BMW of Orland Park Has New Home

BMW of Orland Park opened in its new digs over the weekend.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

BMW of Orland Park opened the doors Saturday of its new home at 159th Street and Wolf Road in Orland Park and will hold its ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The dealership on Friday moved from its longtime home at 8470 W. 159th St. That space will be used by the adjacent Mercedes-Benz of Orland Park. Both dealerships are owned by the same Pennsylvania-based auto group.

The new 60,000-square-foot dealership has a tax-sharing agreement with the village for sales tax generated by the new store for the next 10 years as well as a property tax abatement agreement.

For information, visit BMW of Orland Park or its Facebook page.

Burrito Loco Changes Name


El Burrito Loco at 8005 W. 183rd St. in Tinley Park was sold recently and it now goes by the name Los 3 Burritos. Everything else remains the same including the hours, menu, quality of the food and its phone number, 708-429-4195.

CSCVB Celebrates National Tourism Day

The Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau will host a Business After Hours to observe National Tourism Day on Wednesday, May 9, from 5-7 p.m. at the CSCVB Offices, 2304 E. 173rd St. in Lansing, with a celebration of tourism's benefits to the local, regional and state economy.

In addition, CSCVB will host a silent auction with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Sertoma Centre, 4343 W. 123rd St. in Alsip, a training and job placement center for disabled adults.

For information, call Elizabeth at 708-895-8200.

Veterans Business Boot Camp

Governors State University will host its annual Veterans Entrepreneurial Boot Camp on Wednesday, May 9.

The daylong event includes speakers, seminars, expert panel discussions designed to promote veteran business start-up and growth and development of existing veteran-owned businesses.

Seminar topics include Marketing Your Business on a Shoestring Budget, Veteran Financing Opportunities Through the SBA and a Variety of Lenders, Military Friendly Franchising Opportunities, Your Internet Presence, Planning Your New Business, Business Plans Why?, Biz Plan Financials, Government Contracting - How to get my business Certified MBE, WBE, SDVOSB 8(a), Export Opportunities the "Law and Order of Entrepreneurship," Business Killers, Develop a Referral Mindset and Perception - what are they thinking?

The event is free to veterans. A complimentary breakfast and full lunch will be provided.

All presentation material and other helpful tools will be provided free to attendees on a dog tag-style flash drive.

Cost is $25 for business partners of veterans and family members (due at registration).

For information, call Bob Rakstang at 708-534-8390.

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 http://www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com/.

Tasty Buffet Coming To Frankfort

The owners of New Work Chinese Restaurant in Frankfort will soon be opening Tasty Buffet.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

New Wok Chinese Restaurant in Frankfort’s Walt’s plaza closed recently but its owners are planning to open Tasty Buffet, an Asian buffet restaurant, in the former Mary Todd’s space on the other side of the plaza.

The New Wok website is still up and its phone number is still connected, so I’m guessing those will be updated when the new location opens.

Construction on the new location delayed its planned April opening and the owners now hope to open later this month.

VA Opens Bigger Clinic in Oak Lawn

Edward Hines VA Hospital recently opened a bigger and better outpatient clinic at 10201 S. Cicero Ave.

The new clinic is about a mile away from the old clinic but it has almost three times as much clinical space and much more parking. The Department of Veterans Affairs opened the clinic a decade ago to serve veterans who can’t make the trip to Hines in Maywood. The clinic serves more than 5,400 patients per year.

"VA is committed to providing our veterans with top quality health care as close to their homes as possible,” Peter Dancy, Acting Director of the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, said in a release. “We are always looking for better ways to serve our veterans.

“This new location in Oak Lawn allows us to expand our services to veterans in areas like mental health and social work, women’s health, nutrition, pharmacy, etc. We are thrilled to provide our top quality health care to veterans in this area in a brand new state-of-the-art clinic location.”

For information, call 708-499-3675.

Deal of the Week: Free Comic Books

Amazing Fantasy Books and Comics is again taking part in the annual Free Comic Book Day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at all four locations (no purchase necessary).

Each location is having its own special appearances, signings, raffles and food. For example, Darth Vader and some Imperial Storm Troopers are expected to descend on the Frankfort location from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. So check with each location for its particulars.

AF Books locations are:

• Calumet City, 582 Torrence Ave., 708-891-2260
• Frankfort, 20523 S. LaGrange Road, 815-469-5092
• Lockport, 1128 S. State St., 815-834-1658
• Tinley Park, 15948 S. Harlem Ave.,708-633-0837

For information, visit AF Books website or http://www.freecomicbookday.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.

You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland and read past colunms at http://www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com/.

Sam’s Triple Crown, Trackside OTB Now Open in Orland Hills

Sam's Triple Crown and the Trackside OTB
opened last week in Orland Hills.

By Bob Bong

Southland Savvy

Sam’s Triple Crown restaurant and Trackside OTB opened for business last week at 9201 W. 159th St. in Orland Hills.

“It’s been fairly busy since we opened,” manager Tony Mannerino said on Tuesday. “That will pick up now that we have our sign.”

Mannerino said he expects a big crowd on Saturday for the Kentucky Derby.

“We’ll have two 40x60 tents outside with tables and chairs, a makeshift bar, beer in tubs, betting stations and TVs,” he said. “We’re also taking reservations for inside seating.”

The 5,000-square-foot facility seats 200 and has more than 50 flat-screen HDTV televisions.

“We expect to do very, very well in Orland Hills,” said Gil Carmichael, director of Off-Track Operations at Arlington Park race track, which operates the Trackside OTB locations.

“So will Orland Hills,” he said. “As 1 percent of the gross revenues are returned to the village every year.”

Admission to Sam’s Triple Crown is free, but bettors will have to pay a $1 tax, Carmichael said.

“The tax was a parting gift from (former Cook County Board president) Todd Stroger before he left office,” Carmichael said. The tax is collected under a 1987 law that allows government bodies to impose a $1 tax on OTB parlors.

“Only Cook County and Chicago charge the tax,” he said, explaining why OTBs in Mokena and Lockport do not tax bettors.

The OTB opens at 10:30 a.m. and Sam’s is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight and from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

For information and to make Derby reservations, call 708-873-0900.

Firehouse Subs Opens in Munster

Firehouse Subs opened today at 8153 Calumet Ave. in the new Shops of Munster plaza in Munster on the former Carpetland USA site.

Specializing in hot subs, Firehouse Subs serves large portions of premium meats and Sargento cheeses, steamed hot and placed atop fresh produce on a toasted sub roll. The Munster location also offers catering.

Each restaurant offers a family-oriented dining atmosphere, complete with an authentic firefighter theme that celebrates local firefighting history, as well as the founding family’s 200 years of firefighting service. The Munster location features a mural of a new Munster Fire Department truck.

Hours will be daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For information, visit the company’s website or its Facebook page.

Potempa Agency Has New Digs

The Potempa Agency, which represents Allstate Insurance, moved into new digs today at 20879 S. LaGrange Road in Frankfort, in the Walt’s Plaza. Her phone number remains 815-469-8200.

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.blogspot.com.