Pets have been the family business for three generations for Palos Pet Shop owner Bill Brady. “His grandfather started it all with a pet store in Blue Island,” said Bill’s wife and business partner Mary Brady. “We started out at 127th and Harlem in 1972,” said Mary. “Then we moved 28 years ago to our Indian Trails location.” The pet shop at 6419 W. 127th St. in Palos Heights carries a full line of pet products and pet foods, but no dogs or cats. “We strongly believe in adoption,” Mary said. “There are plenty of animals waiting in shelters for good homes.” Palos Pet Shop does carry some …

There are certain things you expect to see when you walk into a doctor's office: a few magazines, several chairs in the waiting room and maybe  a receptionist behind a desk. A professional kitchen on the other hand might come as a bit of a surprise, but if you talk to Dr. John Principe of WellBeingMD, it's just as important to his practice. WellBeingMD was founded in 2008, born of Principe's decision to attend culinary school. After attending a conference on the intersection of medicine and healthy cooking, Principe realized he could combine his profession and with his passion. “I learned …

Fine Arts Stageworks has found new digs on Harlem Avenue in the Palos Heights business district, and while the school is increasing its physical space, it also will be expanding its presence and role in town. Brooke Kosowski opened Stageworks nearly four years ago after seeing a need for not only professional training in the area, but also a place for people to let their creative juices flow. “Legitimate training for acting and theater was happening real far away,” Kosowski said. “My goal was to bring some experience to the area.” Kosowski was active in theater and music as a child and …

With 30 years experience training and 25 grooming, Pam Barnett has gained a solid understanding of dogs and their behavior – as well as insight into the relationship between canines and their owners. The more you speak with Pam, the more realize that her role at the new Pack Leader Academy in Palos Heights is as much about educating people as it is training dogs. “The things I hear now are not, 'I can't get my dog to sit,' it's, 'I can't even sit on my own couch because the dog jumps all over me,'” she said. Barnett's new facility in Palos Heights will be a dog psychology center and her role…

Rosario Caprio has fond memories of hanging out at the old Cafe Roma in Palos Heights and knew he wanted to open his own coffee shop. That was around 12 years ago when the coffee house boom was in full effect and Starbucks began popping up in every town. He ended up with a job at Buona Pizza while he went to school to study drafting. Buona had been open about a year and was in trouble from the get go, with immediate lawsuits stemming from the use of its name. Caprio saw other problems with the business as well, but also saw potential. He offered to buy it and the owner accepted. The name was …

Kristie Jeanes was not a stranger to working at bars and restaurants when Limestone City Grill and Lounge opened eight years ago. She had already worked in her share of establishments in Chicago, but still felt a draw to the Southside. When her father, developed the Westgate Shopping Center the original plans included a restaurant. When the original restaurant backed out before opening, her father asked her if she was interested in opening and running a restaurant in the shopping center. She left the northside of Chicago and headed back to the Southland. “It was originally going to be a sort …

Despite the claims of Internet ads and television commercials, most athletes realize early on that increased muscle mass, endurance and strength don't come out of a bottle or a $20 at-home gym. For an athlete to reach the maximum level of performance in any sport requires a mix of workouts, conditioning and training, and the guys at Elite Performance Training Center in Palos Heights have the knowledge and equipment to get them there. “We offer that competitive edge to get you over the top – it's about more than just weights,” said Scott Sands, one of the three owners of the recently opened …

The 12300 block of Harlem Avenue adds another boutique to its fashion row with the addition of International House of Couture this past week. The store  is owned by friends Noora Hammad, Ameira Matariyeh and Dalia Matariyeh, who have successfully run the company online for the past year-- exclusively on Facebook. Patch met with Noora and Dalia to learn about what IHOC is bringing to Palos Heights and to hear the story behind this unique business. Hammad says that while the company was successful online, the three friends thought it would be much more satisfying if they had a shop where they …

Natalie Grens more or less opened her business, Natalie's Gifts & Closeouts, on impulse. Her husband and brother-in-law were helping their mother run a small gift store in Worth and while driving down Harlem Avenue she saw a vacancy. “I called about it, got the details, said, 'OK,' and I rented it,” Grens explained of opening the store in the Tiffany Square shopping center 22 years ago. “I was enjoying the business and wanted to strike out on my own.” Grens has had a bit of a wild ride since then. “Business is not like it was, not at all,” said Grens, shaking her head, and agreeing that it's …

Marty Linderborg has run the Great Harvest Bread Company in Palos Park for the past three years and while she has learned to love kneading and baking, her initial draw to the shop was the business opportunity. “My daughter was considering a trip to Australia and I said, 'if you take the trip I'll take over the bakery,'” said Linderborg, in an interview at the bakery on La Grange Road, across for Sandburg High School. Her daughter had worked at Great Harvest before she took it over, and has since returned to help out as one of eight part-time employees. She did take her trip to Australia as …

The Palos-area has no shortage of forest preserves, lakes and protected areas, and while the natural surroundings create a wonderful home for an abundance of wildlife, Wild Birds Unlimited in Palos Park can help turn your own backyard into a a resort for feathered guests. Bill and Denise Allaway have been in charge of the Palos Park location since 1994 and with the Wild Birds Unlimited franchise since 1992 – ever since a bad day at work. “We were customers and came in [to the Palos Park location, opened in 1989] and looking around,” said Denise. “I'd had a stressful day at work and just said …

Diane Goerg took over the Palos Heights Tastee Freez location four seasons ago. While she might be a relatively new local business owner, she isn't new to taking an active role in her community. From the Car Classic Committee to the Business Economic Development Commission, Goerg rarely misses an opportunity to give back to the community. Tastee Freeze has provided her even more opportunities to get involved. Her ice cream can be found at Sundaes in the Park, where free ice cream is provided on Thursday nights during the summer. In Palos for 17 years in total, Goerg said when she bought the …

Although the Palos Heights location is coming up on just its second week, Al's Pizzeria is no newcomer to pie slinging and sandwich stuffing. Domenick and Wendy LoCascio recently purchased Primo's Palos Pizza in the Westgate Valley Commons, bringing Domenick's grandfather's restaurant to the south suburbs. Al's Pizzeria has been operating in Cicero for close to 50 years, and is a local favorite when it comes to pizza. The husband and wife team hope the pizza parlor's historical success will repeat in Palos Heights, even in a location that might seem a little cursed. “We're are the third pizza…

Van Henkelum Funeral Home has returned to Palos Heights after a seven-year hiatus and brings not only a strong business back, but also a family name tied to the town for almost 100 years. Peter Van Henkelum's father, Whitey Van Henkelum, opened the funeral home in Palos Heights in 1956 with his wife Shirley. The original funeral home was located on Harlem Avenue near Golden Shoes. Whitey was not only known for his role in the funeral business, but also was an alderman in the Palos Heights City Council, serving from 1971 until 1999. Peter joined his mother and father at the funeral home in …

It's been said one trait that causes Americans to stick out like a sore thumb in Europe is our nation's unique sense of style – or actually, lack there of. Americans for the most part dress far more casually than those across the Atlantic. Angelique Fortuna, of Angelique's Boutique in Palos Heights, is hoping her recently opened clothing store can help give local shoppers some more unique options. “Everyone [in the U.S.] pretty much dresses the same,” Fortuna said. “I would like to bring some more unique fashion to the area and help people be more open to fashion. Everyone has days where they…

Trinkets & Treasures in Palos Hills hits the double-whammy when it comes to supporting your local business owners. Not only is the store owned by local mother/daughter team Pat Krask and Melissa Wuielicki, but almost all of the crafts for sale in the store are made by local artisans. “All the artisans are local except for one from Bartlett,” Krask said. “ Shoppers are supporting a lot of local people when they come here.” Trinkets & Treasures offers a unique opportunity for local artisans to display their crafts on a daily basis, even when a craft show is not in town. The store charges a fee …

This year Mona Lisa will celebrate its 20th year in Palos Heights, and while business has changed over the course of two decades, the shop's owners say it's still going strong. “Business in general is just different,” said Jill Evans, who co-owns the boutique and gift store with her sister Wendy Lundberg, and Wendy's husband Mike.“The 90's were just different though, people spent and spent – now shoppers are motivated by discounts and deals.” But just as Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting has held its smile for five centuries, the owners and many customers have had their own grins when …

Ray Rita and Nancy Savino-Soria both have a long history in the salon industry, two years ago they teamed up to take over Headlines Salon Spa Inc. in Palos Heights. The two combined customers from their previous endeavors and are of course looking to expand more as a team. Rita worked for his sister, who owned a salon (the same one which is now Headlines) for 22 years. When his sister decided to get out of the business, Rita and Savino-Soria decided they wanted to get back in. Rita said he was excited to take over as an owner, and Savino-Soria was eager to get back behind the chair in a full …

Cleo Boutique has a tremendous location on the 12000 block of Harlem Avenue in Palos Heights. A spot in the retail center of the city means increased foot traffic and plenty of retail neighbors. While the store may sit upon a heavily traveled street, once customers enter they are treated to selections that are a bit more off the beaten path. “I try very hard to avoid merchandise that can be found at department stores or major retailers,” said Dawn Stiegal, the store's owner and merchandise buyer. Stiegal said the store has a wide range of clothing styles, from “casual to cocktail to after …

When you browse the inventory at Take Me Home in Palos Park a few things are almost always guaranteed: the merchandise is unique, you won't be able to find it in the nearby area and the items will most certainly not be available at larger retailers. “A lot of people tell me, 'you look like a north side boutique,'” said owner Jean Whitney. “People don't realize what's right here on the south side, and in Palos.” The shop was originally located in Palos Heights at Harlem Avenue and 123rd Street – the retail center of the Heights area – until a lease change forced her to relocate. Although she …