The longtime south suburban staple Unbeatable Eatables opened its first Indiana location just across the border in Munster.
The sandwich shop started in Country Club Hills in 1979. It prides itself on freshly slicing high-quality meats and cheeses and using twice as much in each sandwich as competitors.
It has subs stuffed with corned beef, salami, bologna, turkey, tuna salad and ham and cheese. The chain's best-selling sandwich, the Poseidon, promises "an adventure in eating" with beef, turkey, ham, American and Munster cheese.
Options include party subs, box lunches and regular sandwiches. The menu also encompasses soup, salads, specialty wraps and Vienna Beef hot dogs. Desserts include shakes, malts, ice cream and sherbet.
"We have flavors like rainbow, strawberry, Oreo cookie, mint chocolate and black walnut," owner Tanya Williams said. "The variety is unbeatable. We've got a genuine Italian beef and a mighty meatball sub. There's a cake of the week, which is a caramel cake created by an excellent baker this week."
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Unbeatable Eatables now has four locations, including in Country Club Hills, Evergreen Park and the South Side's leafy, tweedy Hyde Park neighborhood where the University of Chicago instructs scholars.
"I love it for a few reasons," Williams said. "It puts Miracle Whip on sandwiches. It's a Black-owned business. I love the sandwiches. It's just a great idea."
Unbeatable Eatables took over the former JJ Fish & Chicken space at 318 Ridge Road in Munster, at the intersection of Ridge Road and Manor Avenue.
"I like how busy it is. I like the people in the neighborhood. I like everything about this location," Williams said.
Unbeatable Eatables is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
For more information, visit www.unbeatableeatables.net or call 219-513-9112.
Video provided in partnership with The Times, JEDtv and WJOB. Sponsored by Strack & Van Til.
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The DRIPBaR Crown Point is the latest intravenous wellness clinic to inject itself into the Northwest Indiana market.
The new business at 10480 Broadway in Crown Point opened last week. Part of a growing chain, it offers IV vitamin therapy, induction therapy, oral supplements, red light therapy and Normatec recovery leg sessions. It provides IV therapy that's meant to have benefits like boosted immunity, improved recovery, increased energy or anti-aging. In addition to IV drips traditionally used to restore hydration, it also has shots like the IM Glowing Quick Shot that is "designed to support healthy skin and detoxifies your body all at once."
The DRIPBaR Crown Point joins NWI IV Drip Spa in Crown Point and Prime IV Hydration & Wellness in Valparaiso in offering one of the latest health and personal wellness trend on the cutting edge of veins. Revive Medspa in Valpo also now has a Shot & IV Bar.
For more information, call 219-921-0799, email crownpoint185@thedripbar.com or visit thedripbar.com.
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Remember Book It!?
The popular Pizza Hut promotion rewarded kids for reading by giving them personal pan pizzas if they devoured enough books in a motivational tactic that was pretty cheesy.
Twisted Sugar, a growing chain with newer locations in Valparaiso by the Valparaiso University and in Crown Point next to the new DRIPBaR Crown Point, has launched its own literacy program. Young readers from pre-K to 6th grade can grab a reading log from the sweet shops, read 10 books and return it for a free mini cookie.
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Taco Depot, the home of the Karla Tacos, recently expanded to a second location in Crown Point.
The Mexican restaurant opened at 851 W. 57th Ave. in Merrillville 12 years ago, building up a loyal following over the years. It expanded last fall to 1234 N. Main Street in Crown Point, in the Market Place outdoor shopping center anchored by Jewel-Osco.
It specializes in Karla Tacos, or Guadalajara-style barbacoa tacos that are dipped in red sauce, pan-fried and topped with cheese, cilantro and onion. It's served with dip on the side. Taco Depot even has a Karla Grilled Cheese that blends the barbacoa, Karla red sauce, cilantro and onion with melted cheese in thick Texas toast with a dipping broth on the side.
Other taco options include steak tacos, skirt steak tacos, shrimp, fish, beef, pork and chicken. The menu also features elote, quesadillas, enchiladas, tortas, tostadas, sopes, gorditas, chilaquiles, fajitas, 8-inch Big Boy Burritos and 10-inch Superman Burritos. Other options include lemon pepper shrimp fries and the Fat Boy Special, a sampler of some of the most popular items on the menu.
Taco Depot is open from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
For more information, visit www.tacodepotindiana.com or call 219-356-8600.
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Flashback Antiques and More opened last year in Crown Point.
The antique store is selling an eclectic array of old stuff at 1150 W. 132nd Lane in Crown Point, next to the bustling Gelsosomo's Pizzeria Crown Point & Region On Tap at Broadway and 113th Avenue.
Longtime friends Penny Krinakis and Audrey Persinger each worked at various antique stores around town before striking out on their own.
"I worked at three other malls and now have my own store. We're passionate about what we do," Krinakis said. "It was always something we wanted to do. We both had booths at and worked at the malls and did shows at different locations. We're both older women getting ready to retire. This was a fun thing we never got to do. Then the right spot came up for us."
The 2,000-square-foot store is home to 22 different vendors.
"One person makes soap. Another just sells records. It's all different," she said. "It's mostly antiques, old and newer, midcentury modern, a mix of things from the 1800s to now. We have all different things old and new, everything from Hot Wheels to vinyl records. We've got coats and clothing and purses and a lot of knickknacks and toys. We've got posters and car, gas and oil signs. We've got a lot of Coca-Cola stuff."
The inventory is frequently updated.
"We get different things every day," Krinakis said. "We're always restocking and changing things. There's always something for the hunt for those who like hunting for things."
They replenish inventory with finds from estate sales, garage sales, auctions and sometimes even curbside.
"It's a hodgepodge," he said. "We have Depression-era glass, pictures, Schwinn bicycles, all kinds of stuff. It's hard to describe. It's an eclectic collection of goodies. Someone came in the other day and said. 'wow, it's like a museum.' But we've also got new stuff like jerseys for basketball, football and hockey. Our vendors have all different things."
It's one of several antique stores in town.
"We're right by Interstate 65 so we get a lot of people from out of town," Krinakis said. "Antiques are a big attraction in Crown Point. It used to be downtown but it's spreading out. There's no parking downtown and there's parking here."
Crete and Lowell used to be big hubs for antiquing but Crown Point has long had the crown locally, Persinger said.
"There seems to be a lot of interest in this area, and there has been since I was small," she said.
She's worked at the Crown Antique Mall and other antique stores.
"I've always liked antiques. My mother liked them," Persinger said. "I've always lived with them and enjoyed them my whole life. I personally like things I can use, whether furniture, buckets or planters for going out to a garden."
She's always dreamed of owning her own store.
"It's enjoyable to hear stories from the customers," she said. "They come in and browse and talk about their childhood and their toys. It makes for an enjoyable day."
She was able to create the store she always wanted.
"We have everything from antiques to vintage to artisan things to some furniture, clothing, toys and collectibles," she said. "It's bigger than you think. There's a lot more inside than it looks like outside. And we sell everything we have in our displays and windows. There's a lot of variety. We have a big assortment of arts and crafts and gifts for birthdays or Mother's Day. We've got vintage pieces, small pieces and new items every day. We always take questions and take time to talk to customers personally. We'll work with them and work with vendors to find what they're looking for."
Flashback Antiques and More is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and from noon until 5 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, call 219-310-8261 or find the business on Facebook.
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Da Burger House shuttered after a few years of offering an elevated take on fast food, such as short rib burgers in brioche buns.
The to-go restaurant opened in 2021. It was located at 5610 Ridge Road in Gary across from Calumet High School at the border of unincorporated Calumet Township and just a few blocks from Griffith.
The creative menu featured a doughnut burger, elote fries sprinkled with crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos and a GI Hot Dog split down the middle for an even char and smothered in sauteed onions and cheese sauce.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Biggby Coffee, Flora Plants, Funk My Life and McDonald's open; Aster & Gray and Elements Wine Bar close
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A new coffee house is percolating in St. John.
Biggby Coffee, one of the Region's fastest-growing coffee shop chains, opened at  9151 Wicker Ave in the former Centier Bank branch in the St. John Mall in St. John. Being in a former bank building, it boasts three drive-through lanes.
Nicholas Novak, a U.S. Army National Guard veteran and former police officer, and his wife Mary, who works at a cancer treatment facility, opened the Biggby Coffee. The Michigan-based chain serves coffee, lattes, tea lattes, Red Bull mocktails hot chocolates and freezes. It for instance has energy blast drinks with flavors like mango, blood orange, dragonfruit, lemon, green apple, blue raspberry and strawberry.
It also has a variety of food items like bagels, Kind Bars, Cuban ciabatta and bragels or breakfast bagel sandwiches. All in all, it has more than 200 menu items because of how customizable the drinks are.
"The variety appeals to everybody," said Novak, who previously worked as a Lake County correction officer, Gary police officer and South Shore Line police officer. "We've got different beverages with caffeine, milk alternatives, something for everyone. We were introduced to the product in February of last year, started drinking the product and found it amazing. It's a superior product. We were sold on the business."
The Novaks were big fans of the coffee and liked how people-centric Biggby Coffee was. The fast-growing chain has 350 locations in nine states. It has coffee shops in Chesterton, Crown Point and Michigan City and is expanding to Highland and Valparaiso.
The Novaks thought St. John would be a perfect location for a Biggby Coffee.
"It's growing at a rapid pace," he said. "It's a diverse community. The comprehensive plans calls for more cafes and coffee shops. People have been incredibly supportive. We're between Lake Central High School and St. John the Evangelist, so we're in a prime location."
Biggby Coffee is located in a 2,000-square-foot building with a bank vault it's using for storage. It did renovations that maintained "the spirit of the bank" while giving it more of a 1920s-style steampunk design.
"Because of the lobby, we have one of the larger locations," he said. "It's a pretty interior. We believe people are really starved to gather and communicate. We believe people miss that connection."
The Novaks plan to add outdoor seating and a stage where aspiring musicians can perform.
"As a coffee shop we have a unique opportunity to be the best part of someone's day," he said. "We offer an experience. We want to know about the customer's day. We're very focused on people, on our employees and our customers."
Biggby Coffee is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call 219-558-0145 or find Biggby Coffee St. John on Facebook or Instagram.
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Flora Plants grew from a home-based business that sold houseplants at local markets to a brick-and-mortar store in downtown Valparaiso.
Pablo Baldetti and Cheyenne May opened the new plant shop at 13 N Washington St., a space it shares with Be Good Juicerie. It sells house plants, food, fertilizer, soils and seeds, as well as candles and other accessories.
"It's a mom-and-pop business," Baldetti said. "We both have a love for plants. Cheyanne has always been an entrepreneur. We've really wanted to start a business together for a while now. It's something we dreamed of together."
They started selling plants at markets like Fetching Market, doing pop-ups at Fluid Cofffeebar, Sip Coffee House, America's Antique Mall and other places. They expected it would take years to open their own storefront but then an opportunity emerged.
Flora Plants specializes in tropical plants, cacti and succulents.
"Plants bring life to the room," he said. "They create a different ambiance in a living space. It's a rewarding hobby. It's a reading experience and feeling to grow them and not kill them."
Flora Plants offers customers advice on plants.
"We have put a lot of thought into the types of plants we bring in. You probably wouldn't be able to find a lot of them anywhere else locally," she said. "There's something for everyone and gift products for non-plant people. We offer education on plants like on which can tolerate long periods without water. We have plants that require different maintenance."
(Photo by Alison Hein)
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The store has been meticulously curated, she said.Â
"At corporate stores and nurseries, you don't get that type of love or energy in any other place," she said. "We put a lot of love and care into this store. You notice and feel it when you walk in. There's a certain energy and ambiance."
Plants in stock at the store include Peperomia, Philodendron Birkin and booty planters that are shaped exactly like they sound.
Flora Plants will continue to go around to markets like Hunt and Gather and the Chesterton European Market. It built up a following on the market circuit before ever opening our doors.
"We have a lot of return customers," he said. "We see a lot of familiar faces. It's a happy rewarding experience."
In the long run, they aspire to keep growing and get their daughters involved in the store.
"This happened fast. It happened quick," he said. "We had the space and the opportunity, so we jumped on it."
They like the downtown location because of all the traffic, including foot traffic.
"Washington Street feels like Chicago, like Lincoln Park," he said. "It feels like the city. We were really fortunate to have the opportunity to be in downtown Valparaiso."
Flora Plants is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, find Flora Plants on Facebook or Instagram.
(Photo by Alison Hein)
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Funk My Life Eclectic Gallery opened in a side room in the Rae Kicks Sass beauty salon in Valparaiso.
"I'm big on plays on words," said owner Rae Benson.
Benson, Maggie Grivetti, Michael Gross, Pam Rocha and Maria Puckett opened the new vintage and antique store at 359 Indiana Ave in Valparaiso.
"Me and my sister and some good friends opened the store, which has midcentury modern furniture, lamps and something from every era," she said. "We have kitschy things, tchotchkes and artwork. My sister had a booth at Yesterday's Treasure and needed a bigger space and then other people got involved."
Funk My Life carries vintage items from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
"We have things from when we were growing up as kids that we really didn't appreciate in that era," she said. "When you're growing up you just don't have an appreciation for it."
The store stocks formica dining sets, 1980s fashions, vintage couches, cedar chests and swag lamps.
"It's fun to enjoy the hunt," she said. "We always have new inventory and if it doesn't sell mark it down a little to get things moving."
The owners are constantly scouring estate sales, yard sales and marketplaces to find new merchandise.
"We might even find something on the side of the road," she said. "Most of it is vintage and nostalgic."
The store is cash-only. It's about 1,000 square feet.
"It's not super-huge but it's crammed," she said. It has a vintage feel. It's nostalgic for all ages. We just had a young kid telling her mother she wanted a rotary phone and she was explaining how it works to her daughter. It cracks me up."
Funk My Life is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, 219-241-8547.
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The new McDonald's held a grand opening celebration a few weeks ago at 501 E.109th Place in Crown Point.
The new 4,700-square-foot Golden Arches is located at the southeast corner of 109th Avenue and Delaware Parkway, just off Interstate 65 by the booming Beacon Hill Development. It's owner-operator Jack Lubeznik's 23rd restaurant in Northwest Indiana and Chicago.
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The Aster & Gray boutique recently closed, just a year after relocating to a more visible location in downtown Valparaiso.
The fair trade and artisan shop moved its storefront from 20 Indiana Ave. to 118 Lincolnway last year, ceding its former space to the Porter County Museum.Â
It celebrated its fifth-anniversary last year. It stocked the work of artists and artisans, as well as clothing, home decor, kitchenware and shoes.
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Elements Wine Bar has served its last glass of vino in downtown Valparaiso.
The wine bar at 23 Washington St #100 has wine, light bites, live music and an outdoor patio amid the hustle and bustle of the heart of Valparaiso.
It hosted many live music acts like Chicago bluesman Vino "The Music Man" Louden, jazz singer Lauren Dukes, singer-songwriter Jason Murphy, the Marty "Big Dog" Mercer Band and Scotty & The Bad Boys. It also had wine tasting and an intimate venue that invited chilling out.
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If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com.
Joseph S. Pete
Business Reporter
Region native Joseph S. Pete is a Lisagor Award-winning business reporter who covers steel, industry, unions, the ports, retail, banking and more. The Indiana University grad has been with The Times of Northwest Indiana since 2013.
