Vito & Nick's changes name in Tinley Park

Vito & Nick's II in Tinley Park changed its name a few weeks ago to Rich's Pizza Joint.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The only thing that has changed at Vito & Nick's II in Tinley Park is the name, according to co-owner Colleen Loftus.

The restaurant at 7020 W. 183rd St. dropped its franchise agreement with Vito & Nick's about six weeks ago, Loftus said. She said the matter was in litigation and left it at that.

She said the new name is Rich's Pizza Joint after her co-owner Rich Chearo. 

Why not Colleen's?

"People ask me that all the time and I have different answers," she said with a laugh. "Rich deserved it."

She said the restaurant has the same menu and specials and is now free of franchise constraints.

"We're the same people, only its better," she said of the name change.

Since the change, she said the restaurant has expanded its indoor seating as well as added a small outdoor eating area in the front of the dining room.

"We expanding onward and upward," she said of the eatery that has been open since April 2008.

She Rich's also offers carry outs, catering and delivery to an area from U.S. 30 to 159th Street and from LaGrange Road to Oak Forest.

"We'll deliver to about a five-mile radius," Loftus said.

Restaurant hours remain 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call 708-532-8486, visit Rich's Pizza Joint or check out their Facebook page.

Family Hearth opens in Frankfort

The Family Hearth General Store, the retail storefront ministry of Forming Faithful Families, which is a nonprofit public charity, moved into bigger digs a couple of weeks ago at 119 Kansas St. in downtown Frankfort and celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting on Thursday.

The store is operated by Frankfort residents Kathleen and Jim Littleton and offers vintage gifts, jewelry, old time candy, bottles of pop, gourmet coffee and ice cream. The storefront offers a reading room and Wi-Fi.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.

For information, visit The Family Hearth General Store.

Taste of Heaven now open in Summit

A new restaurant that also includes a massive banquet hall opened earlier this summer at 6254 S. Archer Road in Summit after an extensive and expensive remodeling of a former glass works building.

Co-owners Marco Valladolid and his son Adrian, said they wanted to create a restaurant that would bring the neighborhood closer together. 

They said they accomplished that by offering a nice friendly, sit down family experience with a menu  that is based on comfort food with great taste and superior quality.

The restaurant has a number of televisions to help guests cheer on their favorite sports teams.

Taste of Heaven also offers a spacious banquet hall that sits more than 300 people. 

Restaurant hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, while banquet hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with walk-ins welcome.

For information, call 708-701-2134 or 708-701-2135.

Spencer's Gifts opens in Chicago Ridge

Spencer's Gifts, which specializes in edgy novelties and collectibles, has opened a new store at Chicago Ridge Mall. The store is next to Charlotte Russe between Sears and Kohl's.

MB Financial closes deal for Cole Taylor

MB Financial Inc. last week completed its acquisition of Cole Taylor Bank’s parent company in a deal valued at $680 million.

The merger of MB Financial Bank and Cole Taylor Bank, which was first announced a year ago, creates a middle-market bank with about $15 billion in assets.

Cole Taylor locations include a branch at 5501 W. 79th St. in Burbank.

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

Longtime garden center, Every Bloomin' Thing, closes in Orland Park

Every Bloomin' Thing closed last week in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy 

Every Bloomin' Thing was opened by Bob and Linda Buikema as a Christmas tree lot with 400 evergreens in November 1985 and quickly became a popular garden center at 7648 W. 159th St. in Orland Park.

The center, which also added a gift store over the years, opened for the season on April 28 and closed for the last time last week after a lengthy going out of business sale.

The Buikemas were not available but they did post a final message on the company's Facebook page:

"I write this final post with a very heavy heart ... Our Garden Center is officially closed for business! Thank you again to all of you for supporting our small, family business ... please, continue to shop "small". Small business is the foundation on which our wonderful country was built! God bless each and every one of you!"

The business had been listed for sale for $995,000 for the past couple of years.

Shoe Carnival to open Saturday in Orland

Shoe Carnival will hold a grand opening at 9 a.m. Saturday for its new store in Lake View Plaza at 159th Street and LaGrange Road in Orland Park.

The first 100 customers will receive a $10 reward card to use toward anything in the store.

Other events include: 

·         A 10 a.m. drawing for free shoes for a year

·         An 11 a.m. drawing for $1,000 cash courtesy of Crocs

·         A drawing for a $100 Shoe Carnival shopping spree every hour from noon to 5 p.m.

·         Doorbuster deals from 9 a.m. to noon

·         Prizes and giveaways all weekend

“We are excited to open a new Shoe Carnival location in the Orland Park area," said Todd Beurman, senior vice president of marketing, in a release. "Shoe Carnival is known for our one of a kind shopping experience, unbelievable product assortment and unique atmosphere, which creates a customer focused way to shop for shoes. At Shoe Carnival, our customers will not only be treated to great value on name brand footwear and accessories for the entire family, they’ll also get a fun and exciting shopping experience.”

The Orland store will be the 24th store in the Chicago area. The Evansville-based chain has about 400 stores in 32 states and Puerto Rico. Stores typically carry name brands such as Nike, Asics, Converse, Keds, Reebok and Skechers.

Culver's now open in Lockport

A new Culver's restaurant opened last month at 15940 S. Farrell Road in Lockport. It's the second Culver's location for owner Ron Dalrymple, who opened his first Culver's in Romeoville in 2004. The restaurant is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Mokena, Homer Meijer stores now  open

Grand Rapids-based Meijer opened its latest Chicago-area locations this week in Mokena and Homer Glen.

The two supercenters will each be about 160,000 square feet and each will employ about 300 team members. The Mokena store is  at 11305 Lincoln Highway, and the Homer Glen store is at 14169 S. Bell Road.

Work started on the two stores a year ago.

Each store will feature a pharmacy, gas station, optical store and U.S. Bank branch. The Mokena gas station opened a few weeks ago.

The new stores will also offer more than 600 varieties of fresh produce, a meat department with butcher shop service and a bakery that carries bread baked fresh four times daily.

Meijer operates a smaller scale store at 159th Street and Harlem Avenue in Orland Park. 

The company purchased 13 acres in Flossmoor last year and is planning a supercenter at Vollmer Road and Crawford Avenue.

 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

St. Vincent de Paul thrift store moving to Orland Park

Berkot's will be opening later this year in the former Sentry Foods in Midlothian.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The St. Vincent de Paul Society is holding a closing sale at its Midlothian thrift store in advance of moving the store to Orland Park.

The store at 4644 W. 147th St. has discounted merchandise to 75 percent off from July 14 to July 22. Anything that remains unsold will be sold for $1 from July 23 to July 26. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The store, which has been operating in Midlothian for more than 20 years, will close on July 26 and reopen later this year in the former Sears Appliance and Hardware store at 7010 W. 159th St. in Orland Park. 

Remodeling has already begun on the 11,000-square-foot store that closed earlier this year, which is about twice the size of the current space in Midlothian.

St. Vincent de Paul said it would  announce a grand opening date for the new store on its website. 

Bargain hunters are asked to shop at the society's other thrift stores at 9321 S. Western Ave. in Chicago and at 1125 S. Milwaukee Ave. in Libertyville.

Proceeds from the thrift stores help the society operate food pantries and provide emergency vouchers and other programs for the needy.

Berkot's to open in Midlothian

While Midlothian may be losing its thrift store, it will be regaining a supermarket when Mokena-based Berkot's Super Foods opens later this year in the former Sentry Foods store at 4640 W. 147th St.

The deal for the Midlothian location was announced last week on the supermarket's Facebook page:
 

"We are proud to announce that the people of Midlothian will be getting their very own Berkot's! It will be located at 147th and Cicero in the former Sentry and thrift store location. Thank you to Village President Sharon Rybak and the Midlothian board for allowing Berkot's to become a part of the community!"

Sentry Foods closed March 17 after being in business at that location for 22 years.

The Midlothian store is expected to open by December. It will be the 16th store for the supermarket chain that got its start in a former grocery store in Mokena in 1990. The company has a history of opening in former supermarkets instead of building new construction.

Health foods store moves into new digs in Orland

New Vitality Health Foods will hold its grand opening from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, at its new home at 14225 S. 95th Avenue, Suite 410, in the Orland Park Crossing. The ribbon cutting is set for noon.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
 

Owner Barbara Griffin said the store has been in Orland Park for 25 years and sells gluten-free and allergy-friendly foods and nutritional supplements.