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I have more than 40 years in the news business and have successfully evolved into an electronic journalist. Comings & Goings and Southland Savvy track news about businesses in Chicago's Southland.

DeSoto Villa Pizza closes in Tinley Park

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

DeSoto Villa Pizza at 17801 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park, which for years was known as Serio's Italian Villa Pizza, has closed and the building has a "for sale" sign posted over the restaurant's name.

The pizzeria's phone has a message that the restaurant is closed but it promises to reopen in the future. I wish them the best but the track record is not good for businesses that promise to reopen.

Budnik's closes in Lemont

Budnik's convenience store closed last week at 400 Main St. in Lemont. The former pharmacy had been a convenience store and lottery outlet for the past two decades, but the state recently cut the store out of its lottery network. Owner Sue Little told the Lemont Reporter she was not planning on selling the building and would be seeking a tenant. The pharmacy opened in 1922 and moved to its Main Street location in 1927.

Insurance agency to open in Hickory Hills

The Mark Skorusa Insurance Agency is expected to open Saturday at 7667 W. 95th St. in Hickory Hills. Skorusa is moving from Palos Heights. He is a Country Insurance agent. The phone number will be 708-598-3030. The website is www.1800getmark.com/

Derby Day deal

This offer is strictly for the ladies. All three Charley Horse restaurants in Tinley Park, New Lenox and Munster, Ind., are offering free meals from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday to ladies who show up wearing a Derby Day Bonnet. Saturday is the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The Race for the Roses will start about 5:25 p.m. CST. The race will be televised on Channel 5. Now, ladies, to qualify your chapeaux has to be something special. A Sox baseball cap just won't cut it.

Lansing, Frankfort insurance agencies merge

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Kotecki-Turek insurance agency in Lansing has merged with Shanahan insurance agency in Frankfort in what Dick Turek called a “win-win situation” for both offices.

Turek said the April 1 merger essentially doubles the marketplace for the agencies, which will be known as Kotecki-Turek-Shanahan Agency.

Kotecki-Turek has been selling insurance in Lansing since 1962. Its office will remain at 3330 E. 181st Place in the Clock Tower Building. Its phone number remains 708-895-0300.

Shanahan has been selling insurance in Frankfort since 1917. Its office remains at 237 S. LaGrange Road in Frankfort. Its phone number remains 815-469-4545. Its website is www.sldins.com

Dragon Inn moves to Dyer
Dragon Inn, a Chinese restaurant specializing in Mandarin cuisine, moved recently from its longtime home at 18431 S. Halsted St. in Glenwood to new digs at 275 Joliet St. in Dyer, Ind.

When the restaurant opened 46 years ago it was the only Mandarin restaurant on Chicago’s South Side.

Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday. The restaurant is closed on Monday. The new phone number is 219-864-3400 and toll free 888-699-1013. Its website is www.dragoninndyer.com

The new delivery area is Munster, Dyer and Schererville in Indiana and Crete, Lynwood and Lansing in Illinois.

Gumption Gifts closes
A retail store operated by the CARC to give developmentally disabled people a chance to get retail experience has closed after 3 ½ years at 1814 W. 103rd St. on Chicago’s Southwest Side. The economy doomed the store, which started out with eight employees but had been reduced to two when it closed last week.

Horton’s opens in Orland
Hortons Lighting Outlet has opened its newest store at 15846 S. Wolf Road in Orland Park. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and closed on Monday. The phone number is 708-403-9172. Its website is www.hortonshome.com
To celebrate its grand opening, the store is giving away $25 gift cards to restaurant.com for every purchase of $50.

New showroom open
Granite Transformations has opened a new showroom at 15890 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park. The phone number is 708-444-8350. Its website is www.granitetransformations.com

Ice cream deal of the week
Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlors are serving 31-cent scoops (limit of three 2.5-ounce scoops) from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, and the corporation is making a $100,000 donation to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlors can be found throughout the Southland. To find the one closest to you, visit www.baskinrobbins.com

New Mexican restaurant in Tinley Park serves a 5-pound burrito

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Arturo Lamas always wanted to open a Mexican restaurant and his dream came true Monday when he soft opened Asado Mexican Grill at 9516 W. 179th St. in Tinley Park.

The specialty of the house? Would you believe a five-pound burrito, with sides of rice and beans, of course. It’s as big as the tray it’s served on, says Lamas.

“You can have it with steak, chicken, pork or ground beef,” says Lamas. “If you eat the whole thing, it’s free.”

“Nobody has dared to order one yet,” Lamas said with a laugh this afternoon. “The next best thing are the steak tacos.”

Lamas said he wanted to do a soft opening this week to make sure everything was working smooth before the grand opening next week. “It’s amazing. We’ve been busy all week.”

Lamas grew up in Calumet City with his wife, Sarah, who owns Fudgi Island Cookie Co. in Tinley Park. Both shops are offering a 10 percent discount to anyone who brings in a receipt from the other store.

“We want to drive traffic from each store to the other,” says Lamas, who adds that anyone who mentions reading about Asado Mexican Grill in Comings & Goings can also get a 10 percent discount.

Restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday but may change. “It depends on our customers,” he says. “Ideally, I’d like to be open from 10 to 10.” The restaurant is closed on Sundays.

The phone number is 708-970-8787 but it’s a recorded message until Monday. A website is also in the works at www.asadomexicangrill.com

Mokena ribbon cuttings on Saturday
Two new businesses in Mokena will hold ribbon-cutting ceremonies Saturday.

First up is The Little Guys home technology store, which will hold its ceremony at noon at its new location at 19031 S. Old LaGrange Road. The store recently completed its move from its longtime home in Glenwood.

Next up is the Spin Club at 2 p.m. at 9960 W. 191st St. Spin Club is a fitness center that utilizes indoor cycling.

Finally Fajitas
Fajitas Mexican Restaurant finally opened its doors this week at 167th Street and Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park. There's a second location in Countryside.

Meijer job fair continues next week
Meijer will continue its job fair Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Orland Park Civic Center, 14750 S. Ravinia Ave. The supermarket chain is hiring more than 100 people for its new store near 159th Street and Harlem Avenue in Orland Park. Jobseekers should first visit www.joinmeijer.com to fill out an application before attending the job fair. The store is expected to open this summer.