Friday, November 16, 2012
Start your holiday shopping at locally owned stores during Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is on Nov. 24 this year, two days after Thanksgiving. It is a day for everyone to support the small businesses that their community thrives on. American Express founded the day in 2010 to help small businesses get exposure during the holiday season, when they might be otherwise overlooked. With retailers buzzing around the holidays, it is important to support local small businesses that rely on their neighbors in order to continue prospering and building the local economy in Grayslake. Last year, 100 million people nationwide participated in Small Business Saturday by shopping at locally owned stores to help boost the economy and their communities. You can also “like” Small Business Saturday on Facebook by visiting …
Thursday, November 15, 2012
AOL Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong gives advice to small business owners via Patch Partners.
There are many small businesses in Grayslake. Some of them may be places you and your family frequent, businesses that have been in Grayslake for as long as you can remember. And some may be your go-to places instead of national chains. AOL Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong may stand behind a global brand, but he believes in the power of small businesses. In his recent interview with Patch Partners, a website connecting business owners to Patch in local communities, he offered his insight into what can set a small business above the rest of the competition. Small businesses can hold a lot of power if they are intuitive with their customer base, Armstrong said. “Small businesses can be nimble and can have intimate relationships with their …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
A new grocer will open in the space currently inhabited by the Piggly Wiggly, which closes Dec. 15. Farmer's Market Place plans to open by April 1, 2013.
It's official. The site of the Grayslake Piggly Wiggly will be a new grocery store--Farmer's Market Place. The new store is expected to open by April 1, 2013. The Piggly Wiggly will close Dec. 15 so that a full-store remodel can take place. The closing of the Grayslake store was announced in August by owner David Karczewski, who also owns the Antioch and Zion locations. Karczewski said failed negotiations with the building's landlord was the reason. Since then, residents have been eager to know what would be moving in. Farmer's Market Place owner and operator Vicky Kouantas told Patch Tuesday that the new store will still have a Piggly Wiggly connection. Piggly Wiggly Midwest, which is headquartered in Sheboygan, Wis., and supplies more …
42.344646
-88.023815
Piggly Wiggly Supermarket
815 Center St, Grayslake, IL
/articles/grayslake-piggly-wiggly-to-be-farmer-s-market-place
294435
/locations/8379209
The Last Chance Saloon and Grill in downtown Grayslake has closed, but new owners will be taking over the location.
The Last Chance Saloon and Grill, a downtown Grayslake landmark for nearly 20 years, closed its doors Monday. The new owners, who have yet to be identified, will be taking over the business and reopening, reportedly in a matter of weeks. Former Last Chance owners Gary Roberts Sr. and Gary Roberts Jr. posted this statement on their Facebook Monday: Today is a day that is very sad for me but someone once said nothing last forever. It has been a pleasure for my son and I to own The Last Chance for the past 19 years. Tomorrow we pass ownership on. The new owners will be closing the restaurant for a few weeks but it will only be better when it reopens. Thanks to all the great guest and employees who made The Chance such a success. Stop by today…
42.34432
-88.04134
129 Center St, Grayslake, IL
Last Chance
/articles/last-chance-saloon-closes
/locations/8139060
Monday, November 12, 2012
The secret to how the Grayslake staple keeps diners coming back for more.
With only a few dozen booths, stools and tables, brown paneling on the walls and the hot skillets in plain view, Fred’s Diner on Grayslake’s Center Street is the place to be on any given morning. A few hundred or more hungry residents will pack in to get the biscuits and gravy, an omelet, a burger or a bowl of soup. And just as much as the food is a hit, so is the atmosphere: friendly, down-home, easy. “We are very casual. We treat people like family,” said owner Joyce Schaefer. “We will give you a hard time if you have it coming, or be sympathetic and buy you a cup of coffee when you need it.” Schaefer has been at the helm for 17 years, buying it from Fred himself in 1996. In that time few things have changed. The current chef, Bernie …
42.344328
-88.039976
Fred's Diner
225 Center St, Grayslake, IL
/articles/you-are-family-at-fred-s-diner
294358
/locations/8129402
Monday, November 5, 2012
How one Grayslake entrepreneur turned his hobby into his livelihood, with the help of a local small business resource.
“Almost every business started in someone’s basement.” That’s the way Jan Bauer, director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at the College of Lake County, sees it. “Businesses start because you either stumble into it or it’s been mindful planning. Either way, you still usually need help.” The Illinois SBDC is a grant-funded program that provides information, guidance training and other resources to early stage and existing small businesses. Bauer and her team of counselors work with entrepreneurs to get them on the right path for finance, marketing, ways to access capital, technology, international relations and much more. The center currently helps almost 500 businesses across Lake County. “They come to us if they are …
42.344646
-88.023815
Piggly Wiggly Supermarket
815 Center St, Grayslake, IL
/articles/from-the-basement-to-a-business-the-making-of-pigchaser-bbq-sauce
294435
/locations/8125776
Monday, October 29, 2012
The Grayslake Piggly Wiggly supermarket, slated to close its doors Nov. 3, will now stay open an additional six weeks.
A sign has been posted at the Grayslake Piggly Wiggly supermarket at 815 Center St., relaying the message that their last day will be Dec. 15, not Nov. 3 as originally thought. Store hours as of Oct. 29 will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Store manager Tim Thrall told Patch the building's landlord, Vicky Kouantas, gave them notice of the new closing date about 10 days ago. Thrall said they were told the new owner wants all the equipment (shelving, cases, freezers, etc.) left inside the store. "At first, they wanted nothing left (so the space would be returned to what it looked like pre-lease). Now they don't need it left empty," said Thrall. Because of this, said Thrall, the Pig can remain open another six weeks beyond the original closing date, and …
42.344646
-88.023815
Piggly Wiggly Supermarket
815 Center St, Grayslake, IL
/articles/piggly-wiggly-to-remain-open-until-dec-15
294435
/locations/8125774
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Grayslake's A3 CrossFit gym, which opened late summer, is nothing like what you'd expect. Here, it's stripped down and hardcore.
A3 CrossFit in Grayslake is not your typical gym experience. There are no rows beyond rows of treadmills, elliptical machines and stair-climbers. There are no TVs, no locker rooms, no towel service and certainly no juice bar. This is a 3,250 square-foot warehouse space with turf, 300 pound tires, atlas stones, a pull-up rig, chains, resistance bands, free weights and climbing ropes. The workout environment is stripped down, hardcore and produces results, said owner/trainer Jeremy Happel, who was an all-around high school athlete and football captain who helped lead his team to a Indiana 4A state championship in 2000. At A3 CrossFit, he said, "Your body doesn't get used to it. The intensity always changes, so you won't plateau." Also unlike…
42.337808
-88.024841
888 E. Belvidere Road, Grayslake, IL
A3 CrossFit
/articles/no-frills-for-grayslake-s-crossfit-gym
/locations/8125772
Friday, October 19, 2012
Artsy and unique like its owner Sharyl Curtis, Gingi's in Grayslake's Station Square will host grand opening events, demos and surprises Saturday and Sunday.
Patch has a Q&A with Gingi's store owner Sharyl Curtis. What is your background? Business Development within the not for profit arena, event planning and gallery management. I have also served on several volunteer boards and chaired several fund-raising events. Are you starting a business for the first time? No. I had a personalized custom knit baby blanket business several years ago. We created, designed and made blankets which were sold to high-end baby boutiques across the country. Why did you want to open Gingi's and what's behind the name? I wanted to become a curator when I was in college but could not afford the additional schooling which required a Ph.D. as well as being fluent in three additional languages. Gingi's allows me the …
42.321533
-88.013987
Gingi's
970 Harris Rd, Grayslake, IL
/articles/gingi-s-celebrates-grand-opening-this-weekend
2177682
/locations/8125768
Friday, October 5, 2012
Grayslake's first outdoor specialty store opens in Washington Square.
Hainesville resident and outdoor enthusiast Amy Knutson Strack realized a lifelong dream of owning a business when she celebrated the grand opening of her new store, Northerly Outfitters, in Grayslake's Washington Square Thursday. With family, friends and community leaders at her side, Knutson Strack said she hoped the speciaty store would create new friendships, contribute to the local economy, create a few new jobs and be a destination for customers who share her love of the outdoors, even if we are in the mountain-less Midwest. "My goal is for the store to mean a great deal not just to me but to others. I hope it will fill a gap in terms of finding products and solutions for people to get out and enjoy what the area has to offer." …
Pazazz!
12:12 am on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Pazazz! On Arkinson Road next to The UPS Store is hosting an Open House on Small Business Saturday. Stop in for sweet treats and see our snowmen, holiday wine glasses, cookie and cocoa mixes and holiday arrangements. Stop and shop local. Plenty of time for custom print cards and invitations. Ready made gift baskets await you. Open House 10-4 more ›