Monday, April 25, 2011
Originally a summer boutique in a different state, Exclamations has blossomed into a longstanding Evergreen Park business, specializing in home goods and unique gifts.
What began as a seasonal store in Michigan has turned into a familiar and long-lasting Evergreen Park staple. Exclamations, 3523 W. 95th St., began 26 years ago by Susan Burke and her mother Mary Lou Shanahan. The mother-daughter duo originally owned a seasonally-open store in Sister Lakes, Mich., before deciding to take their talent to a full-time level. “We would have (the store) during the summer. I graduated from college and we decided to do a fulltime store where we lived,” Burke, whose family ran the Michigan store for nine years, said. “So we opened in May 1985.” Since Burke lives in the Beverly neighborhood and Shanahan is an Evergreen Park resident. They decided the business strip would make the perfect location for the store. The…
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Potayto Potahto general manager Marian Stallings tells us all about her spuds.
Crazy about spuds? Our latest Weekly Business Spotlight featured Marian Stallings, general manager of Potayto Potahto, 2849 W. 95th Street, who turned her love for potatoes into a full-blown business. "I'm a Carb-o-holic," she said, enthusiastically. We asked her what her most unique potato dish was. You may have never heard of this one before. Check her out in our Business Rewind.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Once the art director at the Daily Southtown newspaper, Carl Bonasera lived out his dream of becoming a comic artist through establishing his own comic business.
When Carl Bonasera was growing up, he dreamt of becoming a comic book artist. While he didn’t become one, Bonasera became an integral part of the comic business in his own right. As the owner of All-American Comic Shop, 3576 W. 95th St., for the last 30 years, Bonasera has certainly accomplished his goal of working in the field. “I wanted to be a comic artist as a kid,” Bonasera said. “I went backwards and started selling them.” Open in Evergreen Park since 1981, Bonasera opened the shop while also working as the art director at the Daily Southtown newspaper. Eventually he was able to quit that job and make his booming comic business his full-time focus. “At the time, I was working for the Southtown and knew the Southside real well,” …
