Walter Narsolis surprised his wife a few weeks ago when he converted one of his Fajitas Mexican restaurants into a new breakfast and lunch cafe and named it in her honor.
“I sure surprised her,” Narsolis said.
He closed the Fajitas location at 10296 S. 78th Avenue in Palos Hills near the Bridgeview Courthouse earlier this year and turned it into a breakfast cafe named Amarie’s Café and Pancake House.
“We serve a traditional American breakfast every day,” he said adding he is thinking of adding Hawaiian and Filipino dishes. “There isn’t a restaurant on the South Side that does Hawaiian or Filipino dishes.”
He said the location does have one holdover from its time as a Fajitas: “The gaming room is still open.”
Amarie’s is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.
Narsolis said he is running into the same staff shortage affecting many other food establishments.
“COVID has made things crazy,” he said. “It’s hard to get employees right now.”
Narsolis has called back on the number of Fajitas locations he operates. Still open is the original location in Countryside, a location in Mokena and one in Crestwood. Earlier this year he closed the Midlothian location and closed a Tinley Park location last year.
The restaurants specialize in chicken and steak fajitas but offer a full menu with Mexican dishes such as burritos, tacos and tamales. They all offer beer, wine and margaritas.
Narsolis said the restaurants are family friendly and he has a kids menu for younger guests.
He also operates two El Patron Mexican restaurants, in Oak Forest and in Tinley Park. The Tinley location is in the same retail strip where he had a Fajitas location.
“El Patron has a simpler menu,” he said.
First Secure to open Orland Park branch
Palos Hills-based First Secure Bank Group announced last week it will be expanding its network of branches in the south suburbs.
The company will open its newest branch with a ribbon-cutting at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at 11901 W. 143rd St. in Orland Park. The building is a former US Bank location. A Business After Hours with the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce will follow.
“We hope to open one new branch a year,” said Jay Bergman, chairman of First Secure.
The First Secure Group owns the First Secure Bank & Trust Company with over $400 million in assets and locations in Palos Hills, Palos Park, Oak Forest and Mokena. First Secure also owns First Secure Community Bank with about $475 million in assets and locations in Joliet, Naperville, Aurora, Sugar Grove and Morris.
Hodgkins welcomes new stores at Quarry
In addition to the new ALDI grocery store, which opened last week, the village of Hodgkins granted certificates of occupancy earlier this month to Tropical Smoothie and AutoZone, both of which are also located in The Quarry Shopping Center.
Bob Bong is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at bobbong@hotmail.com.
