Big Hurt Returns to Beer & Vine Festival

Former Chicago White Sox star Frank Thomas and his Big Hurt Beer will be at the Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce's event again. Find out what you need to know to attend Saturday's tastings.

In its fourth year, the Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce's Beer & Vine Festival lets people sample beer and wine from a variety of vendors, locally and from around the country. Like last year, former Chicago White Sox star Frank Thomas will be on hand along with his Big Hurt Beer. This year's event also will spotlight the work of artists from Tinley Park's Garden Gallery & Studio, which displays artwork by adults with developmental disabilities. Want to know more about the festival, past and present? Then check out these links: When: 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 13 Where: Tinley Park Convention Center Cost: $30 for a festival ticket at the door, which includes entry to the event, a commemorative wine or beer glass and 12 tasting tickets for…

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Business Comings 'n Goings

Business Comings & Goings: Orland Park Cyclery to Hold Grand Reopening

Whole Foods will hold its highly anticipated grand opening with a bread breaking at 8:45 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 2 • Central Collision's Thanksgiving Food Drive begins Thursday • National Career Fair in Tinley on Thursday

Jim Saplis has been involved with cycling since he was old enough to reach the pedals. “I managed bike stores and turned several stores around on other people’s dimes,” he said. “So, I decided the time was right to do it for myself.” To that end, Saplis bought Orland Park Cyclery at 14445 John Humphrey Dr. in Orland Park, earlier this month. The shop will celebrate its reopening with Saplis as owner on Saturday, Nov. 3, and Sunday, Nov. 4. “Everything in the store will be on sale,” he said. There also will be vendor exhibits, giveaways, food and fun, he said. Saplis, 47, said Orland Park Cyclery will be a lot different under his ownership. “I have expanded the number of high-end bikes,” he said. “We now have bikes that run up to $7,000.” …

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Business Comings 'n Goings

Comings & Goings: Caribou Coffee Closes; New Owners for Dickey's

Also in this week's business news, Regus hosts a grand opening, the Tinley chamber tees off and Orland features a fine arts fair.

Caribou Coffee closed its Tinley Park location near 159th Street and Harlem Avenue on July 8 with little notice. The company closed its shop in Homewood last month in much the same way. They were the company’s only Southland locations. The closest locations for the nation’s second largest coffee chain are now Willowbrook and LaGrange. Calls and an email to the company offices in Minnesota were not returned but speculation has been that the locations were closed because neither one had a drive-up window. Calls to the management team at the Tinley Park Plaza shopping center also were not returned. A few years ago, Starbucks closed a nearby retail strip location after opening a new location – with a drive-up window – across the street. Sonny …

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Business Comings 'n Goings

Business Comings & Goings: Bank Acquires Sam Maguire’s

Also in this week's business news, Rizza adds the GMC truck and SUV franchise to its Buick and Cadillac dealership at 8425 W. 159th St. and a Rent-A-Center opens in Tinley Park.

State Bank of Countryside is the new owner of the former Sam Maguire’s Irish Pub, which closed in Orland Park without warning in early January. The bank was the only bidder for the property at 39 Orland Square Drive, which was auctioned off on Friday. A foreclosure lawsuit was filed in September 2011 against the popular Orland Park bar seeking more than $2.2 million from owners Michael Wilke, Marian Wilke and MTT Investments LLC. “All the parties involved wanted to move this sale along,” said Michael Coughlin, an attorney with Burke & Handley, who handled the case. The sale will become final after it is approved by a foreclosure judge in Cook County. Sam Maguire’s had been on the market for months with an asking price of $2.7 million …

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Comings & Goings: Back to Bed Opens New Tinley Store

Orland Park-based Charter Fitness is giving free gym passes to any member of the military on short-term leave from active duty.

Chicago-area retailer Back to Bed has just opened a new store at 15970 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park in the former Blockbuster store. The store marks the company’s return to Tinley Park after pulling out of the Brookside Marketplace earlier this year. For information, call 708-781-4346 or visit Back to Bed's website. Women’s clothing retailer New York & Company is open again at Orland Square Mall in its newly remodeled store on the upper level Sears Court. The store held its official reopening on Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. For information, call (708) 349-2088 or visit New York & Company's site. The former Sam Maguire’s Traditional Irish Pub, which closed without warning in early January, will be sold at a court-ordered …

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Business Comings 'n Goings

Comings & Goings: Great Escape Opens Superstore in Orland Park

Bridge Teen Center celebrates second anniversary with community open house on Saturday, May 19.

Home leisure retailer The Great Escape has opened its first superstore in the former Linens-n-Things at 15854 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park. “It’s a soft opening because we’re not 100 percent complete,” said store manager Jason Swinson. “We’ll have our grand opening in a couple of weeks, but we wanted to be open in time for Mother’s Day.” Swinson said the new store also is home to Chicago Home Fitness boutique, which moved from its former location at 14934 S. LaGrange Road. Swinson said The Great Escape acquired the fitness chain last year and is integrating those stores into its Great Escape locations. Also new to the Orland store, Swinson said, is a concept section for Jacuzzi spas. Swinson said the store also has cutting edge …

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Last Chance to Plan for Brew and Vine, Meet Frank Thomas

Wine enthusiasts wanting to put their palates to the test are in luck. A local wine tasting this weekend is expected to draw thousands to Tinley Park.

The clock is counting down until Saturday afternoon, when thousands—the event drew more than 2,400 visitors in 2011—are expected to funnel in to the Tinley Park Convention Center for the Third Annual Brew & Vine Festival.  And lucky for you, it's not too late to opt in. Those interested can visit the website for the Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce event to buy tickets in advance for $25. Others wanting to pay for admission at the door will be asked to fork over an extra $5, coordinators said. Featured at the festival will be about a dozen wine vendors, nearly 20 beer vendors and 17 food vendors. Want more events? Peruse our calendar. The notion of the wine tasting got a little sweeter earlier this week when officials announced that a …

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Business Comings 'n Goings

Business Comings & Goings: Five Below to Open Friday in Tinley Park

A look at new businesses coming into town and a fond farewell to those that have, for whatever reason, called it quits.

Five Below, a retailer that caters to the teen and tween market with everything priced between $1 and $5, will open at 9:30 a.m. Friday in Tinley Park’s Brookside Marketplace at 191st Street and Harlem Avenue. Each day during opening weekend, the stores will be giving away free Five Below T-shirts with any purchase to the first 300 customers. The stores will also offer 5-cent hot dogs, and other giveaways including a $100 Five Below shopping spree. In addition, Benny the Bull from the Chicago Bulls, Southpaw from the Chicago White Sox, and Staley Da Bear from the Chicago Bears will make special appearances at the stores throughout the weekend. Store hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday…

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