Comings & Goings: Indian-American restaurant closes in Hickory Hills

Aladdin’s House, a fast-food Indian-American restaurant that opened with

much fanfare in Hickory Hills in April, didn’t last long.

The eatery at 9348 S. Roberts Road closed suddenly last month and has

reopened as a Middle Eastern restaurant called Greece Shawarma Philly’s

Gyros & Beef. It also goes by the name Jerusalem Shawarma.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

No reason was given for the change. Calls to the new restaurant were not returned.

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New cafŽ opens in Palos

Strange Brew CafŽ held its grand opening last week at 8650 W. 103^rd St. in a former fitness center in Palos Hills, near the library and police station.

The cafŽ features a variety of coffees, a number of toasts with names

such as ABBA-cado and My Big Fat Greek Toast and smoothies and bowls

with names ranging from Halle Berry, Halle Berry to Something in the

Whey She Moves.

Owners Matt Mullen, Darcy Walker, Paul and Julie Vincent said the names were in keeping with the Strange Brew name.

Hours are from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Xfinity stores coming to south suburbs

Comcast

announced earlier this month that Xfinity stores are set to open by the

end of the year in a former American Mattress store at 20151 S. LaGrange

Road in Frankfort and in the former Life Uniform store at 15935 S.

Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park.

The new stores

will give visitors hands-on experience with Xfinity’s range of products

and services, from the company’s mobile phone service,ÊXfinity Mobile,Êcable TVÊandÊhigh-speed Internet, to its home security platform,ÊXfinity Home.Ê

The stores also will feature iPads and other mobile devices visitors can use to explore Xfinity’s Android and iOS apps.Ê Ê

“The stores are

awesome places to visit and learn more about Xfinity products and

services from the trained store staff,” John Crowley, Comcast’s Greater

Chicago Region senior vice president, said in a release.Ê “Visitors are

welcome to come in and experience our products and services like they

would at home.”

Ê

“We

appreciate Comcast’s investment in Frankfort,” Frankfort Mayor Jim

Holland said.Ê “The new Xfinity Store will be a benefit toÊFrankfort residents.Ê They’ll be able to get assistance right here in town and also learn about all of Comcast’s services.”

Ê

“We’re

really excited to get a new Xfinity Store in Tinley Park,” Tinley Park

Mayor Jacob Vandenberg said. “The store will join a host of other retail

services in Tinley Park and together attract customers from several

nearby towns.”

Ê

Along

with product and service demos, customers will be able to pay bills,

pick up and return equipment and get assistance from service

consultants.Ê Store hours will be Mondays throughÊSaturdays from 10 a.m.

to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m.

Ê

Cacao CafŽ grand opening

Cacao CafŽ, a scratch kitchen cafŽ offering a variety of: salads, soups,

sandwiches, lattes, coffee, teas and a wide selection of patisserie

items, will hold its grand opening and ribbon cutting from 11 a.m. to 1

p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, in Orland Park.

Owner/chef Linda Aceves grew up in Tinley park and graduated from Le

Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Patisserie and Baking.

“Working in a scratch kitchen will allow me to offer the best and

freshest ingredients thus having a seasonal menu in order to offer the

best all year,” she told the Orland Area Chamber of Commerce. “I had

dreams and aspirations to give back to my community. Working with Cacao

will provide a platform where I can give back.”

The ribbon cutting will be at 11:15 a.m.

Longtime Lansing service station changes hands

Park Service Station in Lansing was started by John Kapteyn in 1959 and

remained a family owned business until earlier this month.

Park was also one of the few remaining gas stations that had a

full-service pump in addition to self-serve pumps. It was a reminder of

the days when attendants would pump the gas, check the oil, windshield

fluid and the air pressure in the tires.

The family sold the business at 18025 S. Torrence Ave. to an unnamed buyer and closed the station on Oct. 13.

“It was an offer we couldn’t turn down,” said Scott Kapteyn, one of

John’s sons and co-owner of the station with his brother, Terry.

The buyer operates other gas and auto service businesses in the south

suburbs and has kept the station open though not under the Park Service

Station name.

“We didn’t sell the name,” the brothers said.

The Kapteyn family had a hand-written sign in its front window thanking

customers and posted a thank-you note on its Facebook page:

“As Many of you have probably heard by now, Park Service Station in

Lansing Illinois will be closing. Words cannot express our Gratitude for

our faithful and loyal customers that have supported us through the

years! John Kapteyn started our Family business in 1959, and to think

that back then there were over 27 pumping stations in Lansing. We have

enjoyed serving you over the last 59 years! There

are so many wonderful memories our family will be taking with us, and

though it is tough to walk away, we Praise God for His faithfulness

through the years! Thanks again for making Park Service much more than a

mechanic shop and gas station, thanks for making it a community of

wonderful people!”

ÊIf you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at [email protected]