New market to open in Tinley Park

Angelo's Fresh Market hopes to finally open this weekend at 7150 W. 183rd St. in Tinley Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Angelo's Fresh Market was a logical extension for the family meat-cutting business, says owner Carla Bolin.

"We cut meat for white table cloth restaurants across the country and our family and friends were always asking us for steaks or a roast, so we decided to open a retail store (1044 Sterling Ave. in Flossmoor) last July," said Bolin.

The focal point of the new Angelo's Fresh Market, which is expected to open this weekend after unexpected delays at 7150 W. 183rd St. in Tinley Park, will be its meat case.

"We will have a prime grade meat case," Bolin said. "A steak you buy here will be the same kind you would get at Michael Jordan's restaurant."

"The thing most people say after trying our meat is that they forgot what good meat tastes like," she said. "If you shop here, you are going to get restaurant quality meat."

Steaks, however, are not what the store is known for at its first location in Flossmoor, which opened in July 2013.

"The meatballs are our most popular serving," Bolin said. "They are traditional Italian meatballs made with beef, veal and pork and they were a big hit from the beginning."

Angelo's will also feature a full deli line, she said, which is not available at the Flossmoor location.

"We will carry homemade pastas, sauces and flavored olive oils," she said. "The menu will offer 14 different sandwiches, both hot and cold."

The store will also offer artisan cheeses and breads and milk-fed veal.

Bolin said she settled on the Tinley Park location in part because it was a former restaurant, a Quizno's sandwich shop.

"We heard good things about Tinley Park and it did not require a lot of remodeling because it already had refrigeration," she said.

She said Angelo's will continue to look for new locations.

"I'm thinking we'll open four or five new stores," she said. "Our next location will be somewhere in northwest Indiana."

The Tinley Park store is about 1,800 square feet and Bolin said she had already hired four people to work the new store.

Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

She said the grand opening on Saturday hinges on village inspections and if the remaining equipment arrives on time and undamaged. A meat case that will be a focal point of the new store arrived with one its glass sides smashed and had to be replaced.

For information, visit Angelo's Fresh Market or check out their Facebook page.

Mimi’s Café pulls out of Illinois

Mimi’s Café, a restaurant that prided itself on bringing a taste of France to the Southland, has closed its only two locations in Illinois.

The Orland location closed before Memorial Day at 16154 S. LaGrange Road and the Naperville location shut its doors Saturday.

A manager at Mimi’s Café in Orland Park said the California-based chain decided earlier this month to close both locations May 31 but Orland was closed early because cooks and wait staff stopped coming to work once they were informed of the impending closing.

The manager said the company had decided that even though the Orland location was busy it was too difficult operating in Illinois with only two locations. This closings were part of a corporate strategy to pull out of limited markets.

Since the chain was purchased last year by LeDuff America from Bob Evans Farms for $50 million it has closed several stores, including about a dozen in May.

A sign on the front door simply said the Orland Park location was closed. All of its locations are corporate owned.

The Orland restaurant opened in 2007.

Cafe closes in Mokena

Nevada Cafe closed last month at 19845 S. LaGrange Road in Mokena. 

The restaurant had been placed into receivership and the building is listed for sale at $799,000, which is subject to court approval.

Nevada was the third restaurant to try its luck at that location. Kingsberry closed years ago and its successor Golden Oak fared no better. 

 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.com

Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon returns to familiar spot in Tinley Park

Owner Steve Wright stands inside the new Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon at 16707 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Steve Wright has decided to try his hand again at running Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon at 16707 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park.

Wright, of Mokena, operated a Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon in the same space several years ago but closed it because of declining sales and after a second location in New Lenox near Lincoln-Way Central High School failed.

His second incarnation of Willie's opened last month.

"I love doing it," said Wright, whose day job has been in the construction business for more than 40 years. "I'm going to do it this time. It's a lot of fun ."

Wright said he started thinking about reopening Willie's after Diana's Kitchen, which had opened in the same space, closed last year.

"I thought about it for months before deciding to open it again," he said.

"Everything is basically the same," he said. "I even have three of the girls who worked for me then back. I'm very excited about that."

Wright said the menu is the same one that he inherited when he bought the business from its founder's son Willie Mahoney Jr. The original hot dog stand opened in 1955 near 157th Street and Crawford Avenue in Markham.

"We use Hillshire Farms hot dogs and there's a special way to make the burgers," he said. "The double cheeseburger is our most popular along with the hot dogs."

The Tinley location is small and seats only 16 with a couple of picnic tables outside.

Wright is also thinking about adding some special events this time around.

"I'm thinking of having a steam corn during the sweet corn season and I'm going to organize a hot dog eating contest with prizes for first, second and third."

He has no plans to open a second location.

"Having a second location killed me the first time around," he said. "I won't do that again."

Willie's is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday.

For information, call the restaurant at 708-633-4666.

Eatery closes in Frankfort

Hawgs-n-Dawgs, a restaurant that had an elaborate motorcycle theme, closed recently at 7940 W. Lincoln Highway in Frankfort. The eatery opened in May 2006 and specialized in deep-fried hot dogs and great french fries.

Sleepy's opens second store in Orland

Sleepy's, a New York-based company that calls itself the world's largest mattress retailer and which opened stores late last year in Orland Park, Frankfort, Evergreen Park and Chicago's Southwest Side, opened a second Orland Park store earlier this month at 158th Street and LaGrange Road in the former Starbuck's.

The Hicksville-based company, which has more than 800 showrooms in 14 Eastern and mid-Atlantic states and carries a wide selection of mattress brands, opened its first Chicago-area store last summer.

 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.southlandsavvy.blogspot.com

Creative Cakes bakery opens new cafe in Tinley Park

Creative Cakes has opened a cafe adjacent to its popular bakery in Tinley Park

By Bob Bong 
Southland Savvy

Sisters Beth Fahey and Becky Palermo could hardly wait for their newest venture to open its doors in Tinley Park.

The sisters, who have operated Creative Cakes for several years in Tinley Park, most recently at 16649 S. Oak Park Ave., recently opened Creative Cakes cafe in space adjacent to the bakery. 

Fahey said she was inspired to open a cafe during a trip to France.

She said the cafe would be modeled on a French street cafe and would serve coffee, sandwiches and crepes.

"It's a cool concept," she said. "A little more artsy and more Frenchy than what most people around here are used to. We're taking bakery to a higher level.

"It will be a nice respite for non-sports bar fans."

She said the cafe would feature natural foods with an emphasis on fresh and organic.

"We'll be focusing on the healthy."

Fahey said soups and other foods would be made in house and in sight of the customers.

"The customers will be able to watch the crepes being made. And they can watch the cake decorators at work."

Creative Cakes Cafe will also feature a full coffee bar along with wine and craft beers from Tinley Park's own Hailstorm Brewing Co.

"We won't be Cooper's Hawk but ours won't be junky wines either," she said. "We have a rotating selection of wines."

She said the bakery had been serving Intelligentsia coffee since 2005 and that wouldn't change at the cafe.

Other plans include a nonprofit art gallery and music.

"I really want to have acoustic music," Fahey said. "And maybe a French movie night."

She said the new cafe will require about 10 new employees, including a barrista.

"We want a foodie sort of staff," she said.

The cafe would have seating for 50 to 70 along with additional seating in an outdoor patio.

"We'll use the existing space for overflow seating," she said.

For information on the cafe, check out Creative Cakes on Facebook or Creative Cakes online.

Harbor Freight Tools opens in Orland

Harbor Freight Tools will hold a grand opening from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, at 7520 W. 159th St. in Orland Park in the former Advance Auto Parts store that moved into new digs earlier this year.

The company started in 1977 and now has more than locations nationwide. The family-owned chain carries more than 7,000 tools and accessories.

Hours are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
For information, visit Harbor Freight Tools.

Frankfort Country Market open for season

The 2014 Frankfort Country Market is now open every Sunday until Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Frankfort.

The Spring Market (from April 27 through June 1) features early crops and plantings; the Summer Market (from June 8 through Oct. 26) features a wide variety of seasonal produce, freshly produced foods, seminars, chef demos and activities for the entire family.

Market hours in the fall (from Sept. 7 through Oct. 26) will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  In addition to the expanded market introduced in 2013, the 2014 season will include entertainment every Sunday on the newly renovated Breidert Green stage during the summer market, and a “Munchkin Market” activity area. 

 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.com