Pizza Castle moves from Gage Park to new home in Hickory Hills

Co-owner Rich Jensen cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of Pizza Castle's new home in Hickory Hills.

By Bob Bong

Southland Savvy 

After almost five decades of serving pizzas from a small storefront in Chicago’s Gage Park neighborhood, Pizza Castle co-owner Richard Jensen had an opportunity to move into a bigger space and he jumped at the chance.

So, Jensen packed up the family business and made the move a few miles south to Hickory Hills. 

Pizza Castle held a grand opening November 17 at their new location at 7737 W. 95th St. in the Ricky Rockets plaza.

Rich Jensen and Kathy Jensen.

“The best news,” Jensen said. “Was that the pizzas are the same.”

He was worried because the pizza oven that he had been using since taking over the business in 1973 was too big to make the move to the new location and he had to buy a new oven.

“It was a great oven,” he said hinting that someone might want to move in and start up a new pizzeria.

“The oven is key to making good pizza,” he said. “So far, people are happy.”

Pizza Castle was already the name of the pizzeria when his brother Paul bought the place.

“We talked about changing the name, but decided to leave it be,” he said.

Pizza Castle was and remains a family business. Jensen’s wife, Kathy, and his sons Erik, Rick and Kris are all part of the staff. Kris is also a North Palos firefighter.

Jensen said the new location is about three times the size of the Gage Park location. “We went from about 750 square feet to 2,200 square feet,” he said. “We now have a walk-in cooler. Ten tables for sit down service. And we have outdoor seating.”

The new place also comes with a seven-seat bar that will allow Pizza Castle to offer gaming machines, as soon as their license is approved.

“We’ll have four machines, but we needed a liquor license. We only will sell beer and wine.”

Pizza Castle features very thin crust pizza. It has two house specialties: The King Arthur has sausage, mushrooms, green pepper and onion; the Pie by Di has sausage, mushroom, pepperoni and jalapenos. Pizza sizes range from 10-inch to 18-inch.

But pizza isn’t all they do at Pizza Castle. The menu includes sandwiches, pasta, wings, calzones and shrimp.

In addition to the new dine-in option, Pizza Castle offers catering, delivery and take out. 

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, call 708-930-5600 or visit eatatpizzacastle.com.

They are still hiring, if interested.

Amish pretzel shop opens in Homer Glen

The staff at Ben's Soft Pretzels in Homer Glen. (supplied photo)

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

A new kind of soft pretzel shop opened last month in the Meijer store in Homer Glen.

Ben's Soft Pretzels opened Jan. 18 inside the store at 14169 S. Bell Road.

"We're up front on the grocery side of the store," said co-owner Lisa Brown, who lives in Orland Park.

Brown owns the 950-square-foot store with her neighbor Jim Alfini, his mother-in-law Arline Pearson, and her mother, Loma Hall.

The group had been wanting to open their own business together and unanimously decided on Ben’s Soft Pretzels after Brown discovered them while at a flower show in northwest Indiana.

"I couldn't believe how great they were," she said. "I had to have one every day I was there.

"When I got home, I hoodwinked my neighbors into getting the franchise," she said with a laugh.

Ben's Soft Pretzels is Amish and Dutch inspired. The pretzels are similar to shopping mall varieties but are nearly twice as big "and more delicious," she said. The pretzels are hand-rolled using a special proprietary dough and topped with imported German salt.

In addition to their signature jumbo pretzel, Brown said the bakery also offers pretzel bites called Buggy Bites, Pretzel Stix, all-beef Pretzel Dogs, and Pretzel Pockets with 11 different dipping sauces including cheese, mustard, marinara, and a variety of sweet options.

"We also have four shake options," she said, including parmesan, cinnamon and sugar, sour cream and onion and garlic.

The shop also carries specialty sandwiches such as meatball, Italian and ham and cheese.

Brown said the pretzels are great for noshing while walking around the store or for taking home. "They warm up really well," she said.

Brown said the staff is very friendly and interacts with the children who often stand outside the shop and watch as the pretzels are rolled and baked.

"We have such a good spot," she said.

If business is good, Brown said there may be additional ventures for her group.

"We might go mobile with a food truck in the future," she said. "To take to festivals and events."

She also didn't rule out a second bakery in the Meijer store that opened in Mokena on the same day the Meijer store opened in Homer Glen.

Brown said there are other Ben's locations in the Chicago area, including one in the Meijer in Flossmoor and another one in a Walmart in Forest Park.

Brown said her location has some daily specials including buy one, get one jumbo pretzels from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, double dip Wednesdays and Photo Bomb Thursdays.

Store hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

For information, check out their Facebook page at Ben's Soft Pretzels (HG).

Raising Cane's opens in Oak Lawn

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Louisiana-based Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers will open its second Chicago-area restaurant in Oak Lawn on Valentine's Day. The first opened Jan. 31 in North Riverside.

The location at 11006 S. Cicero Ave. will open to the public at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14. The first 20 paying, dine-in customers 13 and older will receive free food for a year. The first 100 paying, dine-in customers will receive free T-shirts and vouchers for a free Box Combo (four chicken fingers, Texas toast, coleslaw, fried and a drink).

“The people of North Riverside welcomed our first area restaurant with open arms just a couple of weeks ago, and we can’t wait to start sharing our one love with Oak Lawn,” General Manager Melissa Cowell said in a release. “My awesome crew and I have already started partnering with the local community and we’re looking forward to opening our doors and showing our new neighbors just how great chicken finger meals can be.”

Hours will be Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight.

The eatery has about 75 employees.

The company was founded by Todd Graves in 1996 and named for his yellow Labrador. The Oak Lawn location will be the 311th in the chain.

A third Raising Cane’s is projected to open in Naperville in April.

Jeweler closes in Frankfort

Dreher-Weber Jewelers at 21116 S. LaGrange in the Frankfort Crossing shopping center closed recently after 33 years in Frankfort.