Bargain Mania to fill Butera space in Frankfort
Although it has been a grocery store in all of its various incarnations, the former Butera store in Frankfort is set to become something different when it reopens sometime this summer.
Signage on the building indicates Bargain Mania will be the new occupant of the space at 20825 S. LaGrange Road. The company was registered with the state in January.
State records indicate the new owner is Saleh Abdelrahman, of Mokena. He could not be reached for comment.
According to published reports, the store is expected to be a kind of overstock or returned merchandise store.
Elgin-based Butera Finer Foods reacquired its former supermarket in Frankfort in 2018 from Walt’s Food Center. Walt’s had acquired the store from Butera several years ago when it was downsizing.
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The Frankfort store was the only Butera location in the south suburbs when it closed in October.
Bobalicious opens in Palos Heights
A new cafe and tea shop called Bobalicious is now open at 12250 S. Harlem Ave. in Palos Heights.
Co-owner Gustavo Godinez said the shop carries dozens of teas, smoothies and other drink combinations. It also sells boba toppings and features free popcorn, cotton candy, foosball, air hockey and board games.
“We grew a good friendship with everybody,” said Godinez, who co-owns the bubble tea store with his brother Sergio Gondinez and longtime friend Andrew Lindskog. “We just thought we were going to just get customers driving up and down the street. We didn’t expect all this stuff from the community — all the moms and dads and kids came to support us day one, and then they always came back.”
Along with traditional milk teas, Bobalicious sells smoothies, fruit teas, refreshers and noncaffeinated frappés. Drinks can be customized with chewy boba, popping boba and jelly pieces.
Drink flavors and bobas are imported from Taiwan. The shop also offers whipped cream in six flavors and sells chips from around the world in the store’s front section and has a mini grocery store in the back of the building with snacks, drinks, essentials and some international items.
Along with puzzles and other games, the shop also has a chalk wall and an outdoor seating area.
The View reopens in Bridgeview
The View family restaurant in Bridgeview survived COVID-19 but had to close two years ago when the roof partially collapsed.
The restaurant at 8930 S. Harlem Ave. is finally back open again and newly remodeled.
Customers are flocking back to the restaurant, but cautioned on social media that the staff is not the same crew as before it closed and they are still working out some of the kinks.
The restaurant is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
New White Castle opens in Whiting
Residents of Whiting were upset when White Castle earlier this year tore down the town’s landmark White Castle, which had been serving sliders to area residents since 1935 and was White Castle No. 30.
The new restaurant at 1879 Indianapolis Blvd. opened last week and a plaza now sits on the site of the original location with a plaque on a wall surrounding the plaza.
The new restaurant is open 24 hours.
Bob Bong is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at [email protected].