Durbin’s merges Frankfort, Tinley locations
Durbin’s of Frankfort has merged with Durbin’s Express in Tinley Park, and the Frankfort restaurant closed Dec. 31.
In a notification to customers, the business said that “due to repeated staff shortages, as a company, we have made the tough decision to consolidate our Frankfort and Tinley Park locations.”
Durbin’s said it will continue to service Frankfort customers from the location in Tinley Park at 18250 S. Oak Park Ave., which offers carryout, drive-thru and limited delivery orders.
“We will do our best to accommodate orders out of our normal delivery area, however the Tinley location has a fast, convenient drive-thru to accommodate those too far out of our range,” the business said.
Durbin’s Express opened in March after the main Tinley Park location closed over a rent dispute.
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A new pizza restaurant, Old Plank Pizza Co., is scheduled to open later this year in Frankfort space formerly occupied by Durbin’s.
Frankfort home décor store closing
Simply Home Again, a shop that sells home décor in downtown Frankfort, is in the final days of its going out of business sale.
The store announced earlier this month on Facebook that it will be closing its storefront at 11 S. White St., Suite 109.
“We just do not have the ability to give Simply Home Again what it needs right now to thrive in this wavering economy,” the business wrote, adding that the closure will allow the owners to focus on their family and health issues.
The business said Simply Home Again may operate online via its website once some health issues are resolved.
The store is discounting everything, and advised customers with gift cards to come in and use them, as they will not be valid once the storefront closes.
“Only time will tell, but we will certainly keep everyone updated on our social media pages,” the business wrote.
Simply Home Again is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday-Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Mondays.
New Dunkin opens in Tinley Park
The new Dunkin’ Donuts on an outlot at the corner of 171st Street and 80th Avenue in Tinley Park is now open.
The new location replaced the one across the parking lot at the west end of the Tinley Downs Plaza.
The new Dunkin is considerably larger than the one it replaced at 2,551 square feet compared to 1,946 square feet. The new location features a drive-thru lane. There also is room for indoor seating and a small outdoor patio.
The new development was requested by owner Daley-Mommsen Enterprises primarily to add the drive-thru lane for customer convenience and to boost sales.
The shop employs about 30 employees.
The previous storefront is now for lease.
Hodgkins Walmart holds grand reopening
Walmart cut the ribbon last week on its newly remodeled store in Hodgkins.
The new-look Walmart Supercenter at 9450 Joliet Road was officially unveiled Jan. 13.
As part of the ceremonies, Walmart presented donations of $1,000 each to the Northern Illinois Food Bank, Hodgkins Police Department and Hodgkins Fire Department.
The remodeled store features an expanded grocery department, an expanded vision center with new brands of eyewear and a remodeled interior, an increased number of checkout lanes, a relocated pharmacy, remodeled restrooms, new signage and fixtures, new paint and new carts.
Metra adds 18 SouthWest Service Line trains
Metra this week upgraded the SouthWest Service Line schedule, increasing the number of weekday trains on the line to 30 from the current 12 as part of a major service redesign pilot.
The SouthWest Service Line does not currently operate on weekends.
The line begins in Manhattan and makes three stops in Orland Park, Palos Park, Palos Heights, Worth, Chicago Ridge and Oak Lawn on its way to Union Station.
The new schedule can be viewed at metra.com/alternate-schedules.
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Portillo’s drops cash in drive-thru lanes
Customers who use the drive-thru lanes at a Portillo’s restaurant can no longer pay with cash.
As of this week, the chain said it was going cashless in its drive-thru lanes. The new policy will be in effect at all 71 locations across nine states.
“We are going cashless only in our drive-thrus,” the company said in a statement. “This creates a faster, smoother service for our guests and is safer for our team members.”
Guests that want to use cash, however, are still welcome to pay inside the restaurants.
“We’d be happy to accept credit or debit cards outside, or serve cash guests inside,” the company said.
The drive-thru is big business for Portillo’s. At a recent investor day, the President and CEO Michael Osanloo said the average Portillo’s drive-thru does $3.9 million in sales, which is three times that of a McDonald’s drive-thru.
Restaurants have been creeping toward going cashless for years. Some chains have gone cashless by default by increasing the use of digital kiosks, which only accept card payments.
Bob Bong is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at [email protected].