BizWeek: A great year for Illinois hotels; an unusual business idea
Record revenues for Illinois hotels
For hoteliers, business is booming in Illinois. On Monday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the state's legislative leadership and representatives of the hospitality industry announced that hotels in Illinois saw record revenues in fiscal year 2023, which ended June 30.
How playdates started a business
Libertyville mom Hannah Frei has grown a Facebook group to coordinate playdates for youngsters into a new business called "The Hangout."
Addressing former hotel property
Mount Prospect has fined the owners of the vacant former Holiday Inn at 200 E. Rand Road over numerous code violations that, if not addressed, could lead village officials to seek the building's demolition.
Mall owner buys another in suburbs
The new owner of Louis Joliet Mall has been buying malls around the country for the past 10 years, including several in Chicago and its suburbs.
Shaq's restaurant opens in Rosemont
Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken restaurant in Rosemont was scheduled to open at 10 a.m. Tuesday, but the former NBA big man wasn't expected to attend the grand opening to avoid a repeat of the traffic and logistical nightmare that occurred at his Houston eatery's opening some two weeks ago.
New date, same place for Ribfest
Hungry for Ribfest? The celebration of barbecue will be back at the DuPage County fairgrounds in Wheaton, but with new dates.
Banquet facility gets second chance
A dormant Palatine banquet facility is getting a new lease on life. The Palatine village council Monday granted a special use to the Saahar Group Inc. to operate Cosmopolitan Eventos at 1170 E. Dundee Road.
Waste company to recycle paper cups
Paper cup recycling will now be available to 1 million Chicago-area residents through Rosemont-based waste management company LRS,
Rosemont program aims for parity
Rosemont will give property tax rebates to a hotel and two restaurants under a new program aimed at creating "parity" among local businesses, village officials said.