Caribou Coffee pulling out of Illinois

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Caribou Coffee Co. is closing or rebranding all of its 66 stores in Illinois as the company intends to focus on its home market in Minnesota.

This doesn’t mean much for the south suburbs seeing that Caribou effectively pulled out of the Southland last year when it abruptly closed its Tinley Park and Homewood locations.

The decision does affect a longtime store at 30 N. LaGrange Road in LaGrange, which will be closing on Sunday after 12 years, and a new store inside the Jewel-Osco store at 5545 S. Brainard in Countryside, which will also be closing Sunday after only recently opening.

The company had already scrapped plans to open coffee shops in remodeled J.C. Penney stores.

A few stores in the Chicago-market will be staying open after being converted into Peet’s Coffee & Tea shops.

Stores that are closing have started 50 percent off sales on merchandise such as coffee mugs. The stores will add coffee and other foodstuffs to the sale list and increase the sales price to 75 percent off on Friday as they attempt to sell off their inventory.

Caribou was acquired in December by a German private equity group for $340 million. The same group had earlier acquired Peet’s for $1 billion.

Just last year, Caribou had announced plans to expand in the Chicago market, which was its second largest market, and said it would be opening in select Jewel-Osco locations, including the one that just opened in Countryside.

Grand opening for Flip Flop Shop

Flip Flop Shop, which opened in July at Orland Square Mall, will hold its grand opening and ribbon cutting at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday.

The store carries two dozen brands of flip flops, sandals and street shoes ranging from $22 to more than $100, said store manager Cathie Roth. 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 is the chain’s only location in Illinois.

For more information, visit Flip Flop Shops online or checkout its Facebook page.

Tinley Brew & Vine Festival is Saturday

The Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce annual Brew & Vine Festival will be from 3-10 p.m. Saturday at the Tinley Park Convention Center. Tickets are $25 if purchased by midnight April 10 and $30 at the door on Saturday.

Former White Sox great Frank Thomas will again be the festival’s special guest.

For information and to buy tickets, visit Brew & VineFestival online.

Sign company moves to Mokena

EZ Sign Co. recently moved from its longtime home in Oak Forest to new digs at 19125 S. 85^th Court in Mokena.

The company has been offering indoor and outdoor signs in the south suburbs since 1976.

For information, call the company at 815-469-4080.

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 follow business happenings at Comings & Goings.

Walt’s manager strongly denies Frankfort store closing rumor

A store manager strongly denied a rumor that Walt's was closing its Frankfort store.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

“That is a vicious rumor and totally untrue,” was the response from Tim, one of the managers at the Walt’s Food Center in Frankfort, when asked about a rumor making the rounds that the store at 20825 S. LaGrange Road in Frankfort.

 

“I don’t know where it started but it spread like wildfire through the community,” he said. “I’ve had people coming in asking when we were going to close.

“We are not closing. Period,” he said. “We’ve just finished making improvements at the store. Why would we do that if we were going to close?”

A call to Walt’s corporate offices in South Holland was not returned.

The rumor was probably tied to the recent opening of Mariano’s Fresh Market a couple of blocks to the north of Walt’s. There are now six grocery stores or supermarkets on LaGrange Road in Frankfort and Mokena between U.S. 30 and Interstate 80.

The King retreats from Orland

Burger King closed its doors recently at 14601 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park. You can still get your Whopper fix at the fast-food chain’s location on 159^th Street near 94^th Avenue in Orland Hills.

New owners for River Oaks Toyota

New management was introduced last month at River Oaks Toyota in Calumet City, which was purchased over the Christmas holiday and remodeled.

Fernando Falcon is the new president and CEO.

Ed & Joe’s offers reward for voting

Ed & Joe’s restaurant in Tinley Park has a sweet deal for anyone who casts a ballot at Tuesday’s consolidated election.

The pizzeria will give a free appetizer worth up to $7.95 to anyone who brings in their voter receipt on April 9.

New life for gas station

The gas station at 11458 S. Harlem Ave. in Worth may be coming back to life. JTL Group Inc. has taken out a $400,000 mortgage on the property from U.S. Venture Inc.

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 follow business happenings at Comings & Goings.

Mid Villa Pizza closes in Midlothian after 44 years, Palos location remains open

A corporate-owned Harold's Chicken Shack restaurant opened earlier  this year
in the former Fatburger location at 2341 W. 95th St. in Chicago's Beverly community.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Mid Villa Pizza served up its last pie on Monday after 44 years of selling pizza at 3636 W. 147^th St. in Midlothian.

Owner John Byrnes was unavailable for comment but longtime customers said the restaurant had been for sale and that Byrnes was calling it quits after four decades of pizza-making.

The restaurant posted this message on its web site: “Thank you for your loyal patronage over the past 4 decades. After 44 years serving Midlothian and its surrounding communities, we will be closing our doors on April 1, 2013.

“We could never express the true depth of our gratitude and appreciation to all our family, friends, guests and loyal patrons.  It has been a privilege and blessing to serve this community. We will truly miss seeing everyone's smiling face.”

The Byrnes family tradition of pizza making will continue though as John’s son Michael last year opened his own pizzeria – Mid Villa Pizza of Palos Heights – which will remain open at 12226 S. Harlem Ave. using family recipes.

Mid Villa in Palos Heights is open for dine-in, carry-out and delivery from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; 11 a.m. to midnight on Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; and noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday. For information, call 708-827-5565.

Enterprise Rent-a-Car leases space in Bedford Park

Enterprise Rent-a-Car is consolidating operations in the Midway Airport area and last month leased a 38,233-square-foot building at 6600 S. Central Ave. in Bedford Park as its new base of operations.

The company signed a 15-year lease for the site, according to Paine/Wetzel/TCN Worldwide. The site was chosen for its proximity to the airport and available land for parking.

Alsip salon has new name

On Stage Salon was acquired recently by Cathy Meckley O’Hara who renamed the business at 5418 W. 127^th St. in Alsip as O’Hara and Friends Salon.

Hours for the salon are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday.

For information, call 708-239-1111.

Women’s Expo this weekend in Tinley

The Chicago Women’s Expo will offer a weekend of shopping, cooking demonstrations and wellness features April 6-7 at the Tinley Park Convention Center, 183^rd Street and Harlem Avenue.

Guests will be able to get free manicures, make-up sessions and hair styling.

“We want women to come to the Women’s Expo for a day that centers exclusively on them,” said Renee Anderson, CEO of the Women’s Expo. “As women, we focus so much on other people and commitments outside ourselves. A day at the Women’s Expo is a day women can have for themselves. Guests can look forward to a great time, enjoying a day with friends, shopping, sampling new products and getting new ideas and information for all areas of their lives.”

 Admission is $5 at the door or online at www.women-expo.com. Expo hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Sponsors include DentalWorks, Citizens Financial Bank, Paul Mitchell, Mini of Tinley Park.

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 follow business happenings at Comings & Goings.