
Owner dispels rumors of Royalberry closing
By Bob Bong
Frank Salman, owner of Royalberry Waffle House and Restaurant in Palos Heights, has a simple message:
“We’re not closed!”
Salman said rumors have been rampant in the area that his restaurant of 17 years suddenly closed at the corner of 127th Street and Ridgeland Avenue.
“We are not closed. We are going strong,” he said, adding that Royalberry is suffering from labor shortages and the toll COVID restrictions have taken, like many other restaurants.
Salman said he has temporarily cut back on the hours his restaurant is open.
“We dropped dinner service because of the COVID restrictions,” he said. The restaurant is now open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Once things get back to normal, we’ll bring back dinner hours,” he said.
One reason he believes people have gotten the wrong impression about Royalberry is because new owners of the plaza took down his restaurant’s sign while they update the façade for the businesses still in the plaza, which he says is more than half empty.
“We will be getting a temporary banner,” he said. “And a new permanent sign in front of the store in three to four more weeks.”
Pete’s Fresh Market purchased the plaza a few months ago, Salman said. Pete’s has been making improvements before they start working on converting the former Dominick’s Finer Foods into a new Pete’s Fresh Market store. Royalberry is adjacent to the supermarket space.
“They said they were going to start work after the Jewel lease expires next month. They are looking at opening in the spring of 2023.”
In the meantime, they have been sprucing things up.
“They are putting up new facades, they repaved the parking lot. A new monument sign will be going up.”
Salman hopes the new supermarket will help his restaurant business.
“I’m not sure if it will help us or hurt us,” he said. “But one thing’s for sure. It will bring more people into the plaza.”
Pete’s has 17 locations and plans for at least six more including Palos Heights, Orland Park, Tinley Park, New Lenox and Oak Lawn.
Local News

Police to hit Dunkin’ roofs for Special Olympics
By Bob Bong Local police will all be hanging out at coffee shops across the south and southwest suburbs on Friday to raise money for the Illinois Special Olympics. The event, which is again being called Cop on a Rooftop after it was rebranded last year as Coffee for Champions, will take place at more…

Palos Park free electronic recycling on Friday
Palos Park will offer free recycling of electronics to residents on Friday, August 19, at the Kaptur Center parking lot from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until the container is full. Once the container is full, no additional electronics will be accepted. There is a limit of 2 items per household. You must have…

Orland Township announces new pet photo contest
A new pet contest has been created to get the community ready to “raise the woof” at Pet-Palooza. Orland Township residents can nominate their beloved pets to be Orland Township’s ‘SuPETvisor’ of The Year. Until Friday, Aug. 26, Orland Township residents can nominate their pet by messaging the Pet-Palooza Facebook page (facebook.com/orlandtownshippetpalooza) a photo. The…

Getting busy with blueberries
By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 Did you know that blueberries rank high in antioxidant activity, as compared with other fruits and vegetables? One cup of fresh blueberries has about 85 calories. Blueberries can also keep in the refrigerator for up to 10…

Library fair was a success
By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 Last Saturday was the Chicago Lawn Resource Fair hosted by the Chicago Lawn Branch Library. What a nice event: plenty of games and prizes for the kids. Organizers had 61st Place was blocked off, from Kedzie west to…

New Walgreens looking hopeful
By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 I was making my weekly drive around the neighborhood and was happy to see all the construction progress at the Walgreens at 59th and Pulaski. The destruction done during the days of rioting and pillaging was so extensive that this Walgreens had…

Orland Park giving incentives to fill big, empty spaces
By Jeff Vorva Orland Park officials are looking to fill a few large vacant storefronts in the village and that’s not going to be easy. “It’s hard to fill because we have just about every large retailer here,” Mayor Keith Pekau said at the Aug. 1 village board meeting. “We have a few vacancies right…

More Orland cops honored while Capone’s appeals suspension
By Jeff Vorva If it seems like every couple of months, the Village of Orland Park is honoring its cops, well, that’s because it is. Mayor Keith Pekau phased out the once-a-year presentation in favor of honoring the police quarterly. His reasoning is that an annual presentation could be lengthy for family members and children…

Lions looking to start SW Side club
Set meeting at Archer Heights Library By Tim Hadac Eye screenings for children ages 6 months to 6 years will be offered at no charge by Lions International, from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 at the Archer Heights Branch Library, 5055 S. Archer. Each child must be accompanied by a parent or other…

Worth questions but provides funding for park district
By Joe Boyle The request by the Worth Park District for financial assistance was granted by village officials but not without some specific concerns being addressed first. Trustee Brad Urban believed that the initial request for $30,000 through intergovernmental sharing of American Rescue Plan Act funds to make up for deficits caused by COVID-19 was a…
Neighbors

Police to hit Dunkin’ roofs for Special Olympics
By Bob Bong Local police will all be hanging out at coffee shops across the south and southwest suburbs on Friday to raise money for the Illinois Special Olympics. The event, which is again being called Cop on a Rooftop after it was rebranded last year as Coffee for Champions, will take place at more…

Palos Park free electronic recycling on Friday
Palos Park will offer free recycling of electronics to residents on Friday, August 19, at the Kaptur Center parking lot from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until the container is full. Once the container is full, no additional electronics will be accepted. There is a limit of 2 items per household. You must have…

Orland Township announces new pet photo contest
A new pet contest has been created to get the community ready to “raise the woof” at Pet-Palooza. Orland Township residents can nominate their beloved pets to be Orland Township’s ‘SuPETvisor’ of The Year. Until Friday, Aug. 26, Orland Township residents can nominate their pet by messaging the Pet-Palooza Facebook page (facebook.com/orlandtownshippetpalooza) a photo. The…

Getting busy with blueberries
By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 Did you know that blueberries rank high in antioxidant activity, as compared with other fruits and vegetables? One cup of fresh blueberries has about 85 calories. Blueberries can also keep in the refrigerator for up to 10…

Library fair was a success
By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 Last Saturday was the Chicago Lawn Resource Fair hosted by the Chicago Lawn Branch Library. What a nice event: plenty of games and prizes for the kids. Organizers had 61st Place was blocked off, from Kedzie west to…

New Walgreens looking hopeful
By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 I was making my weekly drive around the neighborhood and was happy to see all the construction progress at the Walgreens at 59th and Pulaski. The destruction done during the days of rioting and pillaging was so extensive that this Walgreens had…

Orland Park giving incentives to fill big, empty spaces
By Jeff Vorva Orland Park officials are looking to fill a few large vacant storefronts in the village and that’s not going to be easy. “It’s hard to fill because we have just about every large retailer here,” Mayor Keith Pekau said at the Aug. 1 village board meeting. “We have a few vacancies right…

More Orland cops honored while Capone’s appeals suspension
By Jeff Vorva If it seems like every couple of months, the Village of Orland Park is honoring its cops, well, that’s because it is. Mayor Keith Pekau phased out the once-a-year presentation in favor of honoring the police quarterly. His reasoning is that an annual presentation could be lengthy for family members and children…

Lions looking to start SW Side club
Set meeting at Archer Heights Library By Tim Hadac Eye screenings for children ages 6 months to 6 years will be offered at no charge by Lions International, from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 at the Archer Heights Branch Library, 5055 S. Archer. Each child must be accompanied by a parent or other…

Worth questions but provides funding for park district
By Joe Boyle The request by the Worth Park District for financial assistance was granted by village officials but not without some specific concerns being addressed first. Trustee Brad Urban believed that the initial request for $30,000 through intergovernmental sharing of American Rescue Plan Act funds to make up for deficits caused by COVID-19 was a…