Comings & Goings: Garfield Pharmacy continues neighborhood tradition

Jawad Hamdan, who opened the Garfield Pharmacy last month in

Chicago’s Garfield Ridge community, is proud to be continuing a neighborhood

tradition.

“I wanted to maintain an independent pharmacy in the area,”

said Hamdan.

Garfield Pharmacy, 6456 W. Archer Ave., is now the fifth

pharmacy that Hamdan has opened. He has other locations in Chicago’s Little

Village, Pilsen and Gage Park neighborhoods, and in Chicago Ridge.

What appealed to Hamdan was that the Garfield Ridge location

has a history of being an independent pharmacy. The site was most recently

Archer Pharmacy and that location has been an independent pharmacy in the

community for nearly 40 years.

“It’s an area that got my attention,” said Hamdan. “It was

already set up to be a pharmacy. I like the area. It is very quiet and

multicultural. We have a lot of people coming in who are Polish and Mexican. It

is very steady.”

Hamdan said the people he has met are hard-working and

loyal. They like the idea of an independent pharmacy where they feel

comfortable and get to know the pharmacists and other employees. Hamdan said it

is a connection to the neighborhood.

He said attentive service is provided with low prices. Free

medication delivery is provided. Garfield Pharmacy accepts Medicare and

Medicaid customers.

Hamdan has four employees at Garfield Pharmacy. He is

looking for someone who can speak Polish. Hamdan’s goal is to eventually have

10 employees, which is about the number he has at each of his other locations.

Plans for a grand opening will take place when the weather

improves, Hamdan said. He has tentative plans for music and will give out free

gift bags.

Garfield Pharmacy is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday

through Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information, call 773-424-7772.

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Tropical Sno to open

for summer in Bridgeview

Sno – Daze Tropical Sno will be opening for the season from

2-8 p.m. Friday, May 1, at 7777 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview.

On May 1, to kick off the season,Sno – Daze will be

giving away free eight-ounce Hawaiian Shave Ice treats to everyone who walks

through the door. There is a limit of one per person.

Normal business hours of 2-10 p.m. will start on Saturday,

May 2.

Pandora to open at

Chicago Ridge Mall

Pandora will open its third south suburban jewelry store on

Wednesday April 29, at Chicago Ridge Mall. The retailer also has stores at

Orland Square Mall in Orland Park and one that opened in December at Louis

Joliet Mall in Joliet.

Tinley Kmart adopts

K-fresh format

Kmart is reconfiguring its Tinley Park store at 16300 S. Harlem

Ave. from a Super Kmart into a new format the chain calls K-fresh.

The Hoffman Estates-based retailer is changing most of its

remaining Super Kmarts into the new format, which includes the removal of its

butcher, bakery and deli food service departments.

The new format also includes less sales floor space, reduced

operating hours fewer staff.

The company said in a release at least five of its remaining

11 Super Kmart stores would be converted. The Tinley store was the only one in

Illinois.

K-fresh stores have replaced the service departments with

prepackaged items, and offer reduced brand variety and pack sizes.

Store hours have been cut from 24 hours to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Retro Pizza closes

Retro Pizza Cafe closed recently at The Shoppes at Mill

Creek in Palos Park.

The pizzeria, which was owned by the same folks who operate

The Hotdog Joint at 13839 S. Cicero Ave. in Crestwood, thanked its customers in

a final posting on its Facebook page and invited them to visit the hotdog

stand, which remains open for business.

If

you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop

me a line at [email protected].

You

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