Rainbow Cone opens this week in Orland Park
Rainbow Cone will continue its expansion this week when it opens its third free-standing location on Friday in the former Bakers Square at 15711 S. Harlem Avenue in Orland Park.
“It will be our first double drive-up,” said John Buonavolanto, sales and marketing manager for Rainbow Cone.
The new Rainbow Cone required a bit of remodeling, but now “It’s looking like a Rainbow Cone,” he said. “A lot of pink.”
The Orland Park location has seating inside for about 40 people and “there’s lots of outdoor seating” on the patio, Buonavolanto said.
Besides the venerable five-flavor Rainbow Cone, the new location will offer doughnuts, ice cream, cakes, shakes, sundaes, floats and banana splits. Catering is available as well.
“We’re very excited to be in Orland Park,” Buonavolanto said. “There’s lots of growth coming this year, and Orland Park is the key. We can’t wait to get it open.”
The ice cream company has been stretching its reach in recent years from its original location at 9233 S. Western Ave. in Chicago’s Beverly community.
New brick-and-mortar locations have opened in Lombard, Darien, Lakemoor, Skokie, Harwood Heights, Bolingbrook, Mount Prospect and Valparaiso in northwest Indiana.
Rainbow Cone trucks were introduced in 2020 and can now be found at Shedd Aquarium and Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and, most recently, in south suburban Flossmoor.
“We have trucks for catering as well as roaming trucks we use at festivals,” he said.
He said the trucks offer the same five flavors found at the original Rainbow Cone. The trucks also carry Rainbow Cone merchandise, such as T-shirts.
Buonavolanto said the trucks also do a brisk business in Rainbow Cone quarts.
“We noticed in 2020, that people would buy four or five quarts at a time.”
Each truck has a team of two to four employees and the trucks carry a lot of ice cream.
“Luckily, we have not run out of ice cream since our first year,” Buonavolanto said.
There’s even a Rainbow Cone kiosk at Navy Pier.
Next up will be Rainbow Cone franchises.
“Our first franchise location will open later this summer in Bradenton, Florida,” he said. “And more will be coming to Florida. We’re offering franchises in other states.”
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Rainbow Cone was founded in 1926 by “Grandpa Joe” Sapp, who was never satisfied with just one ice cream flavor. Rainbow Cone features five flavors on a single cone, including chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House, pistachio, and orange sherbet. Rather than scooped, the ice cream is stacked and can be enjoyed on a cake, waffle or sugar cone, or in a cup.
Buona Beef’s Buonavolanto family entered into a joint business partnership with The Original Rainbow Cone’s Lynn Sapp three years ago.
The Orland Park location will hold its grand opening at 10:30 a.m. May 26. There is an online raffle with the winner receiving a Rainbow Cone gift card.
Juancho’s Tacos pulls back
Juancho’s Tacos Bar and Grill, a Mexican restaurant chain based in Homewood that last year opened locations in Tinley Park, Calumet City and Burbank, has closed all but its Homewood and Chicago Heights locations. Also shut down was its taco truck in Glenwood.
Juancho’s got its start in the former Hidden Manna Café at 17949 S. Halsted St. in Homewood. That restaurant remains open.
It also operates a restaurant in a former Little Caesar’s at 83 W. Joe Orr Road in Olympia Plaza in Chicago Heights.
The restaurants offer Mexican food such as tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas and dinners.
Lucky Dog coming to southwest suburbs
Russell’s Barbecue is hugely popular in the western suburbs, but it apparently couldn’t cut the mustard in the southwest suburbs.
The restaurant’s Countryside location has closed at 5545 S. LaGrange Road, but it won’t stay empty for long, according to Richard Trent, planning manager for Countryside.
Signage is already up indicating it will be a future home of a Lucky Dog restaurant.
The chain opened in 1984 in Melrose Park and now has additional locations in Cicero, Berwyn and Broadview.
The restaurants serve Italian beef, Italian ice, soups, chili, gyros and toasted subs.
Russell’s did not respond to messages about why it closed. Lucky Dog did not respond to messages about what the new restaurant might bring to Countryside.
Bob Bong is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at [email protected].