New deli opens in Mokena

Owner Gil Rimsnider stands inside his new restaurant D'Marie's Deli at 19031 Old LaGrange Road in Mokena.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

D'Marie's Deli, a new sandwich shop, opened a few weeks ago at 19031 Old LaGrange Road in Mokena, next door to the Stoney Point Grill and off-track betting parlor.

The deli replaces that Burrito Joint Caliente, which lasted less than a year in the same location.

Owner Gil Rimsnider said he chose that location for a couple of reasons.

"I knew the burrito joint was closing and I worked in this location years ago as manager of a Sanfratello's," he said. "This is kind of my building."

While admitting that running his own restaurant is "a little bit of a new thing," Rimsnider was confident.

"I think I have a handle on it," he said. "I have some experience."

Rimsnider said the shop would sell sandwiches, for now, but at some point would probably start selling cuts of meat.

The shop sells an extensive selection of burgers and sandwiches including a build-your-own version, but Rimsnider said he had his favorites.

"One of our specialties is called a New York Minute and features corned beef, pastrami, sauerkraut and swiss cheese on marble rye. Kind of a super reuben with the pastrami," he said.

Another favorite, he said, is one called Free Bird, which is grilled citrus chicken breast with bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado and pepper jack cheese on either a plain or pretzel roll.

Rimsnider's favorite cold sandwich is called the Four Horseman and features corned beef, pastrami, roast beef, turkey, banana peppers, lettuce, tomato, muenster cheese and horseradish mayo on a hero roll.

D'Marie's Deli has six tables for dining inside and offers carryout. "We may add delivery down the road," Rimsnider said.

Besides the sandwiches, Rimsnider said the shop has an extensive selection of craft soda pop.

"We have 24 different flavors of craft sodas from throughout the country," he said.

The deli at present is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and is closed on Sunday.
"We might add hours when the weather gets nicer," he said.

For information and to place an order, call 708-995-7257.

Champs remodeling Chicago Ridge

The Champs store at Chicago Ridge Mall is preparing for a $200,000 remodeling of the 6,000-square-foot sports gear store.

Home Depot hiring for spring

It may not seem like it yet, with more snow and cold in the immediate forecast, but spring is really right around the corner. And Home Depot is planning to hire more than 80,000 people in preparation for the spring, which is its busiest selling season.

Job seekers must apply online at www.careers.homepot.com.

Home Depot has about 30 stores in the Chicago area.

Antiques store opens in Tinley

Different Decades, a store that specializes in antiques, jewelry, artwork, decor and artisan objects, is now open at 17210 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park.

The store opened in early December in the former location of My Bike Pro.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call the shop at 708-770-9552.

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.com.

Sentry Foods closing in Midlothian

Sentry Foods is closing in Midlothian.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Independent grocery store Sentry Foods is in its final days at 4640 W. 147th St. in Midlothian.

Employees said the store's last day would be Monday, March 17, unless it runs out of food and other merchandise over the weekend.

The store opened in 1992 and employed more than two dozen workers.

Calls for comment were not returned, but one employee said the reason they were told for the closing was "not enough business."

The store is not affiliated with the Sentry supermarket chain in Wisconsin.

Yogurt shop to replace Wonderburger

Wonderburger, a restaurant that had been serving some of the best burgers and fries on Chicago's Southwest Side for almost 60 years to the day, called it quits for good last week.

Wonderburger closed abruptly Tuesday night at 11045 S. Kedzie Ave. in Chicago. The closing was announced on the restaurant's website and in a Tweet. 

"It has been an emotional few months for our family, and we will miss this place dearly! We cannot thank our customers, family, and friends enough for all the love and support you have given us throughout the years. 60 years — it's been a great ride!!" was the message posted on its Facebook page.

A day after the closing, Blue Island businessman Amit Patel said he bought the business and would be reopening the eatery as an Orange Leaf frozen yogurt shop.

Patel also owns a Jimmy John sandwich shop at 12601 S. Western Ave.

An original deal to sell the restaurant collapsed in early January.

Frankfort Chamber Community Showcase

The Frankfort Chamber of Commerce invites you and your family to its 30th annual Community Showcase on Saturday,  March 15, at the Lincoln-Way East High School Field House, 201 Colorado Ave. in Frankfort. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission and parking is free.

Local businesses will be selling their products at the Showcase, so come prepared to purchase some great items. Businesses will also be eager to share information, offer raffles and promotional items to visitors. Artworks will have more than 800 pieces of student artwork in this year's art exhibit that comes from 31 different schools in the Lincoln-Way area.

The Frankfort Lions Club will again sponsor the Heartland Blood Drive Mobile, outside the Field House, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The Official Showcase ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 9:45 a.m. inside the Field House and the doors for the event will open immediately after the ceremony at 10 a.m.

Palermo’s Pizza will be onsite selling treats in the food court area.

For complete information, visit Frankfort Chamber of Commerce. 

Funkie Fashions grand opening

Funkie Fashion, which recently moved from Chicago's Mount Greenwood community to Palos Park, will hold its grand opening from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at its new location at 131st Street and LaGrange Road, next to the Jewel.

The shop offers a mix of tops, tunics, maxi dresses, jeans, shorts, sweaters, jackets, jewelry, fragrances, footwear, swim suits, spanx, hats, gloves and more.

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.com.

Noodles & Company opens Monday in Frankfort

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy


Noodles & Company, a restaurant that features noodles and pasta dishes, will open its 50th location in Illinois Monday morning at 21075 S. LaGrange Road in an outlot in front of Walgreens and Mariano's Fresh Market in Frankfort.

The 2,434-square-foot restaurant has seating for 64 inside the dining room and 14 on an outside patio.

The Colorado-based chain has more than 380 restaurant locations across the United States. Its menu consists of two dozen customizable dishes such as sweet and spicy Japanese Pan Noodles, zesty Pesto Cavatappi and Wisconsin Mac & Cheese.

Regular restaurant hours will be Monday through Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For more information, call the restaurant at 815- 464-1775.

Last week, Physicians Immediate Care opened a sixth clinic at 21035 S. LaGrange Road in the same outlot building.

The 3,700-square-foot office was the first business to open in the building, which will also house a Jersey Mike's sandwich shop.

The clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. It features an X-ray room, labs, six exam rooms, including two trauma rooms and a pediatric room.

The clinic offers a three-tier pricing plan for patients who do not have health insurance.

Nearby clinics are in New Lenox and Orland Park.

Martini Blu closes in Orland Hills

Martini Blu, a nightclub that specialized in martinis, closed early this year at 8927 W. 159th St. in Orland Hills.

The owner said the club closed on New Year's Day because its landlord would not renew the lease after 11 years.

In a posting on the club's Facebook page, the owner said he would reopen in a new location but did not say when or where.

Self-Storage to open in Lansing

Compass Self Storage will celebrate a new location with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 11, at 2556 Bernice Road in Lansing. The public is invited.

For information, call 708-418-5950 or visit Compass Self Storage.

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.com.

Gatto's to open in Orland Park

Brothers Frank and Chuck Gatto are hoping to open their fourth restaurant by mid-April in the Riviera Country Club in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Brothers Frank and Chuck Gatto are hoping to open their fourth restaurant by mid-April in the Riviera Country Club in Orland Park

The restaurant at 8801 W. 143rd St. would offer the same menu as the existing Gatto's locations but the Orland location would also be a first for the chain.

"The Orland location would have a rooftop deck overlooking the pool," said co-owner Frank Gatto. "It's definitely something we haven't done before."

"In addition to being a full service restaurant, we would feature a casual menu for people at the pool," he said.

Gatto said the brothers weren't looking for a fourth location for their restaurant chain, but decided to expand after checking out the location.

"The owner of the country club said the space would be a good fit for us and he was right," said Gatto. "It has some interesting dynamics."

Gatto said the new location would have a main dining room with seating for 140, a party room that could seat 80 and the rooftop deck that could handle at least 60 people.

"The Orland location kind of gives us a chance to focus on the north Orland area and Palos area," Gatto said.

He said the kitchen staff for the Orland location would begin training this week and they were now taking applications for servers, at any of the three existing locations.

"We try to design the line the same from restaurant to restaurant so a staffer would find everything the same whatever restaurant they happened to be working at," he said.

He said the new location would start out by borrowing staff from the existing restaurants so the new restaurant would be able to provide the same service and food as the established sites. 

He said hours haven't been determined yet, but would be close to the hours at the other three locations.

"We'll see what the country club needs and work with them on the hours," he said.

Gatto's will be the third restaurant in the space in recent years. R.C. Mulligan's closed a few years ago and was replaced by Pompei Pizza, which changed its name to Ralph's Pizza late last year and then closed in early January.

Gatto said the brothers opened their first restaurant in Tinley Park in 2000 and opened the New Lenox location in 2006 and the Downers Grove location a short time later.

"Being that there's two of us, we won't be spreading ourselves too thin," he said.

Gatto said the menu would be the same as at the other three locations, which features Italian specialties including some recipes contributed by their mother.

"Mom is a great cook and she provided some of the recipes that we use," said Gatto. "We started out with the basics and now we have 70 things on the menu."

For information, check out their website at http://gattosrestaurant.com. They also have a Facebook page.

Forget paczki, Tuesday is National Pancake Day

Who needs to buy paczki when IHOP restaurants across the country will celebrate Fat Tuesday on March 4 by giving away free short stacks of pancakes in honor of National Pancake Day.

IHOP guests will be asked to make a contribution to benefit the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago before digging into a free stack of pancakes.

Summer jobs at Tinley venue

High school or college students looking for a summer job should check out First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, which is hiring teens to fill 200 part-time seasonal positions.

The venue hosts a couple of dozen shows each summer and is looking for applicants with availability most evenings and weekends. Pay depends on the position and starts at $8.25 per hour. Applicants must be at least 16.

The deadline to apply is March 15. Applications are available online only. 

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.com.

Siam Marina shooting for March opening in Tinley Park

Siam Marina erected a sign last week in front of the business at 16846 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy 

An upscale Thai restaurant is moving in to the former Casto's Italian restaurant at 16846 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park and co-owner Sam Chung is hoping for a late March opening. 

"We are about 90 percent done with the remodeling," Chung said, adding signage with the restaurant's name just went up in front of the building last week.

"Construction has taken a lot longer than we expected," he said. Chung and Tinley officials have been in discussions over the new restaurant for more than a year.

"Part of the problem is that the Village of Tinley Park has thousands of projects going on, but only two or three inspectors," Chung said. "You schedule an inspection and they can't get to you for a couple of weeks."

Chung said fans of the popular Siam Marina, which was located in Calumet City for years until closing last summer, can visit his other restaurant, Asparagus, which is located in Merrillville, Ind. 

Chung said the menu will consist of Thai cuisine and Vietnamese specialties created by his wife and partner executive chef Tammy Pham, who grew up in Saigon. Other offerings will include Asian Fusion, seafood, vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Chung said the exact opening date will depend on the weather as well as getting inspectors to the restaurant. He said grand opening information will be included in the restaurant's monthly newsletter as well as posted on its Facebook page and at Siam Marina.

IHOP opens in New Lenox

An International House of Pancakes, home of the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, opened in late December at 411 E. Lincoln Highway in New Lenox.

The restaurant is open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.

For information, call the store at 815-717-6373.

Freebie of the Week: Mokena Chamber Business Expo

The Mokena Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Community Business Expo and Health Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Mokena Park District's Oaks Recreation and Fitness Center, 10847 LaPorte Road.

Visitors will be able to find a dentist, a plumber, sports team, dance classes, home repair services, gift shops, bank, restaurants, insurance agent, practically everything your family needs to live, work and play.

Visitors will be able to get free blood pressure tests, be screened for diabetes and discover your body fat ratio.

Admission is free.

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.com.

J.D. Byrider opens in Bridgeview; Happy Hyundai takes Oak Lawn spot

J.D. Byrider has moved into new digs in Bridgeview.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

J.D. Byrider, a franchised used car dealership, opened in its new digs at 9150 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview last month after moving 77 cars from its Oak Lawn location over the weekend.

General Manager Nicole Martin said the staff spent several hours driving its inventory of cars from Oak Lawn to Bridgeview in the middle of the night.

Martin said the dealership moved from its original location at 9121 S. Cicero Ave. because the Bridgeview site was a better fit.

"We thought it would be a better location, and after only a week we know our hunch was right," she said. "In Oak Lawn, we had lots of drive-bys, but here we're getting a lot more people actually stopping." 

She said the Bridgeview location, which was a former auto service center, has better frontage for the dealership.

"We were able to repurpose the building," she said. "My office was a former quick lube bay. We were also able to make the building look more like a traditional J.D. Byrider location."

"Being next to Menards also helps," said Martin, who has been GM at the store since it opened in a former Saturn dealership in March 2012.

Martin said J.D. Byrider sold the Cicero location to Happy Hyundai, which moved down the street from its previous site at 89th Street and Cicero after remodeling the showroom.

"They are happy," Martin said. "They're getting a bigger location and they will own the site rather than lease."

“We are a specialty dealership that tries to help people with no credit or bad credit re-establish their credit and drive away with a car,” said Martin.

The Bridgeview location is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All Illinois dealerships are closed on Sunday.

For information, call 708-422-9100 or visit J.D. Byrider.

J.D. Byrider was established in 1989 in Carmel, Ind. The company has a dozen locations in Illinois and 145 in 30 states.

Pronto Pizza grand opening

Pronto Pizza, one of the new build-your-own pizza places that are popping up, held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 15222 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park's Ravinia Plaza.

The pizzeria, which features 45 toppings one can choose from, opened in December and prides itself on being able to cook a pizza (10-inch personal size pies) in less than five minutes. It also offers build-your-own salads as well as signature pizzas and salads.

Pronto Pizza Kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and offers dine-in or carryout. It has beer and wine bar service.

For information, call 708-966-0010 or visit Pronto Pizza Kitchen.

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.com.

Thai restaurants open in Orland Park

The Joy of Thai opened in November in Orland Park.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Orland Park diners with a hankering for Thai food have two new restaurant choices to choose from with the recent openings of The Joy of Thai and Indra's Thai Restaurant.

Indra's opened  in early November at 15880 S. Wolf Road in the former Chicago Taste Gyros in the County West Plaza Shopping Center.

The 2,200-square-foot restaurant is a full service eatery with a bar, patron seating, carry out and delivery options. 

Its owner is Thai native Chaiyut Puangkham, of Tinley Park, who said the restaurant features Thai specialties "but not all Thai dishes are spicy." 

Puangkham made the move to open his own eatery after years as a chef at a south suburban hibachi restaurant.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, from noon to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. The restaurant is closed Mondays. 

For information, call 708-942-8088 or visit Indras Thai.

The Joy of Thai opened in mid-November at 11013 W. 179th St. in a strip mall near Wolf Road. 

Attempts to reach its owners were unsuccessful, but its website says the eatery features Thai cuisine including curries, salads and soups.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call 708-995-1232 or visit Joy of Thai.

Pet rescue center to open at Alsip Nursery

Alsip Home & Nursery, which recently announced it would stop selling dogs and cats and transform its pet center into an adoption center for rescued animals, will hold a grand opening for the rescue centers at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, at its Frankfort location and Saturday, Feb. 22, at its St. John, Ind., location.

The Frankfort Animal Clinic opened in December inside the Frankfort location at 20601 S. LaGrange Road, which was the first step in transitioning from a pet store into a rescue center.

Dr. John Coyne opened the clinic after operating a similar clinic for the past year in Alsip's store in St. John, Ind.

The walk-in clinic offers routine exams, spays and neuters, microchips and X-rays.

The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 

For more information, call the clinic at 779-324-5239.

Gayety's reopens Schererville location

Gayety's Chocolates and Ice Cream Co., which closed its store in Schererville, Ind., last month, has reopened as a "sister" store under family ownership at 36 U.S. 41 in the Town Square shopping center.

Co-owner Beth Flessor said she was pleased with the corporate expansion.

"(Husband) Jim (Flessor) and I are happy to announce the grand reopening of our Schererville location. It will have everything it had before and more," she said.

The Schererville location had been operated by an independent owner since October 2011. 

Gayety's location in downtown Lansing at 3306 Ridge Road, meanwhile, is continuing its 93-year-old tradition of making the best hand-dipped chocolates and homemade ice cream. 

Gayety's was established in 1920 in the South Chicago community.

For information, call 708-418-0062 or 800-491-0755, or visit Gayety's on Facebook and online at Gayety's Lansing. 

Italio's grand opening

Fast-casual Italian restaurant Italio, which opened last month at 15139 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park, will hold its grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20. Come out and meet the staff.

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.com.

Dotty's, Stella's gambling cafes popping up across Southland

A Dotty's gambling cafe opened recently on Harlem Avenue in Worth.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy
 

Nine video gaming cafes with friendly names like Stella's Place and Dotty's have opened in the last several weeks in south suburbs from Oak Lawn to Matteson.

These cafes are essentially mini-casinos each with the state limit of five video gaming machines. 

Des Plaines-based Stella’s Place is owned by Laredo Hospitality Ventures, and opened locations last month at Hickory Palos Square mall, 8067 W. 95th St., Hickory Hills, and 8759 S. Ridgeland Avenue, Oak Lawn. A location opened in November at Chicago Ridge Commons. All are open daily from 8 a.m. to  2 a.m.

Dotty's is based in Naperville and in recent weeks has opened at 11015 S. Harlem Ave. in Worth, 6070 W. 159th St. in Oak Forest, 13555 S. Cicero Ave. in Crestwood,  14714 S. Cicero Ave. in Midlothian, and 4740 Lincoln Highway in Matteson. Another location opened last fall at 1066 State St. in Lemont. All are open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Dotty’s also is working on locations in Homer Glen, Alsip, Country Club Hills, Blue Island, Joliet, Dolton, Romeoville and Lyons. 

Dotty’s, which got its start in 1992 in Nevada, has big plans for Illinois.

Dotty's CEO Dan Fischer plans to open at least 150 “warm, cozy and inviting cafes” equipped with video gaming machines as opposed to dark bars that are the usual location for machines in Illinois.

“We cater to women,” he said. “They like to play at Dotty’s because of the atmosphere. It’s nothing like a regular bar. Our locations are small, about 1,500 square feet,” he said. “They will have liquor licenses but our emphasis will be more grandma’s kitchen than tavern.”

Fischer, who hails from Minnesota, last year moved his base of operations to Naperville from Las Vegas.

“I’m a Midwesterner,” he said. “We’re negotiating another 75-80 leases,” he said. “I come in and tell the town fathers, ‘We don’t compete with any businesses in your town. We’re a new niche’.”

Big Lots now Hostess outlet store

The new owner of Hostess Twinkies, Cup Cakes and Ding-Dongs has decided to bring back the popular thrift stores, in a manner of speaking.

Instead of being small outlet stores tucked in strip centers, the new Hostess thrift store will be found in Big Lots.

The Ohio-based chain with about three dozen stores in the Chicago area has started carrying the Hostess snack cake products in a kind of store-within-a-store. 

Just like the popular Hostess stores, Big Lots will get Hostess products that have a couple of weeks of shelf life left in them before expiring. And just like the Hostess stores, the goodies at Big Lots will be deeply discounted, as much as 40 percent off.

The Hostess products will be displayed at the front of the stores and new stock will arrive daily, a Big Lots spokesman said in a release.

Hostess bread products were purchased by a separate company and are not included in this deal with Big Lots.

Al's Beef, Nancy's Pizza back in Oak Lawn

New owners remodeled the Al's Beef and Nancy's Pizza location at 5128 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn and reopened the combo restaurant a few weeks ago more than a year after the same two restaurants suddenly closed in the same location.

The new owners opened the floor plan and overhauled the menu adding new salads and new french fry variations to go along with the traditional Italian beef and pizza. The restaurant still offers delivery and take out and has added catering to its menu.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, they close an hour later on Friday and Saturday and an hour earlier on Sunday.

For information, call 708-581-4936.

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.com.