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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.

Mondello closes in Palos

Mondello City Grill closed earlier this month in Palos Heights.
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy 

Mondello City Grill closed its doors at 13415 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Palos Heights without warning earlier this month.

Managers were told Dec. 3 that the restaurant was closed and they notified workers that the business was shut.

The sudden closing stunned groups that had scheduled Christmas parties, including Palos Heights Mayor Bob Straz.

"It caught us off guard and we had to reschedule our Christmas party," said Straz, who is a vice president at CNB bank in Palos Heights. He said the bank moved the party to Francesca's.

Straz said the closing came as a surprise. "They were just advertising for their New Year's Eve party," he said.

A worker at Palos Heights City Hall said Mondello's had not renewed its liquor license, which expires at the end of the year.

"All we know is that they are not planning on reopening," he said.

Owner Mario Mondello said opening the restaurant was his dream come true when he opened in April in the former Limestone City Grill.

Mondello, who lives in Hickory Hills, is the owner of Mario's Salon at 11329 S. Harlem Ave. in Worth. This was his first attempt at running a restaurant. The salon appears to be unaffected by the closing.

Efforts to reach Mondello for comment were unsuccessful.

Big R store coming to Homer Glen

A Big R store has been approved by Homer Glen trustees to fill the former Kmart store at Bell Road and 159th Street.

The new store is expected to open at 15830 S. Bell Road sometime in 2015.

Big R stores cater to owners of small farms, which are still plentiful in the Homer Glen area. The stores carry a wide range of merchandise from clothing and footwear to sporting goods to farm supplies. Most stores also feature rental centers.

The Watseka-based chain has 16 stores; nine in Illinois and seven in Indiana. The closest Illinois store is about 40 miles away in Morris.

The store is expected to have about 50 permanent positions.

The village approved a sales tax sharing agreement with the retailer for the next 10 years as an inducement.

"Getting the former Kmart property back into productive use has been a top priority for economic development," said Mayor Jim Daley in a release on the village website. 

Frankfort burrito joint closes
Mi Burrito closed its doors recently at 21112 S. LaGrange Road in Frankfort. The restaurant opened a few years ago as a location of Oak Lawn-based Lucky Burrito, but it changed its name and menu in the summer of 2013.

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 

New country and western saloon opens in Oak Forest

Rockin' Horse Saloon opened last month in Oak Forest.
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

A new watering hole with a definite country feel opened last month in the south suburbs.

Rockin' Horse Saloon and Grill opened Nov. 10 at 5200 W. 159th St. in Oak Forest in the former Oxygen Teen Club.

"It all country themed," said general manager Bob Potokar. "We even have reclaimed barn wood decorating the inside."

Potokar said the three owners decided on a country theme because there was no other country music bar within at least 15 miles of Oak Forest. He said the joint underwent an extensive remodeling to help give it that country vibe.

It appears to be working.

"We have had overwhelmingly great response," Potokar said. "Incredible response."

He said Rockin' Horse features live music on Saturday with a DJ on Friday nights.

"We have line dancing on Mondays and Thursdays," he said.

Karaoke is coming. "Probably after the first of the year," he said.

Helping set Rockin' Horse apart are the baskets of bacon it serves to customers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

"Something to set us apart from others. Every table gets a basket of bacon," Potokar said.

He said the saloon will partner with vendors and country radio stations, such as US99, for special events at least quarterly.

As for the food?

"We don't have total country fare," Potokar said, adding Rockin' Horse smokes its own barbecue cuts.

"We also offer ribbon chips," he said, explaining that it's a potato that is sliced to the size of a ribbon and served in one lengthy piece. "They are very popular."

Potokar said Rockin' Horse will hold a grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 13. 

Hours are from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

For information, call 708-687-4100 or visit Rockin' Horse on Facebook. A website is under construction.

Berkot's opens supermarket in Midlothian

Mokena-based Berkot's Super Foods opened its 16th supermarket last week at 4640 W. 147th St. in Midlothian.

The new Berkot's opened Dec. 4 in the former Sentry Foods store, which closed in March after being open in that location for 22 years.

Berkot's has a history of opening in former supermarkets instead of building new stores.

Hours for the Midlothian location will be from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Harold's opens another chicken shack

Harold's Chicken Shack, which has dishing fried chicken in the suburbs and city neighborhoods since the early 1950s, opened a new restaurant last month in Lansing.

Harold's Chicken Shack No. 6 opened at 3224 Ridge Road in the Lan Ridge Plaza in the former Jimmy K's Pizza, which closed last year.

The Lansing location is one of the newer franchised operations the Homewood-based chain has been switching to from licensed agreements. 

Hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

For information, call 708-474-2000.

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 

Wild Rover closes in Frankfort

The Wild Rover closed recently in Frankfort.
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

The Wild Rover, an Irish-themed restaurant and tavern that opened at 20535 S. LaGrange Road in Frankfort in November 2011, closed down in September.

A message on its Facebook page said Sept. 28 was the last day for the establishment in the former K.T. Mae's in the Vineyards Plaza shopping center.

The sports bar was opened by brothers John and Jim Dillon. It featured Irish specialties and had an outdoor patio.

Pet store closes

Mocha Pet, a pet store and grooming salon that opened in November 2011 at 7537 W. 159th St. in Tinley Park, closed its doors in September after a brief store closing sale. It was one of two Mocha Pet stores and the original is still open in Boston, Ohio.

Siam Marina finally opening in Tinley Park

Although the opening has taken several months longer than anticipated, Siam Marina appears ready to open its doors at 16846 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park.

The restaurant has scheduled a grand opening with the Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce for 5-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10.

Owner Sam Chung was unavailable, but a manager at his Asparagus restaurant in Merrillville, Ind., confirmed the Monday grand opening. She was not certain whether the restaurant would hold a soft opening in advance of the grand opening.

Chung had originally hoped for a late spring and then a mid-summer opening, but equipment delivery problems kept pushing the opening back.

"Construction has taken a lot longer than we expected," Chung said in February. 

Chung said the menu would 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.

Siam Marina closed its popular Calumet City location more than a year ago in anticipation of moving into the former Casto's restaurant. Its sister restaurant Asparagus remained open throughout the construction.

Chung said fans should watch the restaurant's Facebook page for an exact opening date or they could sign up on its website page at www.siammarina.com for a monthly newsletter. There is a recorded message for customers at its new phone number 708-407-8825.

Hours are scheduled to be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

A new Lou Malnati's opens

Popular Chicago pizzeria Lou Malnati's opened its latest location Sept. 25 at 12801 S. Harlem Ave. in Palos Heights.

The pizzeria is in a small strip center that will also be home to a new Jersey Mike's sandwich shop and Great Clips hair salon.

The location offers carryout, delivery and catering. It is the third Lou Malnati's in the south suburbs and all are carryout and delivery only. The company operates 13 dine-in locations and 25 carryout and delivery stores. Other Southland locations are in Oak Lawn and Tinley Park.

Hours are 4-10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

For ordering and information, call 708-608-2400.

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 

La Fajita Grill shut down in Tinley

A green warning notice is glued to the front door of La Fajita Grill in Tinley Park.
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

La Fajita Grill at 16731 S. Oak Park Ave. in Tinley Park was shut down last week by the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Ivan Baker, director of economic development for Tinley Park, said the Mexican restaurant's certificate of registration was revoked by the state. He said the village had no issues with the restaurant.

The state typically revokes a business certificate of registration for unpaid taxes. 

Calls to the Department of Revenue were not returned.

Square Celt Ale House opens in Orland Park

A new Irish pub arrived in Orland Park this week when the Square Celt Ale House opened in the space formerly occupied by Sam Maguire's Pub.

Square Celt officially opened at 11 a.m. Monday at 39 Orland Square Dr. after a private preview party Saturday night. 

The building, which was acquired earlier this year by the Vaughan Hospitality Group for $1.5 million, underwent extensive remodeling and bears little resemblance to the former Sam Maguire's.

The new restaurant has 350 seats inside with another 350 seats in its expansive outdoor beer garden. There is a grill room, a bar room and a private party room. Square Celt added a fireplace, two video wall televisions and 40 televisions inside and out for sports fans.

Lisa Marie Benton, Vaughan's marketing and events manager, said Square Celt was the group's first suburban location. She said the group operates six establishments in Chicago neighborhoods.
She said the restaurant would feature Irish dishes such as shepherd's pie and an extensive beer and wine selection.

"There will be 30 beers on tap and four wines on tap," Benton said.

The general manager will be Justin Witalka.

Hours will be 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday and from 9:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday. 

For information, call 708-226-9600 or visit its website at www.squarecelt.com.

Bakery now open in Palos

Bella's Bakery & Breakfast opened earlier this year at 12246 S. Harlem Ave. in Palos Heights in the former Baumann's Bakery location.

The bakery has a cafe next door  that serves breakfast along with coffee and bakery items.
Hours are 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday to Sunday. The bakery and cafe are closed on Monday.

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.

Appliance store closes without warning

By Bob Bong
 Southland Savvy

Grant's Appliances, a Joliet-based appliance store with locations in Orland Park, Downers Grove, Aurora and northwest Indiana, shut down with warning at the end of business on Wednesday, Oct. 8. 

Customers on Thursday were greeted with handwritten signs on the door  saying "temporarily closed for inventory." There was no reopening date indicated.

The chain, which started in Joliet more than 90 years ago, left numerous customers awaiting deliveries hanging with no indication of whether the merchandise would ever be received nor any way to find out what was going on.

The company's website is no longer active, its telephone mailbox is full and its Facebook page has been taken down.

The chain for decades operated out of a single store in Joliet. The Grant family sold the company several years ago and the new owner expanded by adding several stores including the one at 14740 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park.

Ross Dress for Less opens new stores

California-based off-price retailer Ross Dress for Less opened 20 new stores nationwide last week including its first store in Will County and its first store in downtown Chicago.

The retailer opened five stores in Illinois including its first Will County store at 475 E. Lincoln Highway in New Lenox in the Walmart plaza, a store at 26 E. Randolph in Chicago's Loop and a store in Cicero on Friday, Oct. 10, and two downstate stores on Saturday. 

The new stores bring the number of Ross locations in the Chicago area to 34. The retailer entered the Chicago market a couple of years ago when it opened stores in Orland Park. 

Ross stores typically carry brand name apparel and home goods products priced 20 percent to 60 percent less than at department and specialty stores. Each store employs about 50 associates.

Store hours will be Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For information about Ross, visit www.rossstores.com or call the New Lenox store at 815-462-3765.

Goodwill store opens in Frankfort

Goodwill opened its newest retail store and donation center on Friday, Oct. 10, at 19917 S. LaGrange Road at the north end of Hickory Creek Marketplace in Frankfort.

The store is the charitable organization's 33rd retail store in Illinois. It also operates seven donation centers in Illinois.

"The new store is 20,396 square feet with just under 13,000 square feet dedicated to sales floor," said Cheryl Lightholder, Goodwill manager of communications.

Construction at the store at LaGrange and St. Francis roads started on June 30, Lightholder said.

Hours for the store are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Donation center hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

The store also has a Club Rewards program for frequent customers.

Eric Schultz is the manager of the Frankfort location.

The organization also has south suburban retail stores in Orland Park, New Lenox, Lemont, Plainfield and Joliet.

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 

Little Joe's open again in Frankfort; 350 Brewing opens in Tinley

Little Joe's is now open at its new location in Frankfort.
By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Little Joe's Famous Italian Ristorante, which closed its location in the Crown Centre shopping center in Frankfort in January, is finally open again in its new digs a few blocks away at 20805 S. LaGrange Road in the Walt's Foods plaza in Frankfort.

The restaurant chain, which also has locations in Tinley Park and New Lenox, had been open since September 2012. But its owners decided they needed more spacious digs and found them in the former Mary Todd's cafe location, which also had short-lived incarnations as Entree Alehouse and Tasty Buffet.

The decision to move was made in part because the Crown Centre location was much smaller than the Tinley and New Lenox locations.

While construction took a lot longer than anticipated, the new owners finally were able to have a soft opening earlier this month with a limited pre-grand opening menu. 

A grand opening is in the works.

The new Little Joe's features a bar, banquet room and outdoor patio. It also features gluten-free pizza and other specialties. The Frankfort location will also be offering a free pizza buffet at halftime of Bears football games.

Gerardo Vazquez remains as general manager of the new location. He is the son of co-owner Sue Vazquez.

Hours for the soft opening are weekdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For information, call 815-534-5084 or visit their Facebook page or website at www.littlejoesfamouspizza.com.

350 Brewing opens in Tinley Park

Tinley Park got its second craft brewer when 350 Brewing Co. opened its tap room earlier this month at 7144 W. 183rd St. 

The brewery, which is owned by Todd Randall and Erik Pizer, had hoped to open several months ago in downtown Tinley Park on Oak Park Avenue, but those plans were delayed and the location eventually moved.

350 Brewing has nine beers on tap daily and the tap room is open from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and from noon to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Unlike many of the new small tap rooms opening in the south suburbs, 350 Brewing said it will offer a small food menu consisting of appetizers and snacks.

The brewer also has set up a growler's club for customers to take home any of its brews in jugs for home consumption.

The company did not respond to requests for an interview, but information on the brewery can be found on the company's website at www.350brewing.com.

Starbucks opens in Orland

A new Starbucks has opened in the former Baby's at 15833 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park. The new location replaces one across the street that closed last year.

The new Starbucks features a drive-through lane.