, which prides itself for being a Judgment Free Zone and holds monthly pizza nights and gives away 

Tootsie Rolls to clients, seems to be in an expansion mode in Illinois. New locations recently opened in Champaign, Montgomery and at 4327 S. Pulaski Road in Chicago.

For information, visit Planet Fitness online or on Facebook.

Evergreen Chamber Hosts Golf Outing

The Evergreen Park Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual golf outing and barbecue lunch at noon on Friday, Aug. 3, at Fountain Hills Golf Course in Alsip. Registration starts at noon with a 1 p.m. shotgun start.  For information, call the chamber at 708-423-1118 or Outing Chairman Tom Ollenburger at 708-424-7850.

Mokena Hearing Center Grand Opening

Mokena Hearing Center, 11041 Front St., will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon cutting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Parcels Express Opens in Alsip

Parcels Express has opened a newer, larger store at 12005 S. Pulaski Road in Alsip. The new location has gifts, cards and Yankee Candles in addition to 24-hour access post office boxes. For information, call 708-388-3800.

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.

Radio Shack to Reopen in Oak Lawn

By Bob Bong

Southland Savvy 

Radio Shack plans to reopen in downtown Oak Lawn in the first week of August after being closed for more than 18 months since it was knocked out of action by a horrendous fire on Nov. 17, 2010.

“It was always our intention to rebuild and get that store open again,” said Radio Shack south suburban district manager Reggie Weekly.

Weekly said the retailer is shooting for an opening date of Aug. 4. He said the company is planning some grand opening events.

“It’s going to be a good location again,” said Weekly. “We had a lot of loyal customers at that store. I think a lot of residents will be happy to see us return.”

The store at 4819 W. 95^th St. suffered serious smoke and structural damage in the fire that also devastated Eva’s Bridals, Mattress Express, Chiro-Med and Miss Fantasia Boutique.

Weekly said the retailer had to wait for insurance issues to be settled and the landlord to give his OK before they could start rebuilding the store.

“Once we got the OK, everything came together quickly,” he said.

The new store will be the same size and layout as the previous store. It will have two full-time managers and four or five part-time associates, said Weekly. Applications are being taken at www.radioshack.com.

The store’s summer hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the rest of the year.

Victoria’s Secret to Reopen After Remodeling

Victoria’s Secret/PINK, the women’s lingerie store that has been closed for remodeling, will reopen today at Chicago Ridge Mall.

Former Bank Purchased

A group called Sass Orland LLC has purchased the former Amcore Bank building at 16057 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park for $810,000. If anyone knows what’s planned for the 5,928-square-foot free-standing building, please let me know.

Quick Mart Opens in Flossmoor

A Quick Mart convenience store opened earlier this month at 2747 Flossmoor Road in Flossmoor. It is the second location for owners Mike Amawi and Moe Omari.

Ridgeway Chevy 16^th Annual Car Show and Sock Hop

Ridgeway Chevrolet, 17730 S. Torrence Ave. in Lansing, is hosting its 16^th annual Car and Truck Show and Sock Hop from 5-10 p.m. on Saturday. Vehicle registration starts at 4 p.m.

There will be hot dogs and root beer, dash plaques, goodie bags, trophies and a Hula Hoop contest.

Guests are asked to bring a can of soup for the Lansing Food Pantry.

For information, call 708-474-3563.

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.