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One-day summit teaches businesses how to build compelling social media content.

Meet the 2013 Oak Lawn Chamber Board

New officers and directors were installed at the Oak Lawn Chamber's 67th annual installation dinner on Jan. 19.

Business Comings & Goings

Radio Shack to Reopen in Oak Lawn

Radio Shack returns after old store was gutted by fire in November 2010. Little Company of Mary Hospital offers preview of new urgent care center and more in Business Comings & Goings.

Radio Shack plans to reopen in downtown Oak Lawn in the first week of August after being closed for more than 18 months since it was knocked out of action by a horrendous fire on Nov. 17, 2010. “It was always our intention to rebuild and get that store open again,” said Radio Shack south suburban district manager Reggie Weekly. Subscribe to the Oak Lawn Patch Newsletter and breaking news alerts. Weekly said the retailer is shooting for an opening date of Aug. 4. He said the company is planning some grand opening events. “It’s going to be a good location again,” said Weekly. “We had a lot of loyal customers at that store. I think a lot of residents will be happy to see us return.” The store at 4819 W. 95th St. suffered serious smoke and …

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Business Comings & Goings: Wolf’s Bakery Carries on Dressel’s Tradition

Oak Lawn Classic Car Show will have hundreds of automobiles on display Sunday in the library parking lot.

When I was a kid, you knew it was going to be a good time when a Dressel’s chocolate fudge whipped cream cake made its way to the table. Apparently, so did everyone else of my generation who grew up on the South Side or in the south suburbs. The cakes were sold at the Dressel’s Bakery in Chicago, and at an outlet store near 90th and Cicero in Oak Lawn, and were readily available frozen in most Chicago-area supermarkets. That is, until the French company that had acquired the bakery closed up shop many, many years ago. A few years ago, while still I was still toiling at the SouthtownStar newspaper, columnist Phil Kadner wrote about the Dressel’s cake that we all so loved. After some taste tests, it was determined that Baumann’s Bakery in …

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Business Comings & Goings: New Bookstore Opens At Chicago Ridge Mall

Find out how you can get a free ticket for Saturday's Country Throwdown concert at Toyota Park.

Books-a-Million opened its third Chicago-area bookstore last week inside the former Borders Express store at Chicago Ridge Mall. Store manager Brandon Wolak said the retailer has been successful in the South and decided the recent demise of Borders gave it an opportunity to expand in the North. The retailer opened a store in Southlake Mall in Hobart, Ind., late last year and will open another store in a couple of weeks at Fox Valley Center in Aurora. The company has had a store in downtown Chicago for a while, Wolak said. Wolak brushed aside concerns that bookstores are dying out. He said there is still demand for books. “We have more than enough customers who don’t like to read e-books or books online,” he said. “They like the feel of a …

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Business: Sara Lee to Shut Oak Lawn Outlet Store

The store on 95th Street in Oak Lawn and another south suburban outlet store in Homewood will be closing by the end of November.

The impending split of Illinois-based Sara Lee Corp. into a global coffee company and a North American operation under the Hillshire Brands banner, also means the demise of its 11 outlet stores including the longtime store on 95th Street in Oak Lawn. Peter, the manager of the Sara Lee Outlet store at 5711 W. 95th St., referred calls to a corporate media spokesman but said regular customers had been coming into the store since the news was announced Thursday lamenting its eventual closing. "We have some pretty loyal and regular customers," he said. "They are disappointed the store will be closing." The Oak Lawn store carries an extensive line of discounted Sara Lee products. The closing also will affect an outlet store at 18400 Governors …

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Business Comings & Goings: Ice Arena Adds Jordan Moeller to Staff

Home Depot plays host to a Cruise Night and Antique Auto Show every Friday night.

Oak Lawn skater Jordan Moeller and Osadolo “Ozzie” Irowa have joined the figure skating teaching staff at Southwest Ice Arena. Moeller, a senior at Richards High School, is teaching specialty classes at the arena while he continues to pursue his own dream of winning a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Moeller is the 2011 National Novice Men Silver Medalist and also is the 2012 Upper Great Lakes Regional Champion. “Jordan teaches a power skating class that helps students learn how to generate power during their routines,” said Paula Bowman, director of figure skating at the Crestwood ice arena. He also puts on exhibitions and recently helped raise $6,000 for Children’s Oncology Services Inc. in April. Irowa, a college engineering student, …

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Business Comings & Goings: AMC Opens MacGuffin’s Bar in Chicago Ridge Mall

Francesca's on 95th honors your favorite teachers, U.S. Bank sues owner of Coral Plaza, Marquette Bank shares the love with customers and neighbors.

Moviegoers who see a show at Chicago Ridge Mall can now enjoy a cold one while catching a flick. AMC Theatres, which has finished updating the seats and screens at two of the six theaters it operates inside the mall, opened MacGuffin’s Bar and a new concession stand on June 1. The bar offers beer, wine and cocktails to patrons who can meet before a show, recap a movie they have just seen or take their drink of choice into the theater to enjoy while watching a film. Opening MacGuffin’s is part of AMC’s plan to expand food and drink options at locations nationwide. The bar is an homage to famed director Alfred Hitchcock who used the term to describe a plot device that drives the story. The other four AMC screens and seats at Chicago Ridge …

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OakLawnGuy

4:26 pm on Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Major renovation = fire and a front loader? Yeah, they need that.   more ›

Business Comings & Goings: Oak Lawn Couple Open Marie’s Café

Bookworm Cafe to open second location next week in Will County at New Lenox Library.

When Dean Kochert started looking for a place to open a restaurant of his own, he ruled out being an Italian beef or hot dog kind of place. “There are plenty of those already,” he said. Kochert decided on quick casual, a concept he was familiar with after working for years at the Italian Village and Panera. The result was Marie’s Café and Catering at 3660 W. 111th St. in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community, which opened on May 7. “I’ve worked for a number of fast casual restaurants,” he said. “Marie’s is similar to Corner Bakery or Panera.” “Our niche is gourmet burgers,” Kochert said. “We have six signature burgers and a BYO burger, all served on a unique butter egg bun; toasted.” Marie’s also has assorted fresh pastries in the morning, …

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Business Comings & Goings: Oak Lawn Farmers Market to Return on June 6

Also Burbank's Garden Center Services opens an art gallery and studio for developmentally disabled adults in the South Suburbs.

This year’s Farmer’s Market in Oak Lawn will be the biggest yet, said Deputy Village Clerk Chris O’Grady, who has been in charge of the annual market for the past seven years. “We will have 38 spaces this year,” said O’Grady. “When I started seven years ago we had 10 vendors. We have really grown.” The Village of Oak Lawn Farmers Market will run from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 52nd Avenue and Dumke Drive every Wednesday from June 6 to Oct. 17. O’Grady said there will be five farmers at this year’s market including one returning farmer who sells potted plants. “I wait until the market starts to buy my plants from him,” said O’Grady. “His potted plants are fantastic and huge.” “New this year is a cheese vendor,” said O’Grady. Other vendors will be …

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