Cannabis store opens in Chicago Ridge
Ascend Wellness Holdings opened its second Illinois cannabis dispensary last week, in Chicago Ridge.
Ascend by Midway — Chicago Ridge opened at 9820 S. Ridgeland Ave. last week in a former Pier 1 store that closed last year when the chain went out of business.
Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar, who was just reelected last Tuesday, was looking forward to the opening.
“These marijuana dispensaries bring in a lot of revenue,” Tokar said. That will bring in more money to village coffers as Chicago Ridge last year approved a 3 % tax on all cannabis sales in the village.
So far this year, Illinois has seen $170 million in recreational sales, which is more than double the total for the first two months of 2020, according to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which oversees cannabis licenses.
The Chicago Ridge dispensary is the 82nd one to open in Illinois. When recreational sales were approved last year, there were 37 dispensaries in the state. Another 30 are scheduled to open this year.
Ascend was able to open the Chicago Ridge location after it acquired Midway Dispensary near Midway Airport in Chicago in December. Midway opened in 2016 when medical cannabis was first legalized in Illinois.
Hours at the Chicago Ridge dispensary are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Middle Eastern restaurant opens in Orland Park
A new combination Middle Eastern restaurant and bakery held its grand opening last week in Orland Park.
Petra Restaurant and Bakery held its grand opening on April 8 at 9111 W. 151st St. in the former Cacao Café. The restaurant opened its doors to customers earlier this year.
Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau and village trustees Kathy Fenton, Cynthia Nelson Katsenes and Michael Milani joined owners Kathleen and Ashour Ashour to celebrate the grand opening.
Ashour runs the kitchen while Kathleen takes care of the front of the house. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For information, call 708-981-3822 or visit petrabakeryandrestaurant.business.site.
COVID-19 closes driver’s license site in Midlothian
The Secretary of State’s Driver Services facility in Midlothian is closed until April 20 after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus.
Employees must quarantine for 14 days while the location is cleaned and sanitized. The Midlothian facility and ones in Bridgeview and South Holland were closed last year on more than one occasion because of the pandemic.
Secretary of State Jesse White said that expiration dates for driver’s licenses/ID cards and vehicle registration stickers have been extended until Aug. 1, so customers do not need to rush into a facility. If a customer must visit a facility, they are encouraged to come prepared to wait outside due to social distancing, which limits the number of people inside a facility at one time.
Customers are also encouraged to conduct transactions online at www.cyberdriverillinois.com if possible.
The Bridgeview facility remains open as do sites in Lockport, 1029 E. Ninth St., and the satellite office at the Orland Township office, 14807 S. Ravinia Ave. in Orland Park.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security pushed back REAL ID deadline one year, slated to be Oct. 1, 2021. All current Illinois
driver’s licenses or ID cards are still accepted at airports, military bases and secure federal facilities until Oct. 1, 2021.
Tobacco shop opens in Mokena
A new tobacco and vape shop opened recently in Mokena.
VJ Tobacco opened at 19138 S. 88th Avenue in a strip center anchored by The Breakfast Nook restaurant, its next-door neighbor.
In addition to cigarettes and other tobacco products, the shop carries hookahs, glass pipes, CBD and Kratom products, and sell lottery tickets.
Hours are from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Frankfort cleaners temporarily knocked out of business
Star Cleaners announced its Frankfort Square location was knocked out of action a few weeks ago when a driver lost control of his vehicle and drove into the front of the dry-cleaning business at 19854 S. Harlem Ave.
The business announced it will be closed for at least two months while undergoing repairs. Customers were advised to come in and pick up their orders before repairs start.
The company’s Chicago operation at 756 E. 111th St. in Chicago will remain open in the meantime.
The Frankfort location has been there since the retail strip opened and is the longest tenured business at the Harlem Crossing shopping center.
For information, call the Chicago store at 773-756-5572.
Oak Lawn gym, haircut business hold grand openings
Silencer Athletics held a grand opening for its new fitness center location at 4038 W. 111th St. on March 24.
Paul Amos is the coach and trainer of the neighborhood training and fitness gym. For information, call 708-864-0990. Supercuts held its grand opening at its location at 9532 S. Cicero Ave. on March 31 after a year marked by COVID-19 related closings thanks to the pandemic.