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Local Business Notes

(16 posts)
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  1. Catherine
    Member

    1) One night last week an orange sign appeared on the Provo Bakery stating it was not zoned for occupancy by the Village Manager/Building and Zoning/Health Sanitation Manager. Tonight it appears packed up. I found this odd as I read in the budget discussion that health inspection and enforcement had been outsourced to the Cook County Health Department. I know CCHD has inspected before; don't know why it would not have been they who shut it down. Don't know why it's shut down.

    2) Another nearby business appears to be for sale:

    http://chicago.craigslist.org/bfs/

    "Chicago Style Fast Food Restaurant

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reply to: sale-431389383@craigslist.org
    Date: 2007-09-24, 10:58PM CDT

    GREAT INCOME POTENTIAL!!! IN THE HEART OF RIVERSIDE,IL JUST WALKING DISTANCE FROM THREE SCHOOLS AND NEW CONDOS BEING BUILT ACCROSS THE STREET. If you are looking for a business with enormous potential at a reasonable price, this business is for you. Excellent client base: commercial/retail, industrial and residential customers all within blocks of this restaurant. 15 PLUS years in business with an established customer base including numerous repeat customers and new clients daily - just from word-of-mouth. No advertising is used! Open 6 days a week, option for owner to run business directly or run in absentia. Potential for growth for new owner include- a good marketing campaign, increasing catering, school events, increase new menu options, increase pizza delivery.

    Great opportunity for someone that has time to invest. Feel free to call me with any questions, serious inquires only please. Pete 708-785-0611"

    3) When I told someone that stale TIF was on the serving platter again via certain members of the Long Term Financial Security Committee, this semi-tutored resident remarked "that must be why those buildings on Burlington have been left looking so awful. They want them condemned." I explained, no, the Preservation Committee was helping them restore the buildings properly. Still, his remark is food for thought. From the mouths of the innocent.

    Posted Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 01:38 #

  2. spatny
    Member

    About the bakery: The building was purchased by the owner of the former Chew Chew restarant. The bakery owner told me he did not renew their lease. The place was below code for many, many years and would cost far more to bring up to code than they figured they could make there. I suspect - and it is only a guess - that it will become some kind of upscale food-to-go place for all those people that have put in "gourmet" kitchens but can't/don't cook.

    Heavenly's owner was really trashed at the last Board Meeting and might be inclined to dump it, or might know something about the possibility of that space being sold for another use. He has the Martini Grill now.

    Posted Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 08:09 #

  3. ChrisHajer
    Member

    RE: the bakery. I saw a Terminix truck parked outside it at around 8:15a on Monday, and the Terminix employee was inside the bakery. When I went past there again about 9:30a, the Terminix employee was inspecting one of those cardboard glue traps. Maybe the closing was related to pests? Disclaimer: I have Terminix come by my house every three months, and it is only for preventive measures, maybe that's what this was, and it was purely coincidental with the closing. I didn't read the sticker on the window.

    Interesting find on Heavenly Hot Dogs being for sale. I thought it would be a lot to run back and forth between the two businesses, so maybe the Martini Grille is really taking off and Pete wants to spend more time there.

    Gotta grab a copy of that DVD...

    Posted Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 10:56 #

  4. ChrisHajer
    Member

    On the up side of business in town, the folks at Riverside Plumbing are still really nice (saw Chris Canavera on Monday) the dance studio seems to be working out ok and the jem cafe is serving up some tasty dinners (the menu changes nightly while Joyce finalizes the dinner options.)

    The inside of the Arcade building sure looks it's getting the once over, and the new dormers and windows are nice.

    Posted Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 11:00 #

  5. Catherine
    Member

    Yes, I went into jem one lunch time with someone who was picking something up and it was packed. The lunch menu looked good. So, good for them. I am very hopeful about the dance studio too.

    Interesting to know the bakery condo [I presume you mean just the one unit] was bought by Chew Chew. That is great; we know people want food in all forms.

    I do wish the Kafka restoration would proceed. Will we be looking at that all winter? I can think of a few people who might be pleased by that.

    Posted Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 12:23 #

  6. Catherine
    Member

    And speaking of the desire for food choices, see nearby:

    http://www.chicagosuburbannews.com/riverside/news/x1649545283

    "Tony's moves into old Dominick's at North Riverside Plaza

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    By Ellyn Ong Vea, eovea@libertysuburban.com

    When Dominick's left North Riverside Plaza, Tony's decided to move in.

    Tony's Finer Foods     purchased the entire strip on the south end of the plaza, and the owners plan to open the new grocery store by the end of this year.

    Co-owner Dominick Gambino said his company has been looking around the area for years.

    “There's a lot of different ethnic groups in the area,— he said.

    The ethnically mixed people who shop for Italian, Greek, Polish, Mexican, Asian and other food gave good business to the Tony's location about 8 miles south on Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview as well as its five other locations, Gambino said.

    Gambino said the family-owned business takes care of the neighborhood in providing groceries, common household items, a deli and a bakery offering Italian sweets.

    “With time, we learn what they want as they say, —˜Why don't you carry this or that?' and we try to satisfy everybody,— he said.

    The store that will open at 7401 W. 25th St., at the west end of the strip mall across from Morton West High School and near Famous Dave's, will be a “Super Tony's— because it will be bigger than its other stores.

    Vita Gambino, Dominick's daughter and manager of the company headquarters at their first Chicago location on the near Northwest Side, said the company is getting calls from people to come to Elgin and Schaumburg.

    “People like our prices,— she said. “We're always checking on our competitors' prices and try to stay below that.—

    The first store opened in 1968, when Dominick Gambino's nephew Tony Ingraffia worked in a Chicago neighborhood grocery store that its owners wanted to sell.

    Gambino and Ingraffia bought the store and have been partners ever since, and hope to keep the business in the family; many members are in managerial positions.

    Tony's owners, who reside in Barrington, also act as landlords.

    “We prefer to have more control bringing more traffic to the area,— Vita Gambino said.

    Besides gutting the insides of the grocery store space for renovations, no changes have been announced for the rest of the strip mall."

    Posted Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 14:56 #

  7. spatny
    Member

    The bakery will operate until the end of the year. Then presumeably a rehab and something new in a few months. I loved walking over in the AM with Revee for a hot coffee cake - won't have that option any more. Too bad.

    Posted Wednesday Sep 26, 2007 14:32 #

  8. KimJ
    Member

    Had the blackened Tilapia the other night at JEM! YUMMY!

    Posted Thursday Sep 27, 2007 07:45 #

  9. ChrisHajer
    Member

    Provo's is back in business today (maybe it happened sooner but I just noticed today.) Baked goods as tasty as ever.

    Posted Friday Sep 28, 2007 11:09 #

  10. EricSundstrom
    Member

    According to the developers of the Village Center four groups have shown an interest in the largest of the retail spaces on the first floor. Most likely for a restaurant. A restaurant there wuold be a huge plus for Riverside. Heres to hoping for a first class restaurant going in.

    Posted Friday Sep 28, 2007 11:43 #

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