Floral display images are featured along the south end wall of the new Bella Salon Suites in Palos Hills. Sami Khalil came up with idea of the design for the artwork. The grand opening for the salon was held November 12. (Photos by Joe Boyle)
New Palos Hills salon adds to Harlem Avenue rejuvenation
By Joe Boyle
The view of empty businesses along Harlem Avenue had frustrated Palos Hills Mayor Gerald Bennett over the years.
But when it appeared the most bleak, Kalid Baste and a group of relatives entered stating that they can rejuvenate the area just south of 103rd and Harlem and make it a destination point.
Baste and several other relatives, who also serve as owners, celebrated the grand opening for Bella Salon Suites, 10544 S. Harlem Ave., on Saturday morning. The new salon provides a wide range of services for women ranging from massage therapy, facials, microblading and waxings.
It is a great day, Baste said.
“Of course, we have been working on this for two years,” said Baste, a Bridgeview resident. “We wanted this salon to be special. Usually, you have 15 to 20 rooms. We now have 41.”
Another owner, Haney Khalil, said there are several salons in the southwest suburbs, including Orland Park. However, he said that Bella Salon Suites offers more services and is unique because of its size.
Bennett had been observing the construction work for the salon and was eager to tour the facility. The mayor did admit he was surprised at the size of the building.
“To have this here and to see this street transformed is unbelievable,” Bennett said. “They have so much room here and they have plenty of parking. It’s a great day, absolutely.”
Baste and the owners said they wanted to attract the best stylists and technicians to care for women.
“They bring their own chairs,” Baste said. “It is a great opportunity. They can come in here and be their own boss. They can come in here and bring their clients.”
The salon also offers wash machines and dryers to improve the experience of coming to Bella Salon Suites.
Visitors to the salon will notice a giant mural at the south end of the building. The colorful images of a floral display with a butterfly also features the words, “Hello Beautiful.”
“It was my brother Sami’s idea to do this,” said Khalil, an Orland Park resident. “It took about a week to complete it.”
“Well, yes, I came up with the idea. It was my design but I didn’t actually do it. Maybe I should have said I did do it,” Sami Kahlil said with a laugh.
Baste said Bella Salon Suites stands out because professionals can control their schedules and customize their suites to cater to their clients. The mini-suites allow beauty professionals from all types of industries to rent their small salon, spa, or shop, the owners said.
Khouri Hughes, a massage therapist from the south suburbs, said the opportunity to have a suite at the new salon is a huge benefit.
“You want to have somewhere where I can bring in my personal clients,” Hughes said. “I just like that we can bring them in here. Plus, we also have wash machines and dryers.”
Baste added that the suites allow for privacy and tools needed for the professionals to succeed.
The average size of a salon suite is 12 x 14. However, the owners said if the space is too small it can be expanded to fit the needs of the professional. Each suite is equipped to go. Professionals just have to bring in their chairs and can begin operating their businesses.
Professionals will be required to have a state license to rent a suite. Professionals will need to provide a copy of the license before renting a suite.
Every Bella Salon Suite is fully enclosed, sound-dampening and includes premium fixtures, Baste said. The facility is also secure with 24-hour camera surveillance and an autolocking front door, according to Baste.
Bennett is pleased with the salon but is also appreciative of the work that Baste and other owners have put in to develop the area.
“It is hard to believe that it was just four years ago that there was nothing at this location,” Bennett said before the ribbon-cutting. “We appreciate everything Kal has done and everyone else he knows who have helped. We are very grateful.”
Baste also thanked Bennett, Palos Hills aldermen and other city officials who have assisted in getting the projects off the ground.
Back in May of 2019, Baste and his associates held another ribbon-cutting ceremony with the opening of their Wet Spot Car Wash that is located next door to the Bella Salon Suites. The state-of-the-art car wash convinced Bennett that Baste and the other owners are committed in the development of the once desolate area of Harlem Avenue.
Beauty professionals who would like to rent a suite at the Bella Salon Suites can call or text 708-673-6301 or email info@mybellasalon.com.
Local News
A simple idea for Earth Day
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . Moving right along through April, as the days get longer and nicer, time will start to go by faster. We have Earth Day on April 22 and the start of Passover at sunset.…
Bingo at St. Clare was something to yell about
Spread the love. Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 . Recently I mentioned a bingo fundraiser the Augustinian Young Adults of St. Rita of Cascia Parish were holding. This was their first attempt at a bingo and they put on a really nice event. Held…
One thing is certain: life goes on
Spread the love. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . I get a lot of calls from residents who are discouraged about our neighborhood. There are so many car accidents, shootings and violent crimes being committed in West Lawn and surrounding areas. It certainly is challenging to stay hopeful and positive. Here is a paragraph…
Biz groups battle over names, logos
Spread the love. UBAM, MCC trade barbs . By Dermot Connolly and Tim Hadac The leader of one Midway-area business association is accusing the other of bad faith, and the leader of the other is scratching her head over the dustup. United Business Association of Midway Executive Director Anita Cummings recently claimed that a rival…
Chicago Lawn native’s book is ‘off the hook’
Spread the love. Longtime journalist shares humor columns . By Tim Hadac Nancy (Emerson) Besonen has made a career as a news reporter and humor columnist for a weekly paper in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But her roots are in Chicago Lawn, and it showed during a recent conversation. Like most true Southwest Siders, she didn’t…
Softball | Oak Lawn’s Kasey Jackson fans 5 in loss to Shepard
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Oak Lawn entered its South Suburban Conference matchup with Shepard having won six of its last seven games. The Astros — even hotter with seven straight victories after beginning the season with three consecutive losses — cooled off the Spartans (8-5, 4-2 SSC) for a day, winning 3-0 behind…
Softball | Shepard blanks Oak Lawn behind CG from Kailey Selvage, 2 RBI from Madison Scapardine
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Temperatures are not the only thing starting to warm up in the Southwest Suburbs. Shepard, which began the season with three consecutive losses, defeated Oak Lawn, 3-0, on April 15 to run its winning streak to seven games. Astros junior pitcher Kailey Selvage tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out…
‘Horrific and unacceptable’
Spread the love. Police, neighbors decry shooting at family party . By Tim Hadac Drive-by shootings have become not at all unusual in recent years in Back of the Yards. Some might even call them common. What is still uncommon is for drive-by crimes to injure or even kill young children. But that is exactly…
A blue salute in Scottsdale
Spread the love. Family, friends, co-workers and neighbors of the late CPD Officer James R. Svec Jr. –as well as elected and appointed officials– gathered at 77th and Kolmar last Saturday to unveil an honorary street sign saluting him for his sacrifice. Officer Svec died at age 59 in December 2021 from causes related to…
County vets offer reduced-price vax clinics
Spread the love. From staff reports The Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control is running its annual Partners in Prevention clinics now through mid-October. ARC is partnering with local animal organizations to offer reduced-cost or free one-year rabies vaccinations, as well as microchips. The partnerships are designed to link pet owners to organizations…
Neighbors
Capitol Briefs: Expansion of postpartum coverage, ban on kangaroos among hundreds of measures to pass House
By ALEX ABBEDUTO & COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois kangaroo owners are one step closer to being forced to surrender their marsupials this week after the House passed a bill criminalizing their possession. That was one of more than 300 bills to pass the House ahead of a Friday procedural deadline.…
Pritzker says state ‘obviously’ needs to change 2010 law that shrunk pension benefits
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com With a month-and-a-half left in the General Assembly’s spring session, Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration is readying its proposal to address Illinois’ chronically underfunded pension system. But the governor this week also acknowledged in the strongest terms yet that any plans to finally get the state on track toward…
Pritzker’s health insurance reforms targeting ‘utilization management’ clear House
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker celebrated a partial legislative victory Thursday night when the House passed his initiative to end some practices health insurance companies use to control the amount and cost of health care services individual patients receive. The “Healthcare Protection Act,” House Bill 5395, cleared the…
Lawmakers, cannabis industry calls for ban on ‘delta-8’ and other psychoactive hemp products
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’ largest cannabis business association is pushing to ban the sale of delta-8 THC, an increasingly popular psychoactive substance that’s popped up in corner stores across the country in recent years. New legislation filed in Springfield this week revives an ongoing debate over delta-8 and other…
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: Bill creating new early childhood agency among 244 to advance
By ALEX ABBEDUTO HANNAH MEISEL & COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to create a new state agency to oversee Illinois’ various early childhood programs moved forward on Friday after the state Senate’s unanimous approval. It was one of 244 bills that cleared the Senate this week. Early childhood…
INVESTIGATE MIDWEST: Farmers have clamored for the Right to Repair for years. It’s getting little traction in John Deere’s home state
By Jennifer Bamberg, Investigate Midwest Originally published April 10, 2024 During the 2023 harvest season, one of Jake Lieb’s tractors quit working. A week later, his combine stopped working, too. Both were new — and he was locked out from making any repairs himself because of software restrictions embedded in the machines. Instead, a technician…
Capitol Briefs: Pritzker appoints first-ever Prisoner Review Board director; Chicago advances migrant funding
By JERRY NOWICKI & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Weeks after two high-profile resignations at the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday appointed the first-ever executive director to help lead the beleaguered agency. To fill the newly created position, the governor tapped Jim Montgomery, who most recently served as director of…
Advocates renew push to tighten firearm laws aimed at protecting domestic violence victims
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Advocates for stricter gun laws rallied at the state Capitol Tuesday for a measure aimed at protecting domestic violence victims and two other criminal justice reforms. The bills are backed by organizations such as Moms Demand Action and One Aim Illinois among others. “These policies support…
Education leaders seek added state funding to help districts accommodate influx of migrants
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The recent surge of international migrants arriving in Illinois has brought with it a host of new challenges for state and local officials. Those range from filling their most basic needs like emergency food, clothing and shelter, to more complex issues like lining them up with…