Plaza Cafe to Close Wednesday in Orland Park

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The Plaza Café will become the latest business to leave Orland Plaza when it closes its doors at 143rd Street and LaGrange Road in Orland Park at the end of business on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

Owner Tom Demacopoulos said he was “99 percent certain” the café would relocate, but didn’t want to say more until it was a certainty.

Book and Bean Opens in New Lenox Library

The New Lenox Library is going to try again with a coffee shop inside the library at 120 Veterans Parkway.

Kim Stoltz, who runs the Book and Bean café at the Joliet Library, has opened Book and Bean Too inside the New Lenox Library.

The café is now open and serves beverages, soup and sandwiches from 10 a.m. to about 4 p.m.

Its official opening is Monday, Sept. 12, and its hours will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The library will start being open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays on Sept. 1, but Stoltz is holding off on Friday hours for Book and Bean for the time being.

Stoltz eventually will offer coffeehouse events such as open mic nights, artist receptions and poetry slams.

Pompei Little Italy Opens in Orland

Pompei Little Italy had its grand opening on Monday in the former R.C. Mulligan’s location at the Riviera Country Club and Sports Center at 8801 W. 143rd St. in Orland Park. For information and hours, call 708-349-1100.

Orland Mall Demolition

Work began Monday on the demolition of the former movie theaters at 49 Orland Square Dr. in Orland Square Mall, which will be the site of a Dave & Buster’s adult arcade, bar and restaurant sometime next year. The mall also started repaving the parking lot last week as part of its renovation.

Francesca’s Collections

Francesca’s Collections had its grand opening on Saturday in their new location in the lower level Macy’s Court at Orland Square Mall.

New Sugar-Free Bakery to Open Saturday in Mokena

Richard and Marie Martinez are opening a sugar-free baker in Mokena on Saturday.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Sugarless World Bakery, a new bakery that specializes in sugar-free pastries and desserts, will hold its grand opening at 6 a.m. tomorrow at 19458 S. LaGrange Road in Mokena.

Owner Marie Martinez said the first 50 people through the doors tomorrow will each get a special treat.

Martinez, who is opening the business with her father, Richard Martinez, said the shop is catering to diabetics, senior citizens and anyone who is conscious about how much sugar is in their diet.

Sugarless World Bakery will initially be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and closed on Sundays.

“We will be closed on Sundays for at least the first couple of months,” Martinez said. “After that we may add some Sunday hours.”

For information, call Sugarless World Bakery at 708-995-5923 or visit their Facebook page.

Wendy’s Opens in Orland
A new Wendy’s restaurant has opened in the former Boston Market at 7360 W. 159th St. in Orland Park. It is the second Wendy’s in Orland Park and is around the corner from the site of a Wendy’s that was closed years ago and converted into a bank. The phone number is (708) 444-0565.

Pompei Pizza Open in Riviera Country Club
A grand opening is scheduled for Monday for the new Pompei Pizza at the Riviera Country Club and Sports Center at 8801 W. 143rd St. in Orland Park. For information, call 708-349-1100.

New Pharmacy Opens in Lansing
Quik Scripts held its grand opening today at 3330 Ridge Road in Lansing. The business promises to offer old fashioned prescription service including free delivery to your home or office. For information, call 708-474-9540 and ask for Dave the Pharmacist.

Free Gyros on Tuesday
Our deal of the week comes from Kronos, the purveyor of meat and other foods to many Greek restaurants in the Southland, which is again offering free gyros on Tuesday, Aug. 30, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. You have to download a coupon and indicate the restaurant you will be visiting for your free sandwich.

Participating restaurants can be for at the Kronos website but they include Antoni’s in Lockport, Baby’s Steak & Lemonade in Orland Park and Joliet, Cyprus in Tinley Park, Goody’s & Gyros in Homer Glen, Johnny’s Wee-Nee Wagon in Markham, Nick’s BBQ in Palos Heights, Burbank, Homer Glen, Romeoville and Tinley Park, and Pop’s in Lockport, Crown Point, Dyer, Tinley Park, Romeoville, Orland Park, Mokena, Homewood and Palos Heights.

Warm Reception for Five Below in Tinley Park

Becky Harrison and her daughter Brianna at the new Five Below store in Tinley Park.

Margaret DeRe and her daughter Catharine shop at the new Five Below store.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Area moms and daughters welcomed the new Five Below discount store to Tinley Park with open arms on Friday at Brookside Marketplace at 191st Street and Harlem Avenue.

“I’m a little excited,” said Catharine DeRe, 11, of Mokena, while shopping with her Mom, Margaret, a couple of hours after the store opened. “I like it.”

Mom was excited about the prices at the store that caters to teens and pre-teens, “A backpack and T-shirts for $5, that’s a great price. And it’s a fun atmosphere.”

“I love it,” said Becky Harrison, of Tinley Park, who was doing back-to-school shopping with her daughter Brianna, 10.

“There’s something for everyone, and they have great prices,” she said. “I’ve been waiting for this store to open after I went a couple of times to the store in Orland Hills.”

“We’ve had a steady stream of customers,” said Sandy, the store manager, who added the store has about 25 employees.

An employee on loan for a few days from a store in New Jersey said the Tinley Park store was just over 7,500 square feet. “All of the stores are about that size,” he said.

Another employee who was handing out free T-shirts to customers said she had already given away more than 300 in the first two hours the store was open.

Five Below is the first of three new stores coming to Brookside Marketplace. A HomeGoods store is set to open next month and is hiring for the Tinley Park store, and work is under way on an Old Navy store, but no opening date has been set yet for that site.

Parmida Opens at Orland Park Crossing
Parmida Home Store held a grand opening recently for its eighth store at 14225 S. 95th Avenue at Orland Park Crossing in Orland Park.

The store, which specializes in home living and entertainment merchandise, is the chain’s second store in Illinois.

Store manager is longtime Orland Park resident Monica Rose.

For information, call 708-226-6680.

New Home for Pedigree Junction
Pedigree Junction, a dog and cat grooming spa, moved recently from one strip center to an adjoining one at 7659 W. St. Francis Road in Frankfort Square in the former Susan's Accessories store. The hours remain the same as does the phone number 815-464-4404.