Business booms outside mall, too

The local mall offers the convenience of hundreds of stores located in one area, the ideal setup for the Black Friday shopping frenzy.

Just as shoppers swarmed to Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee in the early hours of Friday, businesses on the mall's fringe also saw their fair share of green.

Jay Manguba, the team leader of the Target store on Route 72 in West Dundee, said the store benefits from its proximity to the mall.

"We are looking pretty good and people are still shopping," Manguba said about 11 a.m, five hours after Target opened. "People like to hit the Target and the mall."

Other store managers said the types of stores near the mall also play a role in drawing people in on the busiest shopping day of the year.

"Businesses in this area are very good," said Joe Kurelo, store manager of the Toys 'R Us in the Spring Hill Fashion Corner. "I mean the mall is a big draw, but the stores are good-quality, so I think it is a combination of things that brings people to shop."

While retailers crunched out gift receipts and shoppers rang up credit card bills, restaurants in the area turned tabletops in a whirl.

The Denny's at Route 31 was packed with customers just hours after Thanksgiving festivities ended, said store manager Rich Pittluck.

"We love it when the mall opens after Thanksgiving," Pittluck said. "The rush started last night. Denny's is 24 hours. Everything else was closed, but we were open."

Pittluck said the restaurant was busiest between 11 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday, with no signs of slowing as of 11 a.m.

"Sales for the 11 a.m.-to-7 p.m. shift beat last year by about $300," Pittluck said. "People want to go to a place when they are finished shopping where they can sit down, get good value for their money and just relax."