Ross Dress for Less to open Saturday in Tinley Park, Evergreen Park

Ross Dress for Less will open stores Saturday in Tinley Park and Evergreen Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

California-based off-price retailer Ross Dress for Less will open 24 new stores nationwide on Saturday including locations in Tinley Park and Evergreen Park.

The Tinley Park store will open at 7290 W. 191st St. in the Brookside Marketplace while the Evergreen Park site will open at 9142 S. Western Ave. in the same plaza as Menards on the former grounds of the Evergreen Country Club.

The two stores will be the fifth and sixth Ross locations in the Southland. The retailer entered the Chicago market a couple of years ago when it opened stores in Orland Park and Matteson. It has since opened a store in Calumet City. Also opening Saturday will be Ross stores in Vernon Hills and Schaumburg.

The new stores will bring the total Ross Dress for Less locations to 31 in Chicagoland.

Ross stores typically carry brand name apparel and home goods products priced 20 percent to 60 percent less than at department and specialty stores.

The chain has more than 1,000 stores in 27 states. Each store employs about 50 associates.

Both new stores will open at 9 a.m. Saturday. Each store is offering shoppers a chance to win a $500 shopping spree or one of five $100 shopping sprees.

Store hours will be Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For information about Ross, visit Ross Dress for Less  or check out their Facebook page.

Dominick's stores to close

California-based Safeway Inc. announced Thursday that it would close or sell all 72 Dominick's Finer Foods stores in the Chicago area and exit the Chicago marketplace.

The company then announced it had already sold four stores to the new parent of Jewel-Osco including one at 14200 S. Bell Road in Homer Glen.

Other Dominick's slated to close in the Southland include locations in Frankfort, Matteson, Palos Heights, Merrionette Park and Countryside.

Companies reportedly interested in acquiring some of the Dominick's stores include Butera Market, Pete's Fresh Market, Strack & Van Til and Angela Caputo's Fresh Markets.

Pete's has already acquired and transformed former Dominick's stores in Calumet City and in Chicago's East Side neighborhood, and Strack converted a former Dominick's in Crestwood, so those companies have a history with Dominick's.

Safeway said it wanted to be out of the Chicago marketplace  by early in 2014.

The chain, founded in Chicago in 1918, was purchased by Safeway for $1.8 billion in 1998. It has seen its share of the Chicago market shrink from about 33 percent to 9 percent.

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.

Family Dollar opens in Tinley Park

A Family Dollar store opened today in Tinley Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

A new Family Dollar discount store opened today at 7901 W. 171st St. in Tinley Park in the former Walgreens drug store.

 

Hours will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

The discount retailer opened its first store in Charlotte, N.C., in 1959 and has more than 7,600 stores in 45 states.

Pizzeria closes in Orland Park

Tonino's Pizza closed for the last time Sept. 29 after 30 years at 14420 John Humphrey Drive in Orland Park. 

Corner Bakery shuts down in Orland Park

The Corner Bakery at 14650 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park closed for good at the end of business Sept. 29.

Employees at the fast-casual restaurant say they were told the lease was up and the decision was made to close the store. Employees say they were offered the chance to move to another Corner Bakery location.

The Atlanta-based national chain has more than 150 locations in 14 states and the District of Columbia. The nearest Southland location will now be the one at 9621 S. Cicero Ave. in Oak Lawn. 

Bears deals of the week

Brookfield Restaurant at 8900 W. Ogden Ave. in Brookfield offers a free halftime buffet during Bears game, though you must be present at the kickoff to qualify. The pub also has video gaming machines.

Tinley Park's Ed & Joe's has a free buffet during Bears games and features $2 domestic drafts during the game. Guests must be in the house by the start of the second quarter.

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.

Uncle Julio's opens today in Orland Park

Uncle Julio's opens today in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

A new Mexican restaurant will open to the public today in the former Harrison's brew pub at 15845 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park. 

 The building has been undergoing a major renovation since Harrison's closed earlier this year and the restaurant will now feature a horseshoe-shaped bar with monitors to catch the latest game.

The 10,000-square-foot restaurant has seating for 350 along with a large outdoor patio. The interior features fireplaces and informal seating areas. 

Dallas-based Uncle Julio's kicked off its Orland location on Oct. 4 with a benefit for Together We Cope. The restaurant also made a $2,500 donation to the organization that helps families in crisis.

“The spirit of Uncle Julio’s is the fun we have and the unparalleled flavor and experience we provide to our guests,” Todd Conger, president and chief operating officer of Uncle Julio’s, said in a release. 

“We can’t wait for all of Orland Park to walk through our doors and make this tradition of enjoying authentic Mexican cuisine their new favorite thing to do with friends and family.” 

The Orland location is the chain's 18th restaurant. The eatery features traditional Tex-Mex fare such as tacos and enchiladas as well as specialties such as Fajitas al Carbon and Honey Chipotle Salmon.

Uncle Julio’s invented the famous Swirl Margarita, made with layers of frozen margarita and homemade sangria. Diners can also choose a custom margarita, made from their choice of 15 different tequilas. Other signature drinks include the Patrón Skinny Margarita (made with Patrón Silver and skinny agave sour).

The restaurant will serve lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.  Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Weekend egg brunch is served along with the regular menu on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For information, call 708-942-4700, visit their website or check out their Facebook.  

Middle Eastern restaurant closes in Orland

Shami Kabob & Grill, which opened in June 2011, closed recently at 15222 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park in Ravinia Plaza. The 1,900-square-foot eatery specialized in Middle Eastern food. No sign was posted on the door regarding the closing but the windows are covered in paper. There is no posting on its Facebook page about the closing and its phone number was disconnected.

Rosati's reopens in Tinley Park

Rosati's pizzeria, which closed at 171st Street and Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park in August 2012, reopened recently at 15911 S. 76th Avenue in the village.

Rosati's, which has hundreds of locations, operates under two different corporate parents. The Tinley location is part of the chain that is based in Elgin.

For information, call 708-444-1400 or visit Rosati's.

Orland gas station on the block

The BP station at 143rd Street and LaGrange Road in Orland Park is one of five BP convenience store-gas stations that is being sold as part of a bankruptcy sale by NRC Realty & Capital Advisors LLC.

The 4,200-square-foot station sits on more than one acre and was built in 2002.

The other stations are in Elk Grove Village, Joliet, Oswego and Romeoville.

Any bids must be approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.