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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.

The Cheesecake Factory Opens Wednesday in Orland Square Mall



Hostesses Cristina Hernandez (left) and Jessica Strempel wait to greet customers at The Cheesecake Factory.
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The eagerly awaited Cheesecake Factory will open its doors at Orland Square Mall (next to lower level Macy’s) at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5.

General Manager of the Orland location will be Ryan Cook and its hours will be Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday brunch will be served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Orland location is the company’s sixth location in the Chicago area, the only full serve restaurant in the mall and the company’s only location in the Southland.

The restaurant features 60 different kinds of cheesecake.

Baby’s to give away Twinkies

Baby’s Cheesesteak and Lemonade has acquired about 4,000 of the remaining Twinkies in the world and will give them away on Wednesday, Dec. 5, to customers at the Orland Park location, 15858 S. LaGrange Road, and the Country Club Hills location at 4019 W. 167th St.

To get one of the last Twinkies ever made, customers must make a purchase or follow Baby’s on Twitter or like the restaurant on Facebook.

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


Famous Dave’s BBQ to open today in Evergreen Park

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy 

Famous Dave’s barbecue is trying a new concept with the restaurant it is opening today at 2851 W. 95th St. in Evergreen Park.


“It will be 3,600 square feet with seating for 104,” said manager Andre Pleasance. The eatery will be the chain’s eighth location in the Chicago area, all of them corporate owned.

“That’s about half the size of a traditional Famous Dave’s,” he said. “It will be the first counter service Famous Dave’s in Chicago.”

Customers will place their order and get a number for their table and the food will be brought out. Famous Dave’s other Chicago-area locations are full service.

Pleasance said the Minnesota-based chain is testing the smaller concept in Evergreen Park, and, if successful, may use it in other urban areas.

“The closer you get to the city, the more carryout and delivery orders you get and fewer dine-in customers,” he said.


 Though it may be smaller, the restaurant will feature Famous Dave’s customer service, Pleasance said.
“We are so over the top for service,” he said. “We should do well with our customers who will not be treated better anywhere else.”

The restaurant will start out with a staff of 60-70 employees and a limited delivery area for local businesses.
“We’ll deliver locally to businesses at first,” he said anticipating delivery to residences to start in January.
Pleasance said the Evergreen location will open at 11 a.m. Monday with a traditional bringing in of the embers for the barbecue pit.

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

The restaurant will be able to sell wine and beer.

The chain operates more than 170 restaurants in the United States. The nearest one is in Orland Park.

For information, call 708-423-5546 or visit Famous Dave’s online.

Hibachi Grill Opens in Orland Park

Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet opened last week at 7260 W. 159th St. in Orland Park in the Home Depot plaza.

The restaurant, which features Chinese, Japanese and American cuisine, is the third buffet for owner Jacky Chen. He also owns locations in Matteson and Forest Park.

“Business has very good, so far,” said Chen.

Hours are Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For buffet prices and information, call the restaurant at 708-802-8989.

Hostess outlet stores close

Even in the likely event that someone comes along and buys the rights and recipes to keep making and selling Hostess Twinkies, Ho-Hos and Cupcakes, gone forever will be the Hostess outlet stores, which used to be paradise for bargain hunters looking to stock up on discounted Wonder bread, fruit pies and boxes of Twinkies and Ding-Dongs.

Employees at Hostess outlet stores in Richton Park and Burbank both said that while the cake line was likely to be acquired as soon as the bankruptcy judge gives the OK this week, their stores would be closed for good by Tuesday at the latest.

“We’re history,” said an employee at the store in Richton Park. “The cake line will be bought up by someone and they’ll still be sold in stores. But we’re done. First it was Sara Lee and now us.”

An employee at the store in Burbank echoed those comments.

“We’re not going to reopen,” she said.

Other Chicago-area stores that will be shutting down this week are located in Hazel Crest, Dolton, Munster, Ind., Bourbonnais and Merrillville, Ind.

Seattle Sutton opens in Palos

Seattle Sutton Healthy Eating opened recently at 7202 W. College Drive in Tiffany Square Plaza in Palos Heights. For information, call 708- 361-1314.

 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.

Tinley Glass moves to Frankfort

Tinley Glass has relocated from Tinley Park to Frankfort.
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Tinley Glass Corp. moved recently from its longtime home on Oak Park Avenue in downtown Frankfort to new digs at 7238 W. Benton Dr. in Frankfort Square.

The full-service glass shop has been owned by Rami Kowlessar for more than 20 years.

Hours are Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

For information, call 815-464-5099 or visit its Facebookpage.

Lou Malnati’s opens in Oak Lawn

Lou Malnati's opened its new restaurant last week at 5261 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn.

The pizzeria will offer carryout and delivery. It opens at 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 11 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The phone number is 708-425-2600.

SidsGraphs opens in Frankfort

Dennis Sidler, who has been selling autographed sports memorabilia since 1999, recently opened a brick and mortar store at 11 S. White St. in downtown Frankfort, in the former White Street Gallery.

Sidler carries memorabilia signed by today’s stars and Hall of Famers, items include photos, balls, helmets, jerseys and pucks.

For information and store hours, call 815-464-7437, visit SidsGraphs online or check out its Facebook page.


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.