Tinley Park and Metra representatives will be handing out refreshments this week mark the opening of the new 80^th Avenue Metra Rock Island Line Station.

Commuter Appreciation Day, in honor of the new station, will begin at 5 a.m. March 22. The station serves about 2,400 daily commuters and features a clock tower, a great hall, a covered drop-off area and veranda, two restrooms and a fireplace.

Work begins next week on a pedestrian underpass that is expected to be completed by the end of August.

One feature of the new station that will not be ready by Thursday is the full kitchen and Internet café. The village has extended into April the deadline for vendors to apply to operate the kitchen and café.

Anyone interested in running the café can download the Request for Proposals or pick one up at Village Hall, 16250 S. Oak Park Ave. For information, call Donna Framke at 708-444-5045.

Irish Patriot Opens in Orland

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish Patriot finally opened its doors last week at 9875 W. 143^rd St. in Orland Park in the former Paddy B’s.

Owner Vincent Tuohy said the Irish pub opened last Wednesday. Its beer garden was scheduled to open Friday and the full menu is expected to be available starting today.

Tempcon Liquidation

Tempcon, a heating contractor at 13341 Southwest Highway in Orland Park, will be holding a liquidation sale from today through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. On the block are vehicles, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment as well as piping. For a complete list of inventory, call 815-725-5544.

Starbucks to Close

Area coffee lovers will have to find a new source of caffeine now that the Starbucks coffee shop at 13000 S. LaGrange Road in Palos Park has closed. Sunday was the coffee shop’s last day.

The shop’s employees will not lose their jobs, however, as they are being transferred to other Starbucks. In fact, about half are moving to the Starbucks at 143^rd Street and LaGrange in Orland Park.

Brookside Marketplace Sold

The $47.4 million sale of Brookside Marketplace at 191^st Street and Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park from Ryan Companies Inc. to DDR Corp. was completed last week.

Ryan built the 550,000-square-foot shopping center with Target, Kohl’s and Best Buy as anchors and then expanded it last year with the addition of three new stores including Five Below.

DDR operates six other shopping centers in Illinois including the Home Depot center at 159^th Street and Harlem Avenue in Orland Park.

DDR has expressed interest in further expanding the shopping center, but no concrete plans have been announced.

Kids Expo Comes to Tinley

Frankfort-based Family Time Magazine is bringing its popular Kids Expo to the Tinley Park Convention Center, 18501 S. Harlem Ave., on Saturday and Sunday.

The first 3,000 guests will receive a gift bag.

Activities run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday and include swing and salsa dance lessons from Heart and Sole Dance in Tinley Park, a Dino Jump, climbing wall and visits by Ronald McDonald.

Admission is $2 for kids 12 and under and $8 for adults. Peruse the full event lineup before going.

Starting a New Business Seminar

Centerpoint SBA from Governors State University will hold a free seminar on “Starting a New Business” at 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 21, at Tinley Park Village Hall Kallsen Center, 16250 S. Oak Park Ave. Register by calling 708-534-4927.

Free Document Shredding

You can shred documents for free from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 24, at the Baird & Warner office, 9145 W. 151st St. in Orland Park.

Business Before Hours at Indoor Golf Links

Indoor Golf Links of America, 16356 S. 104^th Avenue in Orland Park, will host a Business Before Hours event from 7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 21, for the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce. RSVP to the chamber at 708-349-2972 or at its website.

If you're interested in more local happenings, check out Orland Park business news and Tinley Park business news.

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

You can also catch up on Comings & Goings in other parts of the Southland at www.southlandbusinessnews.blogspot.com.