Business Comings & Goings: Cuzzin’s Closes in Orland Park

Cuzzin’s restaurant at 8600 W. 159th St. in Orland Park closed a few weeks ago after being sold to new owners, according to its former owners on their Danny’s Catering Facebook page.

Cuzzin’s website says, "Our Orland Park location Cuzzin's/Cugino's is now closed. Please visit Danny’s in Melrose."

A message on Danny’s Facebook page posted on Nov. 19 says, “We want to let all our friends and fans know that we have sold our Orland Park location. For those of you on the south side I promise coming to Danny’s in Melrose Park for dinner or your catering needs will be worth the ride. Stay in touch with this page for upcoming events and specials. Hope to see you soon, Paula Dote.”

Calls to Dote were not returned. There is no word on who bought the restaurant or when it may reopen.

Cheesecake Factory to open this week

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.

Tinley to vote on land contract

Tinley Park officials are expected to vote Tuesday to extend a contract giving the village an option to buy a parcel of land at 191st Street and Harlem Avenue now owned by Lincoln-Way School District 210.

The school district acquired the land years ago as the possible site of a new high school, but the school known as Lincoln-Way North was built a few years ago at Vollmer Road and Harlem Avenue.

The village sought to first buy the land years ago when a Walmart was proposed for the location. Opposition from nearby residents eventually helped sink that plan.

The village entered into the contract first in 2009 and extended it in 2011 for the purpose of controlling who would develop the land.

If approved, the contract would require the village to pay $6,250 in earnest money for a four-month extension. The contract could be extended again for another 60 days. The contract purchase price for the parcel is $7.5 million.

Baby’s to give away Twinkies

Baby’s Steak and Lemonade has acquired about 10,000 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 as a Hostess product, customers must make a purchase or follow Baby’s on Twitter or like the restaurant on Facebook.

Pop’s Opening 2nd Orland Park Location

A new Pop’s Italian Beef is coming to 9400 W. 159th St. on the former site of a Mobil gas station as part of the proposed Orland Park 159th Street Plaza, which was approved by Orland Park officials back in February.

Developers are expected to present their landscape plan to village officials at tonight’s Village Board meeting.

According to its plan, developers are looking to construct two separate buildings separated by a parking lot. One building will be about 12,000 square feet and Pop’s is going into the second building, which is slated to be about 4,965 square feet.

Hibachi Grill ribbon cutting

The Orland Park Chamber of Commerce will help celebrate the grand opening of the Hibachi Grill Supreme Buffet at 7260 W. 159th St. at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5.

Heart and Sole Dance Holiday Open House

Heart and Sole Dance will hold its holiday open house from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. today at 7038 W. 183rd St. in Tinley Park. Enjoy snacks, free dance lessons and holiday deals. For information, visit Heart and Sole Dance online.

Orland Lions selling Christmas trees

The Orland Park Lions Club is holding its annual Christmas tree sale in a lot just north of 143rd Street on LaGrange Road. Trees are from northern Wisconsin. All proceeds go to local people/organizations in need.

Tinley-Frankfort Rotary donates dictionaries

The Tinley Park-Frankfort Rotary has donated more than 300 dictionaries to third-graders in Harvey School District 152. The dictionaries went to every 3rd grader in the district as well as students at Ralph J. Bunche School in Hazel Crest.

The service club, which has been handing out dictionaries to students for the past six years, has donated more than 1,500 books to date.

A similar donation has been made to students at Lincoln-Way North, Lincoln-Way East and Tinley Park high schools in the past.

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.

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

Like Orland Park Patch and Tinley Park Patch on Facebook.

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