Sullair named John Randall its new president and CEO.
MICHIGAN CITY — One of Michigan City's largest industrial employers has named its second CEO in a year after current Sullair President and CEO Charlie Takeuchi was promoted by parent company Hitachi.
Sullair, one of country's top air compressor manufacturers, is naming John Randall its new president and CEO effective on April 1, which is when Takeuchi will become president of Tokyo-based Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems.
Takeuchi became Sullair's chief operating officer in 2017 after the Japan-based company acquired Sullair, which has made air compressors for the manufacturing, energy, food processing and construction sectors in LaPorte County since 1965.
He helped oversee the integration of the two companies and became Sullair's president and CEO on April 1 of last year.
“It has been an honor and privilege to spend the last 3 ½ years with Sullair and serve alongside our global workforce. It has always been, and will always be, about our people, and there are no words to adequately express my gratitude to them. With Sullair, a primary business within the HIES organization, I look forward to supporting John and Sullair in my new capacity as president of HIES. John is an articulate and thoughtful leader who is well-respected amongst our employees, channel partners and other key stakeholders. I look forward to seeing first-hand what Sullair accomplishes in the years to come.”
Takeuchi, who has worked for Hitachi for 30 years, will return to Tokyo, where he will oversee manufacturing and sales of industrial components and equipment.
See a day in the life of Portage Patrolman Brian Graves in the latest installment of Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops.
Video filmed by Kale Wilk and produced by Scotia White. Interview by Anna Ortiz.
Randall has served as president Sullair Asia for more than two years and is moving from Suzhou, China to Michigan City. He served as vice president of global engineering for Sullair for nearly five years and previously worked for 24 years for Navistar, where he helped launch a plant in India.
“I have been honored to be a part of the Sullair leadership team over the past six years, and I am excited and energized to lead Sullair into the next phase of our journey,” Randall said. “Together with the Sullair leadership team, and our global workforce of 1,000 employees, I will work to build on the strong foundation Charlie has put in place. I am confident about our company’s future and look forward to accelerating the value we bring to our customers.”
Sullair, a Hitachi Group company, makes air compressors in Michigan City and Suzhou, China. Its parent company employs more than 300,000 people worldwide and brought in more than $80 billion in revenue last year.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: The Dock Restaurant, Pompeii Pizza, P7 Sports, McCoy Wildlife Control, Phenomenal Ribs and Hip Hop Chicken all open
The Dock Restaurant opened in Cedar Lake
The Dock Restaurant is serving up classics and modern fare in Cedar Lake, where the Redevelopment Commission just gave it an Explore Everyday award for making the town a better place.
The nautically themed restaurant at 111 Broadway St. in the Strack & Van Til Plaza offers seafood, southern deep-fried chicken, anyway-you-want pizzas, salads with proprietary house-made dressings, and half-pound Angus burgers with elegant plating in a contemporary environment.
"It's casual dining and a tribute to the community," co-founder Denise Slevnik said. "It's casual, a place where you can come with sand on you after you get done boating for the day."
Punny sandwiches include the Ship for Brains
Punny signature sandwiches include a Fear Knot Italian Beef, Ship for Brains Italian Beef topped with peppers and melted mozzarella cheese, Knot Too Bad chicken sandwich topped with marinara and mozzarella, a Buoyence chicken sandwich doused in garlic butter, and a Forever Young fried bologna.
"We had a lot of fun putting together the menu," Slevnik said.
The Dock makes all its soups in-house, including green pepper, California medley, orzo and chicken noodle.
"We have several different soups that depend on the weather," she said. "We have lighter soups when it's nicer out and heavier, heartier soups when it's cooler."
A breakfast menu includes omelets, skillets, pancakes, French toast and southern-style biscuits and gravy. It offers many breakfast and lunch specials for the budget-minded.
'A welcoming place to drop your anchor and relax'
The Dock Restaurant occasionally rolls out special menus, such as a seafood pasta with mussels, calamari and scallops for Valentine's Day. Slevnik plans to add several new entrees, starting as soon as next month.
The eatery has a full bar that serves wine and beer and a private party room that seats up to 20 people around a glass table built with a canoe underneath. It also has a boat-shaped booth by the door that will seat a party of four.
"People ask me why it's called The Dock when it's not a fish house," she said. "It's The Dock Restaurant because it's a welcoming place to drop your anchor and relax and have a great meal. It's all fresh food with fresh ingredients. You can have a great cup of coffee in a relaxing environment."
'A tribute to Cedar Lake'
The recently opened eatery has a pickup window and an outdoor patio adorned with flowers that will reopen as soon as the weather warms up. It also has its own parking lot that's large enough for vehicles towing boats to access, park and loop through, so as to draw in the boater business.
"This is a tribute to Cedar Lake with it being a lake town," she said. "I've spent many years with my family on Cedar Lake boating. It's a wonderful community. This is how we can give back. It's a casual family restaurant where you can come and relax right off the lake, and bring the sand with you."
The restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, call 219-374-6400 or find the business on Facebook.
Pompeii Pizza is serving up slices in Highland
Pompeii Pizza is serving up pizza in all the favorite Chicagoland styles at 3032 45th St. in Highland.
The to-go and delivery joint, in the same strip mall as Beer Geeks, offers thin-crust, thick-crust, hand-tossed, stuffed and deep dish pizzas, priding itself on its authentic Italian style. Specialty pizzas include Italian beef, Meat Lover's, smoked pulled pork, bacon chicken buffalo, bacon chicken BBQ, and the Pompeii Special with sausage, mushroom, onions and green pepper.
It's offering a $10 tavern-cut cheese pizza special on Fridays during Lent.
The hole-in-the-wall pizzeria also has the wide variety of deep-fried appetizers you'd expect, as well as pop, pasta and dinners like shrimp, perch and smoked rib tips. Sandwiches include strombolis, pulled pork and combo Italian beef and sausage.
Located near the Griffith border and not far from Schererville and Munster, it delivers anywhere within 10 miles.
Pompeii Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. Friday, and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday with the last order taken a half hour before closing.
For more information, call 219-513-6008 or find the business on Facebook.
McCoy Wildlife Control opened in LaPorte
The Hatfields and McCoys are feuding with pests, possums and other nuisances in LaPorte County.
Hatfield Pest Control in LaPorte opened a sister company McCoy Wildlife Control to remove wildlife from private property.
The animal control service employs a team of trained technicians that can remove bats, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks and possums, and take precautionary steps to prevent future wildlife issues.
“The opening of McCoy Wildlife Control has been a dream of ours for a long time," owner Carrie Campbell said. "There is a high demand for professional wildlife control services in this region. We knew that it would be a good fit with the services we already provide at Hatfield Pest Control and the timing felt right. We are looking forward to serving our current and future customers with the same honesty and integrity that we are known for.”
The business is located at 601 Washington St. in LaPorte.
For more information, visit mccoywildlife.com or call 219-362-7444.
New sports bar and hookah lounge coming to Miller
P7 Sports and Hookah is coming to Gary's lakefront Miller neighborhood.
The luxurious sports bar and hookah lounge is taking over the space previously occupied by the California Crab Shack and previously the Caribbean jerk chicken joint, 444 Grill. The restaurant building at 444 Lake St. has an extensive fenced-off patio.
It's now hiring bartenders and servers.
For more information, call 470-257-7180.
NorthShore Health Centers expanded in Merrillville
NorthShore Health Centers at 6091 Broadway in Merrillville recently expanded.
It added more capacity for family practice and pediatric services, as well as an in-hour pharmacy it says "offers greatly reduced out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs for NorthShore patients."
The medical office also offers dental services.
For more information or an appointment, call 219-763-8112.
Hip Hop Chicken just dropped in Miller
Hip Hop Chicken just dropped on U.S. 20 in Gary's Miller neighborhood.
The locally owned fast food joint took over a former KFC at 5729 Melton Road, where it has a drive-through, takeout, and dine-in. It serves fried chicken, chicken wings, Philly cheesesteaks, and fried fish like jumbo shrimp, catfish, jack salmon, and ocean perch. It offers sides like hush puppies and okra and desserts like cheesecake, peach cobbler and banana pudding.
Phenomenal Ribs reopening at new location in Gary
Phenomenal Ribs, a barbecue joint in Gary, is relocating after a fire.
The restaurant — whose slow-cooked meats have developed a loyal following in the Steel City — temporarily closed at 1101 Broadway downtown in December. It's relocating to 825 Lake St. in Miller.
Phenomenal Ribs specializes in pit-cooked pork ribs and tips. It also sells chicken wings, smoked turkey hot links, turkey tips, smoked chicken links, burgers, steak burgers, and turkey burgers, as well as combo plates.
It delivers through GrubHub.
For more information, call 219-702-4414 or find the business on Facebook.
If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com.
WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops — On the road with Portage's Brian Graves
Amazon plans delivery stations in Merrillville, Valpo
Two new Amazon delivery stations are coming to the Region, bringing hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in investments to Northwest Indiana.
Amazon on Wednesday announced the facilities will open at Georgia Street in the AmeriPlex at the Crossroads business park in Merrillville and at 2200 Memorial Parkway in the Lakes of Valparaiso Business Park in Valparaiso. Both facilities are scheduled to open this year.
One delivery station opened in February in South Bend, and Amazon plans to also open stations in Indianapolis and Greenfield this year.
“We’re excited to continue to invest in the state of Indiana with five new delivery stations that will provide efficient delivery for customers, and create hundreds of job opportunities for the state’s talented workforce,” Amazon Spokesperson Jessica Pawl said. “These new delivery stations represent Amazon’s unwavering commitment to safety, technological innovations and skilled teams who are obsessed with delivering for our customers.”
Merrillville Town Manager Patrick Reardon said Amazon will invest more than $30 million in land, building and equipment for the 141,000-square-foot delivery station that will be located on a 35-acre parcel in AmeriPlex. He said the project will create 300 permanent positions and 100 temporary construction jobs. According to Amazon, permanent jobs at its new delivery stations will start at $15 per hour and offer a variety of benefits.
More than 12,000 Hoosiers have died from COVID-19 since March 2020. There are real names, faces and human stories behind that staggering number. This Sunday, The Times partners with 11 Indiana news agencies to share the stories of dozens of “Hoosiers We’ve Lost” in a special print section and online presentation. Watch for it Sunday.
“The addition of the Amazon facility to the (AmeriPlex business park) is the crown jewel for the town of Merrillville from an economic development standpoint,” Town Councilman Shawn Pettit said. “To have a Fortune 100 company located in Merrillville will enhance the park and draw in other firms to the park, which will benefit the town for decades to come.”
The addition of the Amazon facility in Valparaiso is the result of collaboration between multiple city officials and organizations.
"We’re very pleased to welcome Amazon to Valparaiso. As a global leader, Amazon will be an excellent addition to our community," Mayor Matt Murphy said. "It’s very gratifying to have the facility, workforce and excellent quality of life to offer companies like Amazon."
The Valparaiso facility will be in an 80,000-square-foot building created from efforts by the Redevelopment Commission and Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation, said city attorney Patrick Lyp.
"From a city perspective, not only does this add value for the residents who order things from Amazon to have faster delivery, but also for residents who are looking for a job," Lyp said.
Lyp said the facility will add more than 100 jobs for Amazon and additional positions will be open for delivery drivers.
Merrillville Engineering Administrator Steve King said construction for the town's project started about two months ago.
Merrillville panels earlier this year approved the development, but town leaders were unable to disclose the company behind the initiative at that time because of confidentiality.
See a day in the life of Portage Patrolman Brian Graves in the latest installment of Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops.
Video filmed by Kale Wilk and produced by Scotia White. Interview by Anna Ortiz.
Merrillville Building and Planning Director Sheila Shine said Amazon and the town worked well together to advance the project.
“The collaboration and communication between the Amazon developmental team and the planning and building department allowed staff to provide information that streamlined the application process,” Shine said.
Reardon said there has been a surge in economic growth in the AmeriPlex business park and other areas of Merrillville, and the new Amazon facility will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in new tax revenue each year.
“We look forward to hosting this amazing company and embrace all of the potential that they will bring to Merrillville,” Town Council President Rick Bella said.
He said packages from Amazon fulfillment and sortation centers are sent to delivery stations for the last portion of the company’s order fulfillment process.
“Each of Amazon’s new delivery stations will be designed to meet the needs of our electric delivery vehicles,” Amazon said in a statement. “Ranging from the physical layout to the electrical design, we are optimizing these spaces to offer flexibility and scale as we move closer toward putting 10,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road in 2022.”
NWI Business Ins and Outs
NWI Business Ins and Outs: The Dock Restaurant, Pompeii Pizza, P7 Sports, McCoy Wildlife Control, Phenomenal Ribs and Hip Hop Chicken all open
The Dock Restaurant opened in Cedar Lake
The Dock Restaurant is serving up classics and modern fare in Cedar Lake, where the Redevelopment Commission just gave it an Explore Everyday award for making the town a better place.
The nautically themed restaurant at 111 Broadway St. in the Strack & Van Til Plaza offers seafood, southern deep-fried chicken, anyway-you-want pizzas, salads with proprietary house-made dressings, and half-pound Angus burgers with elegant plating in a contemporary environment.
"It's casual dining and a tribute to the community," co-founder Denise Slevnik said. "It's casual, a place where you can come with sand on you after you get done boating for the day."
Punny sandwiches include the Ship for Brains
Punny signature sandwiches include a Fear Knot Italian Beef, Ship for Brains Italian Beef topped with peppers and melted mozzarella cheese, Knot Too Bad chicken sandwich topped with marinara and mozzarella, a Buoyence chicken sandwich doused in garlic butter, and a Forever Young fried bologna.
"We had a lot of fun putting together the menu," Slevnik said.
The Dock makes all its soups in-house, including green pepper, California medley, orzo and chicken noodle.
"We have several different soups that depend on the weather," she said. "We have lighter soups when it's nicer out and heavier, heartier soups when it's cooler."
A breakfast menu includes omelets, skillets, pancakes, French toast and southern-style biscuits and gravy. It offers many breakfast and lunch specials for the budget-minded.
'A welcoming place to drop your anchor and relax'
The Dock Restaurant occasionally rolls out special menus, such as a seafood pasta with mussels, calamari and scallops for Valentine's Day. Slevnik plans to add several new entrees, starting as soon as next month.
The eatery has a full bar that serves wine and beer and a private party room that seats up to 20 people around a glass table built with a canoe underneath. It also has a boat-shaped booth by the door that will seat a party of four.
"People ask me why it's called The Dock when it's not a fish house," she said. "It's The Dock Restaurant because it's a welcoming place to drop your anchor and relax and have a great meal. It's all fresh food with fresh ingredients. You can have a great cup of coffee in a relaxing environment."
'A tribute to Cedar Lake'
The recently opened eatery has a pickup window and an outdoor patio adorned with flowers that will reopen as soon as the weather warms up. It also has its own parking lot that's large enough for vehicles towing boats to access, park and loop through, so as to draw in the boater business.
"This is a tribute to Cedar Lake with it being a lake town," she said. "I've spent many years with my family on Cedar Lake boating. It's a wonderful community. This is how we can give back. It's a casual family restaurant where you can come and relax right off the lake, and bring the sand with you."
The restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, call 219-374-6400 or find the business on Facebook.
Pompeii Pizza is serving up slices in Highland
Pompeii Pizza is serving up pizza in all the favorite Chicagoland styles at 3032 45th St. in Highland.
The to-go and delivery joint, in the same strip mall as Beer Geeks, offers thin-crust, thick-crust, hand-tossed, stuffed and deep dish pizzas, priding itself on its authentic Italian style. Specialty pizzas include Italian beef, Meat Lover's, smoked pulled pork, bacon chicken buffalo, bacon chicken BBQ, and the Pompeii Special with sausage, mushroom, onions and green pepper.
It's offering a $10 tavern-cut cheese pizza special on Fridays during Lent.
The hole-in-the-wall pizzeria also has the wide variety of deep-fried appetizers you'd expect, as well as pop, pasta and dinners like shrimp, perch and smoked rib tips. Sandwiches include strombolis, pulled pork and combo Italian beef and sausage.
Located near the Griffith border and not far from Schererville and Munster, it delivers anywhere within 10 miles.
Pompeii Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. Friday, and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday with the last order taken a half hour before closing.
For more information, call 219-513-6008 or find the business on Facebook.
McCoy Wildlife Control opened in LaPorte
The Hatfields and McCoys are feuding with pests, possums and other nuisances in LaPorte County.
Hatfield Pest Control in LaPorte opened a sister company McCoy Wildlife Control to remove wildlife from private property.
The animal control service employs a team of trained technicians that can remove bats, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks and possums, and take precautionary steps to prevent future wildlife issues.
“The opening of McCoy Wildlife Control has been a dream of ours for a long time," owner Carrie Campbell said. "There is a high demand for professional wildlife control services in this region. We knew that it would be a good fit with the services we already provide at Hatfield Pest Control and the timing felt right. We are looking forward to serving our current and future customers with the same honesty and integrity that we are known for.”
The business is located at 601 Washington St. in LaPorte.
For more information, visit mccoywildlife.com or call 219-362-7444.
New sports bar and hookah lounge coming to Miller
P7 Sports and Hookah is coming to Gary's lakefront Miller neighborhood.
The luxurious sports bar and hookah lounge is taking over the space previously occupied by the California Crab Shack and previously the Caribbean jerk chicken joint, 444 Grill. The restaurant building at 444 Lake St. has an extensive fenced-off patio.
It's now hiring bartenders and servers.
For more information, call 470-257-7180.
NorthShore Health Centers expanded in Merrillville
NorthShore Health Centers at 6091 Broadway in Merrillville recently expanded.
It added more capacity for family practice and pediatric services, as well as an in-hour pharmacy it says "offers greatly reduced out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs for NorthShore patients."
The medical office also offers dental services.
For more information or an appointment, call 219-763-8112.
Hip Hop Chicken just dropped in Miller
Hip Hop Chicken just dropped on U.S. 20 in Gary's Miller neighborhood.
The locally owned fast food joint took over a former KFC at 5729 Melton Road, where it has a drive-through, takeout, and dine-in. It serves fried chicken, chicken wings, Philly cheesesteaks, and fried fish like jumbo shrimp, catfish, jack salmon, and ocean perch. It offers sides like hush puppies and okra and desserts like cheesecake, peach cobbler and banana pudding.
Phenomenal Ribs reopening at new location in Gary
Phenomenal Ribs, a barbecue joint in Gary, is relocating after a fire.
The restaurant — whose slow-cooked meats have developed a loyal following in the Steel City — temporarily closed at 1101 Broadway downtown in December. It's relocating to 825 Lake St. in Miller.
Phenomenal Ribs specializes in pit-cooked pork ribs and tips. It also sells chicken wings, smoked turkey hot links, turkey tips, smoked chicken links, burgers, steak burgers, and turkey burgers, as well as combo plates.
It delivers through GrubHub.
For more information, call 219-702-4414 or find the business on Facebook.
If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com.
WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops — On the road with Portage's Brian Graves
Amazon plans delivery stations in Merrillville, Valpo
Two new Amazon delivery stations are coming to the Region, bringing hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in investments to Northwest Indiana.
Amazon on Wednesday announced the facilities will open at Georgia Street in the AmeriPlex at the Crossroads business park in Merrillville and at 2200 Memorial Parkway in the Lakes of Valparaiso Business Park in Valparaiso. Both facilities are scheduled to open this year.
One delivery station opened in February in South Bend, and Amazon plans to also open stations in Indianapolis and Greenfield this year.
“We’re excited to continue to invest in the state of Indiana with five new delivery stations that will provide efficient delivery for customers, and create hundreds of job opportunities for the state’s talented workforce,” Amazon Spokesperson Jessica Pawl said. “These new delivery stations represent Amazon’s unwavering commitment to safety, technological innovations and skilled teams who are obsessed with delivering for our customers.”
Merrillville Town Manager Patrick Reardon said Amazon will invest more than $30 million in land, building and equipment for the 141,000-square-foot delivery station that will be located on a 35-acre parcel in AmeriPlex. He said the project will create 300 permanent positions and 100 temporary construction jobs. According to Amazon, permanent jobs at its new delivery stations will start at $15 per hour and offer a variety of benefits.
More than 12,000 Hoosiers have died from COVID-19 since March 2020. There are real names, faces and human stories behind that staggering number. This Sunday, The Times partners with 11 Indiana news agencies to share the stories of dozens of “Hoosiers We’ve Lost” in a special print section and online presentation. Watch for it Sunday.
“The addition of the Amazon facility to the (AmeriPlex business park) is the crown jewel for the town of Merrillville from an economic development standpoint,” Town Councilman Shawn Pettit said. “To have a Fortune 100 company located in Merrillville will enhance the park and draw in other firms to the park, which will benefit the town for decades to come.”
The addition of the Amazon facility in Valparaiso is the result of collaboration between multiple city officials and organizations.
"We’re very pleased to welcome Amazon to Valparaiso. As a global leader, Amazon will be an excellent addition to our community," Mayor Matt Murphy said. "It’s very gratifying to have the facility, workforce and excellent quality of life to offer companies like Amazon."
The Valparaiso facility will be in an 80,000-square-foot building created from efforts by the Redevelopment Commission and Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation, said city attorney Patrick Lyp.
"From a city perspective, not only does this add value for the residents who order things from Amazon to have faster delivery, but also for residents who are looking for a job," Lyp said.
Lyp said the facility will add more than 100 jobs for Amazon and additional positions will be open for delivery drivers.
Merrillville Engineering Administrator Steve King said construction for the town's project started about two months ago.
Merrillville panels earlier this year approved the development, but town leaders were unable to disclose the company behind the initiative at that time because of confidentiality.
See a day in the life of Portage Patrolman Brian Graves in the latest installment of Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops.
Video filmed by Kale Wilk and produced by Scotia White. Interview by Anna Ortiz.
Merrillville Building and Planning Director Sheila Shine said Amazon and the town worked well together to advance the project.
“The collaboration and communication between the Amazon developmental team and the planning and building department allowed staff to provide information that streamlined the application process,” Shine said.
Reardon said there has been a surge in economic growth in the AmeriPlex business park and other areas of Merrillville, and the new Amazon facility will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in new tax revenue each year.
“We look forward to hosting this amazing company and embrace all of the potential that they will bring to Merrillville,” Town Council President Rick Bella said.
He said packages from Amazon fulfillment and sortation centers are sent to delivery stations for the last portion of the company’s order fulfillment process.
“Each of Amazon’s new delivery stations will be designed to meet the needs of our electric delivery vehicles,” Amazon said in a statement. “Ranging from the physical layout to the electrical design, we are optimizing these spaces to offer flexibility and scale as we move closer toward putting 10,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road in 2022.”
NWI Business Ins and Outs
NWI Business Ins and Outs: The Dock Restaurant, Pompeii Pizza, P7 Sports, McCoy Wildlife Control, Phenomenal Ribs and Hip Hop Chicken all open
The Dock Restaurant opened in Cedar Lake
The Dock Restaurant is serving up classics and modern fare in Cedar Lake, where the Redevelopment Commission just gave it an Explore Everyday award for making the town a better place.
The nautically themed restaurant at 111 Broadway St. in the Strack & Van Til Plaza offers seafood, southern deep-fried chicken, anyway-you-want pizzas, salads with proprietary house-made dressings, and half-pound Angus burgers with elegant plating in a contemporary environment.
"It's casual dining and a tribute to the community," co-founder Denise Slevnik said. "It's casual, a place where you can come with sand on you after you get done boating for the day."
Punny sandwiches include the Ship for Brains
Punny signature sandwiches include a Fear Knot Italian Beef, Ship for Brains Italian Beef topped with peppers and melted mozzarella cheese, Knot Too Bad chicken sandwich topped with marinara and mozzarella, a Buoyence chicken sandwich doused in garlic butter, and a Forever Young fried bologna.
"We had a lot of fun putting together the menu," Slevnik said.
The Dock makes all its soups in-house, including green pepper, California medley, orzo and chicken noodle.
"We have several different soups that depend on the weather," she said. "We have lighter soups when it's nicer out and heavier, heartier soups when it's cooler."
A breakfast menu includes omelets, skillets, pancakes, French toast and southern-style biscuits and gravy. It offers many breakfast and lunch specials for the budget-minded.
'A welcoming place to drop your anchor and relax'
The Dock Restaurant occasionally rolls out special menus, such as a seafood pasta with mussels, calamari and scallops for Valentine's Day. Slevnik plans to add several new entrees, starting as soon as next month.
The eatery has a full bar that serves wine and beer and a private party room that seats up to 20 people around a glass table built with a canoe underneath. It also has a boat-shaped booth by the door that will seat a party of four.
"People ask me why it's called The Dock when it's not a fish house," she said. "It's The Dock Restaurant because it's a welcoming place to drop your anchor and relax and have a great meal. It's all fresh food with fresh ingredients. You can have a great cup of coffee in a relaxing environment."
'A tribute to Cedar Lake'
The recently opened eatery has a pickup window and an outdoor patio adorned with flowers that will reopen as soon as the weather warms up. It also has its own parking lot that's large enough for vehicles towing boats to access, park and loop through, so as to draw in the boater business.
"This is a tribute to Cedar Lake with it being a lake town," she said. "I've spent many years with my family on Cedar Lake boating. It's a wonderful community. This is how we can give back. It's a casual family restaurant where you can come and relax right off the lake, and bring the sand with you."
The restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, call 219-374-6400 or find the business on Facebook.
Pompeii Pizza is serving up slices in Highland
Pompeii Pizza is serving up pizza in all the favorite Chicagoland styles at 3032 45th St. in Highland.
The to-go and delivery joint, in the same strip mall as Beer Geeks, offers thin-crust, thick-crust, hand-tossed, stuffed and deep dish pizzas, priding itself on its authentic Italian style. Specialty pizzas include Italian beef, Meat Lover's, smoked pulled pork, bacon chicken buffalo, bacon chicken BBQ, and the Pompeii Special with sausage, mushroom, onions and green pepper.
It's offering a $10 tavern-cut cheese pizza special on Fridays during Lent.
The hole-in-the-wall pizzeria also has the wide variety of deep-fried appetizers you'd expect, as well as pop, pasta and dinners like shrimp, perch and smoked rib tips. Sandwiches include strombolis, pulled pork and combo Italian beef and sausage.
Located near the Griffith border and not far from Schererville and Munster, it delivers anywhere within 10 miles.
Pompeii Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. Friday, and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday with the last order taken a half hour before closing.
For more information, call 219-513-6008 or find the business on Facebook.
McCoy Wildlife Control opened in LaPorte
The Hatfields and McCoys are feuding with pests, possums and other nuisances in LaPorte County.
Hatfield Pest Control in LaPorte opened a sister company McCoy Wildlife Control to remove wildlife from private property.
The animal control service employs a team of trained technicians that can remove bats, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks and possums, and take precautionary steps to prevent future wildlife issues.
“The opening of McCoy Wildlife Control has been a dream of ours for a long time," owner Carrie Campbell said. "There is a high demand for professional wildlife control services in this region. We knew that it would be a good fit with the services we already provide at Hatfield Pest Control and the timing felt right. We are looking forward to serving our current and future customers with the same honesty and integrity that we are known for.”
The business is located at 601 Washington St. in LaPorte.
For more information, visit mccoywildlife.com or call 219-362-7444.
New sports bar and hookah lounge coming to Miller
P7 Sports and Hookah is coming to Gary's lakefront Miller neighborhood.
The luxurious sports bar and hookah lounge is taking over the space previously occupied by the California Crab Shack and previously the Caribbean jerk chicken joint, 444 Grill. The restaurant building at 444 Lake St. has an extensive fenced-off patio.
It's now hiring bartenders and servers.
For more information, call 470-257-7180.
NorthShore Health Centers expanded in Merrillville
NorthShore Health Centers at 6091 Broadway in Merrillville recently expanded.
It added more capacity for family practice and pediatric services, as well as an in-hour pharmacy it says "offers greatly reduced out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs for NorthShore patients."
The medical office also offers dental services.
For more information or an appointment, call 219-763-8112.
Hip Hop Chicken just dropped in Miller
Hip Hop Chicken just dropped on U.S. 20 in Gary's Miller neighborhood.
The locally owned fast food joint took over a former KFC at 5729 Melton Road, where it has a drive-through, takeout, and dine-in. It serves fried chicken, chicken wings, Philly cheesesteaks, and fried fish like jumbo shrimp, catfish, jack salmon, and ocean perch. It offers sides like hush puppies and okra and desserts like cheesecake, peach cobbler and banana pudding.
Phenomenal Ribs reopening at new location in Gary
Phenomenal Ribs, a barbecue joint in Gary, is relocating after a fire.
The restaurant — whose slow-cooked meats have developed a loyal following in the Steel City — temporarily closed at 1101 Broadway downtown in December. It's relocating to 825 Lake St. in Miller.
Phenomenal Ribs specializes in pit-cooked pork ribs and tips. It also sells chicken wings, smoked turkey hot links, turkey tips, smoked chicken links, burgers, steak burgers, and turkey burgers, as well as combo plates.
It delivers through GrubHub.
For more information, call 219-702-4414 or find the business on Facebook.
If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com.
WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops — On the road with Portage's Brian Graves
Amazon plans delivery stations in Merrillville, Valpo
Two new Amazon delivery stations are coming to the Region, bringing hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in investments to Northwest Indiana.
Amazon on Wednesday announced the facilities will open at Georgia Street in the AmeriPlex at the Crossroads business park in Merrillville and at 2200 Memorial Parkway in the Lakes of Valparaiso Business Park in Valparaiso. Both facilities are scheduled to open this year.
One delivery station opened in February in South Bend, and Amazon plans to also open stations in Indianapolis and Greenfield this year.
“We’re excited to continue to invest in the state of Indiana with five new delivery stations that will provide efficient delivery for customers, and create hundreds of job opportunities for the state’s talented workforce,” Amazon Spokesperson Jessica Pawl said. “These new delivery stations represent Amazon’s unwavering commitment to safety, technological innovations and skilled teams who are obsessed with delivering for our customers.”
Merrillville Town Manager Patrick Reardon said Amazon will invest more than $30 million in land, building and equipment for the 141,000-square-foot delivery station that will be located on a 35-acre parcel in AmeriPlex. He said the project will create 300 permanent positions and 100 temporary construction jobs. According to Amazon, permanent jobs at its new delivery stations will start at $15 per hour and offer a variety of benefits.
More than 12,000 Hoosiers have died from COVID-19 since March 2020. There are real names, faces and human stories behind that staggering number. This Sunday, The Times partners with 11 Indiana news agencies to share the stories of dozens of “Hoosiers We’ve Lost” in a special print section and online presentation. Watch for it Sunday.
“The addition of the Amazon facility to the (AmeriPlex business park) is the crown jewel for the town of Merrillville from an economic development standpoint,” Town Councilman Shawn Pettit said. “To have a Fortune 100 company located in Merrillville will enhance the park and draw in other firms to the park, which will benefit the town for decades to come.”
The addition of the Amazon facility in Valparaiso is the result of collaboration between multiple city officials and organizations.
"We’re very pleased to welcome Amazon to Valparaiso. As a global leader, Amazon will be an excellent addition to our community," Mayor Matt Murphy said. "It’s very gratifying to have the facility, workforce and excellent quality of life to offer companies like Amazon."
The Valparaiso facility will be in an 80,000-square-foot building created from efforts by the Redevelopment Commission and Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation, said city attorney Patrick Lyp.
"From a city perspective, not only does this add value for the residents who order things from Amazon to have faster delivery, but also for residents who are looking for a job," Lyp said.
Lyp said the facility will add more than 100 jobs for Amazon and additional positions will be open for delivery drivers.
Merrillville Engineering Administrator Steve King said construction for the town's project started about two months ago.
Merrillville panels earlier this year approved the development, but town leaders were unable to disclose the company behind the initiative at that time because of confidentiality.
See a day in the life of Portage Patrolman Brian Graves in the latest installment of Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops.
Video filmed by Kale Wilk and produced by Scotia White. Interview by Anna Ortiz.
Merrillville Building and Planning Director Sheila Shine said Amazon and the town worked well together to advance the project.
“The collaboration and communication between the Amazon developmental team and the planning and building department allowed staff to provide information that streamlined the application process,” Shine said.
Reardon said there has been a surge in economic growth in the AmeriPlex business park and other areas of Merrillville, and the new Amazon facility will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in new tax revenue each year.
“We look forward to hosting this amazing company and embrace all of the potential that they will bring to Merrillville,” Town Council President Rick Bella said.
He said packages from Amazon fulfillment and sortation centers are sent to delivery stations for the last portion of the company’s order fulfillment process.
“Each of Amazon’s new delivery stations will be designed to meet the needs of our electric delivery vehicles,” Amazon said in a statement. “Ranging from the physical layout to the electrical design, we are optimizing these spaces to offer flexibility and scale as we move closer toward putting 10,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road in 2022.”
NWI Business Ins and Outs
NWI Business Ins and Outs: The Dock Restaurant, Pompeii Pizza, P7 Sports, McCoy Wildlife Control, Phenomenal Ribs and Hip Hop Chicken all open
The Dock Restaurant opened in Cedar Lake
The Dock Restaurant is serving up classics and modern fare in Cedar Lake, where the Redevelopment Commission just gave it an Explore Everyday award for making the town a better place.
The nautically themed restaurant at 111 Broadway St. in the Strack & Van Til Plaza offers seafood, southern deep-fried chicken, anyway-you-want pizzas, salads with proprietary house-made dressings, and half-pound Angus burgers with elegant plating in a contemporary environment.
"It's casual dining and a tribute to the community," co-founder Denise Slevnik said. "It's casual, a place where you can come with sand on you after you get done boating for the day."
Punny sandwiches include the Ship for Brains
Punny signature sandwiches include a Fear Knot Italian Beef, Ship for Brains Italian Beef topped with peppers and melted mozzarella cheese, Knot Too Bad chicken sandwich topped with marinara and mozzarella, a Buoyence chicken sandwich doused in garlic butter, and a Forever Young fried bologna.
"We had a lot of fun putting together the menu," Slevnik said.
The Dock makes all its soups in-house, including green pepper, California medley, orzo and chicken noodle.
"We have several different soups that depend on the weather," she said. "We have lighter soups when it's nicer out and heavier, heartier soups when it's cooler."
A breakfast menu includes omelets, skillets, pancakes, French toast and southern-style biscuits and gravy. It offers many breakfast and lunch specials for the budget-minded.
'A welcoming place to drop your anchor and relax'
The Dock Restaurant occasionally rolls out special menus, such as a seafood pasta with mussels, calamari and scallops for Valentine's Day. Slevnik plans to add several new entrees, starting as soon as next month.
The eatery has a full bar that serves wine and beer and a private party room that seats up to 20 people around a glass table built with a canoe underneath. It also has a boat-shaped booth by the door that will seat a party of four.
"People ask me why it's called The Dock when it's not a fish house," she said. "It's The Dock Restaurant because it's a welcoming place to drop your anchor and relax and have a great meal. It's all fresh food with fresh ingredients. You can have a great cup of coffee in a relaxing environment."
'A tribute to Cedar Lake'
The recently opened eatery has a pickup window and an outdoor patio adorned with flowers that will reopen as soon as the weather warms up. It also has its own parking lot that's large enough for vehicles towing boats to access, park and loop through, so as to draw in the boater business.
"This is a tribute to Cedar Lake with it being a lake town," she said. "I've spent many years with my family on Cedar Lake boating. It's a wonderful community. This is how we can give back. It's a casual family restaurant where you can come and relax right off the lake, and bring the sand with you."
The restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, call 219-374-6400 or find the business on Facebook.
Pompeii Pizza is serving up slices in Highland
Pompeii Pizza is serving up pizza in all the favorite Chicagoland styles at 3032 45th St. in Highland.
The to-go and delivery joint, in the same strip mall as Beer Geeks, offers thin-crust, thick-crust, hand-tossed, stuffed and deep dish pizzas, priding itself on its authentic Italian style. Specialty pizzas include Italian beef, Meat Lover's, smoked pulled pork, bacon chicken buffalo, bacon chicken BBQ, and the Pompeii Special with sausage, mushroom, onions and green pepper.
It's offering a $10 tavern-cut cheese pizza special on Fridays during Lent.
The hole-in-the-wall pizzeria also has the wide variety of deep-fried appetizers you'd expect, as well as pop, pasta and dinners like shrimp, perch and smoked rib tips. Sandwiches include strombolis, pulled pork and combo Italian beef and sausage.
Located near the Griffith border and not far from Schererville and Munster, it delivers anywhere within 10 miles.
Pompeii Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. Friday, and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday with the last order taken a half hour before closing.
For more information, call 219-513-6008 or find the business on Facebook.
McCoy Wildlife Control opened in LaPorte
The Hatfields and McCoys are feuding with pests, possums and other nuisances in LaPorte County.
Hatfield Pest Control in LaPorte opened a sister company McCoy Wildlife Control to remove wildlife from private property.
The animal control service employs a team of trained technicians that can remove bats, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks and possums, and take precautionary steps to prevent future wildlife issues.
“The opening of McCoy Wildlife Control has been a dream of ours for a long time," owner Carrie Campbell said. "There is a high demand for professional wildlife control services in this region. We knew that it would be a good fit with the services we already provide at Hatfield Pest Control and the timing felt right. We are looking forward to serving our current and future customers with the same honesty and integrity that we are known for.”
The business is located at 601 Washington St. in LaPorte.
For more information, visit mccoywildlife.com or call 219-362-7444.
New sports bar and hookah lounge coming to Miller
P7 Sports and Hookah is coming to Gary's lakefront Miller neighborhood.
The luxurious sports bar and hookah lounge is taking over the space previously occupied by the California Crab Shack and previously the Caribbean jerk chicken joint, 444 Grill. The restaurant building at 444 Lake St. has an extensive fenced-off patio.
It's now hiring bartenders and servers.
For more information, call 470-257-7180.
NorthShore Health Centers expanded in Merrillville
NorthShore Health Centers at 6091 Broadway in Merrillville recently expanded.
It added more capacity for family practice and pediatric services, as well as an in-hour pharmacy it says "offers greatly reduced out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs for NorthShore patients."
The medical office also offers dental services.
For more information or an appointment, call 219-763-8112.
Hip Hop Chicken just dropped in Miller
Hip Hop Chicken just dropped on U.S. 20 in Gary's Miller neighborhood.
The locally owned fast food joint took over a former KFC at 5729 Melton Road, where it has a drive-through, takeout, and dine-in. It serves fried chicken, chicken wings, Philly cheesesteaks, and fried fish like jumbo shrimp, catfish, jack salmon, and ocean perch. It offers sides like hush puppies and okra and desserts like cheesecake, peach cobbler and banana pudding.
Phenomenal Ribs reopening at new location in Gary
Phenomenal Ribs, a barbecue joint in Gary, is relocating after a fire.
The restaurant — whose slow-cooked meats have developed a loyal following in the Steel City — temporarily closed at 1101 Broadway downtown in December. It's relocating to 825 Lake St. in Miller.
Phenomenal Ribs specializes in pit-cooked pork ribs and tips. It also sells chicken wings, smoked turkey hot links, turkey tips, smoked chicken links, burgers, steak burgers, and turkey burgers, as well as combo plates.
It delivers through GrubHub.
For more information, call 219-702-4414 or find the business on Facebook.
If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com.
WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops — On the road with Portage's Brian Graves
Amazon plans delivery stations in Merrillville, Valpo
Two new Amazon delivery stations are coming to the Region, bringing hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in investments to Northwest Indiana.
Amazon on Wednesday announced the facilities will open at Georgia Street in the AmeriPlex at the Crossroads business park in Merrillville and at 2200 Memorial Parkway in the Lakes of Valparaiso Business Park in Valparaiso. Both facilities are scheduled to open this year.
One delivery station opened in February in South Bend, and Amazon plans to also open stations in Indianapolis and Greenfield this year.
“We’re excited to continue to invest in the state of Indiana with five new delivery stations that will provide efficient delivery for customers, and create hundreds of job opportunities for the state’s talented workforce,” Amazon Spokesperson Jessica Pawl said. “These new delivery stations represent Amazon’s unwavering commitment to safety, technological innovations and skilled teams who are obsessed with delivering for our customers.”
Merrillville Town Manager Patrick Reardon said Amazon will invest more than $30 million in land, building and equipment for the 141,000-square-foot delivery station that will be located on a 35-acre parcel in AmeriPlex. He said the project will create 300 permanent positions and 100 temporary construction jobs. According to Amazon, permanent jobs at its new delivery stations will start at $15 per hour and offer a variety of benefits.
More than 12,000 Hoosiers have died from COVID-19 since March 2020. There are real names, faces and human stories behind that staggering number. This Sunday, The Times partners with 11 Indiana news agencies to share the stories of dozens of “Hoosiers We’ve Lost” in a special print section and online presentation. Watch for it Sunday.
“The addition of the Amazon facility to the (AmeriPlex business park) is the crown jewel for the town of Merrillville from an economic development standpoint,” Town Councilman Shawn Pettit said. “To have a Fortune 100 company located in Merrillville will enhance the park and draw in other firms to the park, which will benefit the town for decades to come.”
The addition of the Amazon facility in Valparaiso is the result of collaboration between multiple city officials and organizations.
"We’re very pleased to welcome Amazon to Valparaiso. As a global leader, Amazon will be an excellent addition to our community," Mayor Matt Murphy said. "It’s very gratifying to have the facility, workforce and excellent quality of life to offer companies like Amazon."
The Valparaiso facility will be in an 80,000-square-foot building created from efforts by the Redevelopment Commission and Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation, said city attorney Patrick Lyp.
"From a city perspective, not only does this add value for the residents who order things from Amazon to have faster delivery, but also for residents who are looking for a job," Lyp said.
Lyp said the facility will add more than 100 jobs for Amazon and additional positions will be open for delivery drivers.
Merrillville Engineering Administrator Steve King said construction for the town's project started about two months ago.
Merrillville panels earlier this year approved the development, but town leaders were unable to disclose the company behind the initiative at that time because of confidentiality.
See a day in the life of Portage Patrolman Brian Graves in the latest installment of Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops.
Video filmed by Kale Wilk and produced by Scotia White. Interview by Anna Ortiz.
Merrillville Building and Planning Director Sheila Shine said Amazon and the town worked well together to advance the project.
“The collaboration and communication between the Amazon developmental team and the planning and building department allowed staff to provide information that streamlined the application process,” Shine said.
Reardon said there has been a surge in economic growth in the AmeriPlex business park and other areas of Merrillville, and the new Amazon facility will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in new tax revenue each year.
“We look forward to hosting this amazing company and embrace all of the potential that they will bring to Merrillville,” Town Council President Rick Bella said.
He said packages from Amazon fulfillment and sortation centers are sent to delivery stations for the last portion of the company’s order fulfillment process.
“Each of Amazon’s new delivery stations will be designed to meet the needs of our electric delivery vehicles,” Amazon said in a statement. “Ranging from the physical layout to the electrical design, we are optimizing these spaces to offer flexibility and scale as we move closer toward putting 10,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road in 2022.”
NWI Business Ins and Outs
NWI Business Ins and Outs: The Dock Restaurant, Pompeii Pizza, P7 Sports, McCoy Wildlife Control, Phenomenal Ribs and Hip Hop Chicken all open
The Dock Restaurant opened in Cedar Lake
The Dock Restaurant is serving up classics and modern fare in Cedar Lake, where the Redevelopment Commission just gave it an Explore Everyday award for making the town a better place.
The nautically themed restaurant at 111 Broadway St. in the Strack & Van Til Plaza offers seafood, southern deep-fried chicken, anyway-you-want pizzas, salads with proprietary house-made dressings, and half-pound Angus burgers with elegant plating in a contemporary environment.
"It's casual dining and a tribute to the community," co-founder Denise Slevnik said. "It's casual, a place where you can come with sand on you after you get done boating for the day."
Punny sandwiches include the Ship for Brains
Punny signature sandwiches include a Fear Knot Italian Beef, Ship for Brains Italian Beef topped with peppers and melted mozzarella cheese, Knot Too Bad chicken sandwich topped with marinara and mozzarella, a Buoyence chicken sandwich doused in garlic butter, and a Forever Young fried bologna.
"We had a lot of fun putting together the menu," Slevnik said.
The Dock makes all its soups in-house, including green pepper, California medley, orzo and chicken noodle.
"We have several different soups that depend on the weather," she said. "We have lighter soups when it's nicer out and heavier, heartier soups when it's cooler."
A breakfast menu includes omelets, skillets, pancakes, French toast and southern-style biscuits and gravy. It offers many breakfast and lunch specials for the budget-minded.
'A welcoming place to drop your anchor and relax'
The Dock Restaurant occasionally rolls out special menus, such as a seafood pasta with mussels, calamari and scallops for Valentine's Day. Slevnik plans to add several new entrees, starting as soon as next month.
The eatery has a full bar that serves wine and beer and a private party room that seats up to 20 people around a glass table built with a canoe underneath. It also has a boat-shaped booth by the door that will seat a party of four.
"People ask me why it's called The Dock when it's not a fish house," she said. "It's The Dock Restaurant because it's a welcoming place to drop your anchor and relax and have a great meal. It's all fresh food with fresh ingredients. You can have a great cup of coffee in a relaxing environment."
'A tribute to Cedar Lake'
The recently opened eatery has a pickup window and an outdoor patio adorned with flowers that will reopen as soon as the weather warms up. It also has its own parking lot that's large enough for vehicles towing boats to access, park and loop through, so as to draw in the boater business.
"This is a tribute to Cedar Lake with it being a lake town," she said. "I've spent many years with my family on Cedar Lake boating. It's a wonderful community. This is how we can give back. It's a casual family restaurant where you can come and relax right off the lake, and bring the sand with you."
The restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, call 219-374-6400 or find the business on Facebook.
Pompeii Pizza is serving up slices in Highland
Pompeii Pizza is serving up pizza in all the favorite Chicagoland styles at 3032 45th St. in Highland.
The to-go and delivery joint, in the same strip mall as Beer Geeks, offers thin-crust, thick-crust, hand-tossed, stuffed and deep dish pizzas, priding itself on its authentic Italian style. Specialty pizzas include Italian beef, Meat Lover's, smoked pulled pork, bacon chicken buffalo, bacon chicken BBQ, and the Pompeii Special with sausage, mushroom, onions and green pepper.
It's offering a $10 tavern-cut cheese pizza special on Fridays during Lent.
The hole-in-the-wall pizzeria also has the wide variety of deep-fried appetizers you'd expect, as well as pop, pasta and dinners like shrimp, perch and smoked rib tips. Sandwiches include strombolis, pulled pork and combo Italian beef and sausage.
Located near the Griffith border and not far from Schererville and Munster, it delivers anywhere within 10 miles.
Pompeii Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. Friday, and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday with the last order taken a half hour before closing.
For more information, call 219-513-6008 or find the business on Facebook.
McCoy Wildlife Control opened in LaPorte
The Hatfields and McCoys are feuding with pests, possums and other nuisances in LaPorte County.
Hatfield Pest Control in LaPorte opened a sister company McCoy Wildlife Control to remove wildlife from private property.
The animal control service employs a team of trained technicians that can remove bats, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks and possums, and take precautionary steps to prevent future wildlife issues.
“The opening of McCoy Wildlife Control has been a dream of ours for a long time," owner Carrie Campbell said. "There is a high demand for professional wildlife control services in this region. We knew that it would be a good fit with the services we already provide at Hatfield Pest Control and the timing felt right. We are looking forward to serving our current and future customers with the same honesty and integrity that we are known for.”
The business is located at 601 Washington St. in LaPorte.
For more information, visit mccoywildlife.com or call 219-362-7444.
New sports bar and hookah lounge coming to Miller
P7 Sports and Hookah is coming to Gary's lakefront Miller neighborhood.
The luxurious sports bar and hookah lounge is taking over the space previously occupied by the California Crab Shack and previously the Caribbean jerk chicken joint, 444 Grill. The restaurant building at 444 Lake St. has an extensive fenced-off patio.
It's now hiring bartenders and servers.
For more information, call 470-257-7180.
NorthShore Health Centers expanded in Merrillville
NorthShore Health Centers at 6091 Broadway in Merrillville recently expanded.
It added more capacity for family practice and pediatric services, as well as an in-hour pharmacy it says "offers greatly reduced out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs for NorthShore patients."
The medical office also offers dental services.
For more information or an appointment, call 219-763-8112.
Hip Hop Chicken just dropped in Miller
Hip Hop Chicken just dropped on U.S. 20 in Gary's Miller neighborhood.
The locally owned fast food joint took over a former KFC at 5729 Melton Road, where it has a drive-through, takeout, and dine-in. It serves fried chicken, chicken wings, Philly cheesesteaks, and fried fish like jumbo shrimp, catfish, jack salmon, and ocean perch. It offers sides like hush puppies and okra and desserts like cheesecake, peach cobbler and banana pudding.
Phenomenal Ribs reopening at new location in Gary
Phenomenal Ribs, a barbecue joint in Gary, is relocating after a fire.
The restaurant — whose slow-cooked meats have developed a loyal following in the Steel City — temporarily closed at 1101 Broadway downtown in December. It's relocating to 825 Lake St. in Miller.
Phenomenal Ribs specializes in pit-cooked pork ribs and tips. It also sells chicken wings, smoked turkey hot links, turkey tips, smoked chicken links, burgers, steak burgers, and turkey burgers, as well as combo plates.
It delivers through GrubHub.
For more information, call 219-702-4414 or find the business on Facebook.
If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com.
WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops — On the road with Portage's Brian Graves
Amazon plans delivery stations in Merrillville, Valpo
Two new Amazon delivery stations are coming to the Region, bringing hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in investments to Northwest Indiana.
Amazon on Wednesday announced the facilities will open at Georgia Street in the AmeriPlex at the Crossroads business park in Merrillville and at 2200 Memorial Parkway in the Lakes of Valparaiso Business Park in Valparaiso. Both facilities are scheduled to open this year.
One delivery station opened in February in South Bend, and Amazon plans to also open stations in Indianapolis and Greenfield this year.
“We’re excited to continue to invest in the state of Indiana with five new delivery stations that will provide efficient delivery for customers, and create hundreds of job opportunities for the state’s talented workforce,” Amazon Spokesperson Jessica Pawl said. “These new delivery stations represent Amazon’s unwavering commitment to safety, technological innovations and skilled teams who are obsessed with delivering for our customers.”
Merrillville Town Manager Patrick Reardon said Amazon will invest more than $30 million in land, building and equipment for the 141,000-square-foot delivery station that will be located on a 35-acre parcel in AmeriPlex. He said the project will create 300 permanent positions and 100 temporary construction jobs. According to Amazon, permanent jobs at its new delivery stations will start at $15 per hour and offer a variety of benefits.
“The addition of the Amazon facility to the (AmeriPlex business park) is the crown jewel for the town of Merrillville from an economic development standpoint,” Town Councilman Shawn Pettit said. “To have a Fortune 100 company located in Merrillville will enhance the park and draw in other firms to the park, which will benefit the town for decades to come.”
The addition of the Amazon facility in Valparaiso is the result of collaboration between multiple city officials and organizations.
"We’re very pleased to welcome Amazon to Valparaiso. As a global leader, Amazon will be an excellent addition to our community," Mayor Matt Murphy said. "It’s very gratifying to have the facility, workforce and excellent quality of life to offer companies like Amazon."
The Valparaiso facility will be in an 80,000-square-foot building created from efforts by the Redevelopment Commission and Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation, said city attorney Patrick Lyp.
"From a city perspective, not only does this add value for the residents who order things from Amazon to have faster delivery, but also for residents who are looking for a job," Lyp said.
Lyp said the facility will add more than 100 jobs for Amazon and additional positions will be open for delivery drivers.
Merrillville Engineering Administrator Steve King said construction for the town's project started about two months ago.
Merrillville panels earlier this year approved the development, but town leaders were unable to disclose the company behind the initiative at that time because of confidentiality.
Merrillville Building and Planning Director Sheila Shine said Amazon and the town worked well together to advance the project.
“The collaboration and communication between the Amazon developmental team and the planning and building department allowed staff to provide information that streamlined the application process,” Shine said.
Reardon said there has been a surge in economic growth in the AmeriPlex business park and other areas of Merrillville, and the new Amazon facility will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in new tax revenue each year.
“We look forward to hosting this amazing company and embrace all of the potential that they will bring to Merrillville,” Town Council President Rick Bella said.
He said packages from Amazon fulfillment and sortation centers are sent to delivery stations for the last portion of the company’s order fulfillment process.
“Each of Amazon’s new delivery stations will be designed to meet the needs of our electric delivery vehicles,” Amazon said in a statement. “Ranging from the physical layout to the electrical design, we are optimizing these spaces to offer flexibility and scale as we move closer toward putting 10,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road in 2022.”
NWI Business Ins and Outs
Joseph S. Pete
Business Reporter
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 since 2013 and blogs about craft beer, culture and the military.
