Beverly Bank to open new bank on former village site in Oak Lawn

 

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Beverly Bank & Trust closed a deal on Jan. 7 to buy a parcel of land owned by Oak Lawn on 95^th Street between Raymond Avenue and 53^rd Street for $1.8 million.

Beverly Bank, which is part of the Wintrust financial group, will build a new bank at the site that will include space for a senior community center.

“We are planning a spring groundbreaking and anticipate opening in the fourth quarter,” said Mike Johnstone, CEO of Beverly Bank & Trust. Johnstone said a temporary facility will be erected on the site prior to the permanent structure being completed.

“We still have to go through the planning process with the village,” Johnstone said. “There are lots of moving pieces with a bank.”

Johnstone said the new building would be from 20,000 to 24,000 square feet.

“It will be modeled on our facility at 103^rd Street and Western Avenue,” he said.

Village officials said the project is expected to cost about $6 million and would create about 20 new jobs.

Tria Architecture Inc. of Burr Ridge is handling the design.

Johnstone said no name has been chosen but it will reflect the Oak Lawn community. Village officials called the new facility Oak Lawn Bank & Trust.

“We are all about the community,” Johnstone said. “We think the community will identify with us.”

Sanford-Brown Closing Tinley Campus

Career education Corp. is closing all three of its Chicago-area Sanford-Brown College campuses in Tinley Park, Hillside and Skokie.

The Tinley campus will be the first one to close in January 2014.

The company is closing 23 campuses as part of a massive restructuring that includes 900 job cuts.

The campuses have stopped accepting new students and will continue to operate until current students finish their degrees.

Fitness center opens in Orland

Anytime Fitness recently opened at 11025 W. 179^th St. in Orland Park. The co-ed gym, which is owned by Kenneth Howard, is staffed from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and on Sundays by appointment, but the facility is accessible by members 24 hours a day seven days a week.

For information, call 708-995-7581 or visit the website.

Middle Eastern restaurant opens in Bridgeview

A new restaurant called Yazor Kabob, which features Middle Eastern food, opened last month at 9052 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview in the former Sheeba restaurant.

Chef Yonis Abdullah, who is one of three owners, said the restaurant specializes in what he called Jerusalem salad.

The menu also includes a variety of kabobs including lamb, beef, chicken and mushroom. Other entrees are lamb chops and steak as well as shawarma plates, which is similar to gyros.

Drinks include Middle Eastern favorites almond juice and Arabic tea.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For information, call the restaurant at 708-599-0012.

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

Outriggers Closes in Tinley Park

Outriggers Fish House closed without warning Saturday night in Tinley Park.

 By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Outriggers Fish House at 15917 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park has served its last calamari – at least for a while.

The Greek seafood restaurant abruptly closed its doors for the last time Saturday night.

“We lost our lease,” said Dimitri, a manager who declined to give his last name but promised the restaurant would be back soon in a new location.

“We won’t be gone for too long,” he said. “We don’t want our customers to forget us.”

Dimitri said he wasn’t sure the restaurant would reopen in Tinley. “It will be somewhere in the neighborhood, we like this area,” he said.

Outriggers, which has had other Southland locations over the years including a restaurant a block north in Orland Park, has been in the Tinley location for several years.

The property manager for Brixmoor Property Group, which owns the Tinley Plaza at 159^th Street and Harlem Avenue, did not respond to an email.

Last call at Limestone

Limestone City Grill and Lounge at 13415 S. Ridgeland in neighboring Palos Heights gave its last call Saturday night. An employee who answered the phone Sunday said there was a private property going on but confirmed the business had closed without warning.

“I’m just here to answer the phone,” he said. “We’re closed. I don’t know why.”

Thai Rickshaw closes in Homewood

Dec. 29 was the last day of business for Thai Rickshaw at 18102 S. Martin in Homewood. The Thai restaurant closed after three years of operation.

Tobacco House snuffed in Frankfort

Tobacco House called it quits last month at 19985 S. LaGrange Road in Frankfort. Owners said three burglaries in the last six months were too much.

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.

Cuzzin's Closes in Orland Park

Cuzzin's closed last month in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Cuzzin’s restaurant at 8600 W. 159^th St. in Orland Park closed a few weeks ago after being sold to new owners, according to its former owners on their Danny’s Catering Facebook page.

Cuzzin’s website says, “Our Orland Park location Cuzzin's/Cugino's is now closed. Please visit Danny’s in Melrose.

A message on Danny’s Facebook page posted on Nov. 19 says, “We want to let all our friends and fans know that we have sold our Orland Park location. For those of you on the south side I promise coming to 

Danny’s in Melrose Park for dinner or your catering needs will be worth the ride. Stay in touch with this page for upcoming events and specials. Hope to see you soon, Paula Dote.”

Calls to Dote were not returned. There is no word on who bought the restaurant or when it may reopen.

Kmart to close on 159^th Street 

The Kmart store at 159^th Street and Bell Road in Homer Glen will close by the end of January and has started a store closing sale.

The store, which opened in 1981, was converted from a Kmart to a Sears Essential store after the merger of Kmart and Sears in 2005, but the concept never really caught on and the store was reconverted back to a Kmart about 18 months ago. 

The store has 82 employees, some of whom may be able to transfer to other Sears or Kmart locations.

Moon’s Burgers Closes

Tony Gambino III has apparently given up on trying to make a go of a restaurant at 3342 W. 95^th St. in Evergreen Park.

Gambino first tried it with one of his Taco Fresco franchises, which have been successful elsewhere in the Chicago area but didn’t catch on in Evergreen Park or Tinley Park.

About a year ago, he borrowed a page from his family’s successful Moon’s Sandwich Shop at 16 S. Western Ave. and opened Tony Moon’s Burgers, which got generally good grades from online reviewers.

But Moon’s Burgers closed abruptly at the beginning of November. The phone number has been disconnected and the shop has a “for rent” sign in the window.

Palos Heights McDonald’s open again

Palos area Big Mac fans can rejoice, the fast-food icon has reopened the Golden Arches at 7100 W. 127^th St.  The restaurant, which was closed and torn down in August, reopened earlier this month after being rebuilt.

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.