Grant’s Appliances, a Joliet-based appliance store with locations in Orland Park, Downers Grove, Aurora and northwest Indiana, shut down without warning Oct. 8.
Customers at the Joliet store were greeted with a handwritten sign on the door saying “temporarily closed for inventory.” There was no reopening date indicated.
The Orland Park store had a help wanted sign in its front window Monday, but no signs indicating why the store was closed.
The chain, which started in Joliet more than 90 years ago, left numerous customers awaiting deliveries with no indication of whether the merchandise would ever be received nor any way to find out what was going on.
The company’s website is no longer active, its telephone mailbox is full, and its Facebook page has been taken down.
The chain for decades operated out of a single store in Joliet. The Grant family sold the company several years ago and the new owner expanded by adding several stores including the one at 14740 S. La Grange Road in Orland Park.
Dress stores open
California-based off-price retailer Ross Dress for Less opened 20 new stores nationwide last week, including its first in Will County and its first in downtown Chicago.
The Will County store is at 475 E. Lincoln Highway in New Lenox in the Wal-Mart plaza. The Chicago store is at 26 E. Randolph St. Ross now has 34 locations in the Chicago area. The retailer entered the Chicago market a couple of years ago when it opened stores in Orland Park.
Ross stores typically carry brand name apparel and home goods priced 20 percent to 60 percent less than at department and specialty stores. Each store employs about 50 associates.
New Lenox store hours will be Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. For information, call 815-462-3765.
New donation center
Goodwill opened its newest retail store and donation center last Friday at 19917 S. La Grange Road at the north end of Hickory Creek Marketplace in Frankfort.
The store is the charitable organization’s 33rd retail store in Illinois. It also operates seven donation centers in Illinois.
“The new store is 20,396 square feet with just under 13,000 square feet dedicated to sales floor,” said Cheryl Lightholder, Goodwill manager of communications.
Hours for the store are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Donation center hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
The store, managed by Eric Schultz, also has a Club Rewards program for frequent customers.
The organization also has retail stores in Orland Park, New Lenox, Lemont, Plainfield and Joliet.
Remodeling showroom closes
Granite Transformations, a 30-year-old company that specializes in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, recently closed its store and showroom at 15950 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park’s Park Center Plaza.
Services include cabinet resurfacing, backsplashes and flooring in bathrooms and kitchens.
The nearest location in northern Illinois is now in Machesney Park.
Cafe serves breakfast
Bella’s Bakery & Breakfast has opened at 12246 S. Harlem Ave. in Palos Heights in the former Baumann’s Bakery location.
The bakery has a cafe next door that serves breakfast along with coffee and bakery items.
Hours are 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday to Sunday. The bakery and cafe are closed on Monday.
