A Slice of Neighborhood in a Big City
In 1982, Tom Mannos never imagined the desolate Loop location that surrounded his restaurant, Exchequer Restaurant & Pub, would evolve into one of the busiest locations downtown, bringing them success for 32 years. “It was really scary at first,” said Mannos, reflecting on when he and his brothers, George and Jim, first bought the restaurant […]
Tired of Odd Jobs, Woman Chooses Dogs
Susan Andresen considers herself a jack of all trades. But with no college degree, she said she bounced from job to job until she went “mad.” That moment is what led her to create her own business, Diamond Dogs, a doggy daycare. The small corner building sits at 3800 W. Montrose Ave. in Chicago’s North […]
Eclectic Chique Puts the “Chi” in Chique
It’s hard to miss the fact that Eclectic Chique is extremely on trend. For the small space the boutique occupies, its quantity of fall trends is just as prevalent as any major department store. Wearing skinny black leather pants, black lace up sneaker wedges, a perforated leather T-shirt and top knot bun, Monique Scott, the […]
Creating a Fashion Movement
From a phrase to a logo, and now, to a movement, No Manches Clothing Company wants to use its T-shirts to empower the Pilsen neighborhood. And this new vision, which was developed by four young Latino men, is already taking its effect as one local resident said, “I don’t wear T-shirts, but I wear his.”
A Jewelry Journey
Even though 40-year-old jeweler Jason Zastrow’s grandfather has retired from the jewelry industry, he taught Zastrow a world of jewelry that has earned him a job at a famous Chicago landmark. Zastrow’s grandfather, Landess Mills, 85, was in search for work after World War II and began to work in the jewelry industry. Zastrow said […]
West Side Restaurant Owner Protects Business by Feeding People
The owner of a barbecue joint on Chicago’s West Side protects his business from robberies and drug dealers outside the front door by feeding all people in the community, including the homeless and drug addicts. Located on the 4200 Block of West Madison Street, Uncle Remus Chicken & Barbeque is in the high-crime neighborhood of West […]
Tired of Finance, She Turned to Flour : Sugar Bliss Blossoms
Teresa Ging, 35, who, after working for six years in finance, left everything to move to Paris and study pastries. After studying at the famed cooking school Le Cordon Bleu, she returned to Chicago to start her own business: Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique. Since its opening in 2009, Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique has sold more […]
Wrigleyville Businesses Relieved Cubs Will Remain on North Side
There’s relief among businesses in Wrigleyville now that the Cubs have reached an agreement with the city over its $500 million renovation plan. Local residents and neighborhood groups had been worried that businesses would suffer if the Cubs couldn’t come to terms with the city and decided to play baseball elsewhere. Jaime Gamez, owner of […]
Car dealership moves one step closer to opening on North Side
An unused warehouse on Chicago’s North Side moved one step closer Thursday to being transformed into a new Ford dealership after the Chicago Plan Commission approved the project. The plan almost hit a roadblock when some commission members, starting with Ald. Ed Burke (14th Ward), raised questions about a Hispanic family’s interest in opening another […]
Pilsen Artist creates Art from Recyclable materials
Leticia Rodarte started her art career and became an entrepreneur at age eight. It started during grammar school in Mexico, she drew maps for her friends and charged them a “torta” for it, Rodarte said. “I started making my own money selling my drawings to friends from grammar school,” Rodarte said. “That’s when it started, […]
Police Keep Licensed Peddlers Moving on 18th Street
Pilsen peddlers say business complaints to police have stopped them from selling on 18th Street. Anastacia Cortez, a licensed peddler for 15 years, said Chicago Police Officers have told her to move numerous times while selling on 18th Street. “The cops tell me that my post is mobile, and I have to keep moving, so I leave,” Cortez said. Cortez said she later is […]
“Diamond in the rough” folk art in Pilsen
Walking down the streets of Pilsen, it is common for one to come across many Mexican restaurants and varying trinket stores, each as authentic as the next. On 18th Street, Efrain Loza owns and manages Artesanias D’Mexico, a Mexican folk art and retail store. He brings the products directly from 14 different states in Mexico. […]
Your Sweet Tooth Will Thank You When You Visit Pilsen’s Nuevo Leon
Tourists from all over the country come to visit Panaderia Nuevo Leon, one of Pilsen’s oldest and most beloved bakeries. Since 1973, Nuevo Leon has carried the tradition of a mexican-style bakery where customers come in, grab a tray and tongs, and serve themselves. No matter what time of day it is, your sense of […]
Rickshaw-style bicycle cabs come to Logan Square
Here’s a unique new job opportunity: get paid for getting in shape. A new business in the Logan Square area, RoadieCab, pays bike riders to ferry passengers around. While peddling, riders work on their leg muscles, burn calories and increase their endurance. RoadieCab bikes are not like the pedicabs seen in other Chicago urban areas, […]
Little Village skate shop gives kids a place to hang out, learn a new sport
Jamie Duran had an epiphany one day at a family gathering: his life needed a purpose. Unemployed, the 35-year-old Duran wanted to offer something new to his community, something that would encourage kids to approach a new hobby. And he needed a new hobby too. Duran proposed the idea of opening a family skate shop […]
Lincoln Square’s hidden gem: Rosley’s Rocks
Rosley’s Rocks and Gems is tucked away in Lincoln Square, a seemingly nondescript little shop on a quiet street. A passerby could easily miss the store; with its glass storefront and neon sign, it seems to be just another coffee shop or second-hand clothing store. Once inside, the store is anything but just another retail […]
Pilsen coffee shop brings neighborhood together
Café Jumping Bean is vibrantly colorful, with art all over its walls, chairs and tables. The smell of freshly brewed coffee – Café Jumping Bean’s own unique blend – lingers in the air. Located on the corner of 18th and Bishop streets, Café Jumping Bean has been serving the Pilsen community and surrounding areas for 19 […]
Chicago LGBTQ library set to open soon in new location in Rogers Park
In a move lasting nine months longer than anticipated and raising uncertainties, one of the Midwest’s largest LGBTQ libraries finally transitioned from Andersonville to Rogers Park on April 30. The Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, which holds collections of gay and lesbian history and hosts programs like theater groups and poetry readings, traded their West Granville […]