The Biz Week That Was: Celebrity chef opening restaurant, new meat store, and bird flu vaccines to curb soaring egg prices
Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis opening restaurants at Hollywood Casino in Aurora and Joliet
Befitting its name, Hollywood Casino Aurora is pulling in some star power for a planned restaurant at their new land-based casino scheduled to open next year. Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis will open Sorella by Giada when the new casino opens in the first half of 2026 near the Chicago Premium Outlets mall in Aurora.
Carnivore’s paradise: Wild Fork opens Buffalo Grove location
Wild Fork opened its Buffalo Grove location Wednesday at 41 S. McHenry Road, at the southeast corner of Lake-Cook and McHenry roads. A grand opening is planned from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 26. Wild Fork also has locations in Mount Prospect, Vernon Hills and Glenview and sells more than 700 varieties of meat and seafood.
What Mount Prospect residents want done with downtown Chase building
Green space, senior housing and an athletic facility were some of the suggestions floated Tuesday when Mount Prospect leaders asked the public what they should do with the former Chase Bank property downtown. The village is buying the vacant six-story office building at 111 E. Busse Ave. for $5 million.
Vaccinating poultry could help cut soaring egg prices, but US remains hesitant
Vaccines could be a key means of suppressing bird flu and avoiding the slaughter of millions of chickens, which is blamed for egg prices averaging nearly $6 a dozen. But the move has been delayed in part because of concerns it could jeopardize chicken exports worth billions of dollars a year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to spend $100 million to study bird flu vaccines to fight the disease.
A new restaurant could replace long-shuttered Olivetti’s in Des Plaines
The brick building that once housed Olivetti’s Ristorante in downtown Des Plaines soon could make way for a new eatery. Entrepreneurs want to knock down the two-story structure at 1575 Ellinwood St. and construct an equally tall, L-shaped building that would be anchored by an 8,200-square-foot restaurant on the ground floor. Three apartments and storage spaces are planned for 5,400 square feet of space on the second floor. An outdoor dining area is proposed, too.
New Wheaton pickleball facility seeks to add liquor license
A new Wheaton franchise of The Picklr pickleball company was going before the Wheaton Liquor Commission Thursday to request permission to sell beer, wine and spirits. Franchisee and co-owner John Williams, based in Philadelphia, said the Wheaton Picklr will open by July 1 in the former Stein Mart department store, 191 Rice Lake Square.