Street-legal scooters to soon be sold in Lake in the Hills
Bruce and Christy Erbeck took it as a sign.
On vacation in Ft. Lauderdale three years ago, they saw gas-powered scooters nearly everywhere they went.
Then a year ago, on another trip, they saw them again, carrying smiling people from one spot to another.
They started researching the idea of opening a shop to sell those scooters right here in our area.
Next month, Flat Squirrel Scooters will open its doors along Randall Road in Lake in the Hills, selling the gas-powered, street-legal scooters which start at about $1,500.
"It's a great mode of transportation. It's fun, it's affordable and it's cool," Christy Erbeck said. "Whether you're driving in a neighborhood like Del Webb, or you're heading to the train station to go downtown, or you're driving up and down Randall Road, you can do it with our scooters more economically than in a car, and you can have fun at the same time."
Erbeck said the California Zen brand scooters they sell can get up to 90 miles per gallon, and some of them get more.
The smaller version they sell, the 50 cc, only goes up to 35 miles per hour, and is for short trips. But the larger version can go up to 90 miles per hour, and Erbeck says they can go along Randall, or any of the major roads - except for I-90 - up and down the corridor.
Although they've yet to officially open their doors, they do have pink and white scooters on display in their windows, and they've been drawing a lot of attention, Erbeck said.
Right now, you can stop in and check out the scooters, but Flat Squirrel won't actually start selling them until February, as they wait for their dealer's license.
"Surprisingly we've seen mostly men come in, "Erbeck said. "What I love is when people walk through they immediately start smiling. They think they're so cool."
Storytime: Get comfy and settle in to hear a great story. The Barnes and Noble along Randall Road in Geneva hosts free storytimes at 10:30 a.m. nearly every Tuesday and Thursday.
On Friday evenings, they often have Pajama Storytime at 7 p.m., where you can wear your jammies and hear a great story before bedtime.
In celebration of Valentine's Day, they're also hosting a special valentine storytime at 10 a.m. Feb. 7.
These events are popular, so you may want to get there a little early. No signup is necessary.
Coming soon: Burlington Coat Factory is coming to the Randall Road corridor in Elgin, on the west side of the road where Dominick's used to be.
The store is expected to open this spring.
• Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from South Elgin to Batavia. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036.