Texas Roadhouse to open latest location Monday in Countryside

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Louisville-based Texas Roadhouse will officially open at 4 p.m. Monday at 9960 Joliet Road in Countryside, but the steakhouse will play host to veterans and Special Olympians over the weekend as its works out the kinks for its cooks, meat cutters and other kitchen staff.

 “We have so many veterans in our family, including my wife,” said Eric Stewart, managing partner in a release. “We are passionate about giving back to the women and men who have served our country. We’re also proud to support Special Olympics here locally and can’t imagine a better way to celebrate our opening than by helping these two organizations that serve so many families across this community.”

In addition to rolling out the carpet for local organizations, the restaurant will donate food from this weekend's invitation-only events to Countryside police and firefighters.

The restaurant, which is bringing 200 new jobs to the area, will be open from 4-10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, from 4-11 p.m. Friday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

The steakhouse chain, which started in 1993, has more than 395 locations in 48 states.

For more information, call 708-482-7870 or visit Texas Roadhouse.

Zombie Safari opens in Tinley Park

Zombies are back on the attack in Tinley Park at Odyssey Fun Farm at 19111 S. OK Park Ave., across the street from Odyssey Fun World arcade.

The Zombie Safari Hayride runs from 7-midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (no Sundays in September) after the much more kid friendly Fun Farm shuts down at 6 p.m.

For $20, you are driven into a 15-acre maze and then attacked by zombies. You fight back with paintball guns mounted on the sides of the hayride truck. You start out with 100 paintballs but can buy more ammo if you are particularly trigger happy.

“We have a lot of cool stuff going on at night this year,” said Clint Paraday, general manager of the arcade and Fun Farm, which offered the Zombie Safari for the first time last Halloween.

The safari lasts for about 15 minutes, Paraday said.

The Fun Farm has been offered for three years now and features a 15-acre pumpkin patch, 15-acre maze, corn cannon, zip line and a corn crib that holds upward of 15 tons of corn.

The Fun Farm will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Sept. 28 to Oct. 27. General admission is $11 with additional costs for the zip line and pony rides. 

For information, visit Odyssey Fun Farm.

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.

Halloween pop-up stores return

Yankee Bill's Costume Superstore opened recently at 159th Street and Harlem Avenue in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Pop-up Halloween shops have risen like zombies across the Southland to fill empty storefronts that help us celebrate the season of the witch in the style to which we have become accustomed.

One newcomer to the Halloween scene this year is a store that hails from the Northeast called Yankee Bill’s Costume Superstore at 15818 S. Harlem Ave. in the Home Depot Center in Orland Park. Hours there are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday thru Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

One familiar face, Spirit Halloween, has the most shops in the south suburbs this year as the improving economy has claimed many of the storefronts that were used by these pop-up shops for Halloweens past.

Spirit, which carries an assortment of costumes, masks, fake blood and animatronic ghosts, witches and vampires, is already open at 5849 W. 95^th St. in Oak Lawn, 14726 S. Cicero Ave. in Mid-Oak Plaza in Midlothian, 15846 S. LaGrange Road in Lakeview Plaza in Orland Park, 19933 S. LaGrange Road in Hickory Creek Marketplace in Frankfort and 12700 Illinois 59 in Kensington Center in Plainfield. Hours for all of the stores is 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The retailer also has a smaller Gallery store that only carries costumes and accessories open at 16521 W. 159^th St. in Lockport. An additional Gallery store is coming soon to 410 Nelson Road in the Nelson Plaza in New Lenox.

Halloween City has only one Southland location this year at 1 Orland Park Place at Orland Park Place mall in Orland Park.  Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Lyons Middle Eastern restaurant opening 2nd location

Falafelji, a Middle Eastern restaurant that opened less than a year ago at 3910 S. Harlem Ave. in Lyons, is preparing to open a second location at 13 S. LaGrange Road in LaGrange, in the former location of the Back Alley Burger.

Owner Bilal Beiram, who moved to the United States from Jordan 25 years ago, said the LaGrange location should be open by October. Hours will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays. 

Falafelji features falafels, hummus, shawerma, kabobs, sandwiches and more. 

For information, call 708-447-4757 or visit their website at www.myfalafelji.com.

Jasmine Fashion opens in Palos Hills

Jasmine Fashion opened recently at 10418 S. Harlem Ave. in Palos Hills in part of the space formerly used by Shefoun Fashion, which moved some months ago into a building at 11220 S. Harlem Ave. in Worth.

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 business news in other parts of the Southland at Comings & Goings.

Pompei reopens as Davino’s, no wait now it's Ralph's

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Pompei Little Italy was scheduled to reopen Thursday at the Riviera Country Club at 8801 W. 143^rd St. in Orland Park as Davino’s, with a slightly tweaked menu and new hours.

But that was scrubbed at the last minute and the new name is now Ralph's Italian Eatery and Bar, in honor of its owner Ralph Davino.

The restaurant was closed for about a week to erect new signage and do some minor remodeling inside the restaurant.

“Pompei is going in a little different direction here in Orland Park,” said supervisor Kelly Voris. “(Ralph's) will be open from 4-10 p.m. and be closed Monday and Tuesday.

“We are expanding the menu a little from the Pompei menu,” she said. 

Voris said the Pompei on Taylor Street in Chicago is not undergoing any change and a new Pompei Little Italy will be opening soon in Westmont.

“We still have the same owners as before,” she said. 

Naf Naf Grill opens in Orland Park

Middle Eastern food is becoming more common in the Orland Park area and Naf Naf Grill is continuing that tradition.

The restaurant, which opened last week at 15110 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park, features shawarma (marinated chicken or beef slow roasted on a rotating spit), falafel (deep fried mix of chick peas, herbs and spices), hummus, baba ghanoush (similar to hummus but made with eggplant instead of chickpeas), chip-like french fries, pitas, salads, rice and fried chicken schnitzel, a German classic also common in Israel. 

Naf Naf gave away free food as part of a soft opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, said Chris Williams, general manager of the Orland Park location. The restaurant opened with a full menu and full hours on Tuesday.

“It’s always great to see the look on a customer’s face when they try to pay and we tell them the food is free,” he said, adding customer traffic on Monday was “awesome.”

Naf Naf Grill was first opened in Naperville by Sahar Sander and Elan Burger in 2009. David Sloan and Justin Halpenny soon partnered up and they began to open up more locations in the western suburbs. 

The Orland Park location is the seventh Naf Naf Grill, with a couple of more in the planning stages.

The hours starting Tuesday will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

For information, call the restaurant at 708-226-0101 or visit their website at http://www.nafnafgrill.com.

 Bonefish Grill to open Monday

Florida-based seafood restaurant Bonefish Grill, 15537 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park, opens to the public on Monday.

The eatery had a benefit party Saturday with Together We Cope to benefit the organization that assists south suburban families in crisis.

“Being active participants in the Orland Park community is very important to us,” Nick Kapellas, managing partner of the new Bonefish Grill location, said in a release. “Our partnership with Together We Cope is a first step toward building a foundation of goodwill and fostering local relationships, which we hope to continue long after we open our doors.” 

Bonefish Grill specialties include Ahi Tuna Sashimi, PEI Mussels Josephine and “American Style” Kobe Beef Burgers, and the house specialty Bang Bang Shrimp. 

“We are thrilled that Bonefish Grill chose to partner with our organization,” Kathryn Staniero, Executive Director of Together We Cope, said in the release. 

The Orland Park restaurant features a spacious dining room with a bar area, community tables and music. The interior’s sleek design has golden hardwood and hand-blown glass amber lamps throughout the restaurant.  Throughout the interior there is an attractive array of three-dimensional art, ranging from large-scale metal sculptures of mangroves and fishing scenes to a large mystical fish rubbing.

Hours are 4-10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 3-11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.  There also is a brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday featuring favorite breakfast dishes like omelets, French toast served with freshly whipped cream, and chocolate croissants. 

For information, call 708-873-5170 or visit www.bonefishgrill.com.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.