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player ready...Avocado soup. Avocado smoothie. Avocado sushi.
Avocado ‘is in everything’ at a new Tinley Park restaurant, according to its owners.
The name of the new business says it all: Avocado Theory.
When owner Krunal Patel says “we put avocado in everything,” he means everything, from avocado toast to avocado cheesecake.
“We are the only avocado restaurant in the country,” he said of the health-food restaurant that opened in mid-October at 17302 S. Oak Park Ave.
Patel, 34, of Orland Park, said the idea for the restaurant hit him while he was working at Mariano’s on Super Bowl Sunday in 2019.
“There was this unbelievable line for guacamole,” he said, which got him thinking.
He did some research and found there was almost an unlimited number of culinary uses for the avocado.
“There is an endless potential,” he said.
He started out selling Grandma’s Guacamole at the Tinley Park farmer’s market. Then he added another farmer’s market and another.
Grandma’s Guacamole wasn’t prepackaged. He made it fresh, on the spot. “It was custom made for every customer.”
Not bad for a young man from India who went to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
Why SIU? “They were the only college to accept me,” he said with a laugh.
Besides earning a degree, he also met his future wife. They now have three kids.
Getting to Avocado Theory took some time. Patel was an assistant manager at a Walmart in Joliet, but was downsized. He took a job at Mariano’s in Oak Lawn and while praying for guidance saw a book by Steve Jobs that inspired him to work harder.
He eventually landed a delivery contract with Amazon, which allowed him to realize the dream of owning his own restaurant.
Business has been growing, said Patel, who said a dinner menu would be coming within two weeks.
He’s also looking to boost his early morning crowd.
“I want people to know we are open at 6 a.m. and they should not hesitate to come in early,” he said.
Avocado Theory has indoor seating for 65, and garage-style doors that open onto a patio area when the weather is nice.
Delivery is available and Patel hopes to soon offer 24-hour delivery. He also has catering.
The Oak Park Avenue location is only the beginning. Patel said an express location will be opening at 171st Street and 88th Avenue next to Jet’s Pizza.
“We have our kitchen there,” Patel said. “We’ll be open for grab and go service.”
He also plans to open a health store inside the restaurant selling things such as tea made from ground up avocado pits.
“I want to conquer the whole avocado,” he said.
He said he goes through 42 cases of Hass avocados from Mexico every week. “And that will be going up as business grows.”
After that, he said he would like to open in the Naperville area. “This is a concept for people who are health conscious and they have that in Naperville.”
He also plans to offer the business as a franchise and already has had interest.
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“I will be meeting with two potential franchisees this week,” he said.
Patel has high hopes for Avocado Theory and owes it all to an incredible work ethic.
“I’m living proof that dreams can come true,” he said. “All you have to do is work your (butt) off.”
Meetings industry recognizes convention center, hotel
The new EVEN Hotel and the Tinley Park Convention Center recently won a gold medal for Best Renovation in the Midwest Region as part of the 2021 Stella Awards.
“The Stellas are some of the most coveted awards in the country for those in the meetings industry, and EVEN Hotel won it for good reason — it’s a unique, beautiful building with all the latest 21st century amenities,” Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz said in a release. “We have some of the best hotels here in Tinley Park, and the fact EVEN Hotel won this award is proof of that.”
NorthStar Meetings Group, which administers the award, combines public and planner voting in conjunction with third-party, objective planner judging to determine its winners. To be recognized as a Stella Award winner, nominees had to finish in the top three in the public voting in their respective categories and rank highly with the judges who scored their category.
“It’s a great honor to win the gold award for the entire Midwest region,” said Daniel Fitzgerald, managing director of EVEN Hotel and the Tinley Park Convention Center. “It really validates all the hard work we’ve put into the hotel these past few years.”
The hotel was rebranded as EVEN earlier this year. It had been a Holiday Inn Express for several years.
Driver Services office in Chicago closes for repairs
Secretary of State Jesse White announced last week that the Chicago South Driver Services facility at 9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., closed Tuesday for approximately one month for repairs and renovations.
Nearby facilities that remain open include those in Midlothian, 14434 S. Pulaski Road; Bridgeview, 7358 W. 87th St.; and Chicago Heights (Prairie State College) 331 S. Coolidge St.
White emphasized that seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities and expectant mothers will be served as walk-ins. They also have the option to make an appointment at ilsos.gov.
Bob Bong is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at [email protected].