A boutique owner won the Starke Tank Countywide Business Pitch Competition.
The Starke County Economic Development Foundation and Starke County government staged the annual contest, which is meant to spur entrepreneurship in the community.
Irelynd Fornelli, the owner of Irelynd Alexis Boutique in downtown Knox, won Starke Tank’s $12,000 grand prize.
She is a Knox High School graduate who launched her retail shop at 7 N. Main St. last August. She sells women’s, men’s and children’s clothes.
Fornelli aspired to open the store since her freshman year of high school. She worked multiple part-time jobs, including as a paraprofessional in the Knox Community School Corp., to raise the funds. She acquired inventory over time, building up a loyal base of customers.
Irelynd Alexis Boutique has developed a robust online business, including a customer from Tennessee who came to shop there in person while visiting Peru, Indiana.
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“I love meeting my customers, and I encourage them to stop into other downtown businesses like Rabbit Coffee Roasting Co. and Papa Farm Pizza,” Fornelli said. “We have a great, supportive community, and I want to give people a place to shop locally for clothes and gifts.”
Local outdoorsman Dalton Tunis, who founded Bone Boss Game Calls, was the first runner-up, taking home the $6,000 prize.
Tunis long wanted to turn a lifelong love of hunting into a business. After some experimentation and tinkering, he started selling handcrafted and personalized hunting calls fashioned from Indiana walnut wood. Among is products are a deer grunt call and a glass turkey pot call that’s used to mimic the sound of a hen to lure a turkey into range.
He plans to use the grant to buy a CNC machine to increase production and to establish a website for online orders.
Other contestants included the wellness studio Renew U, Quicks Car Service, Grand Central Grocery and Grand Central Perk Express, County Line Hobbies, Maggie Lu’s Market, Papa Farm Pizza, Indiana Feeder Factory and Hard Knox Gym.
“We had a fantastic group of contestants this year,” SCEDF Executive Director Lisa Dan said. “Our judges had their work cut out for them.”
Winners were selected by a panel comprised of Lorri Feldt from the Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center, Chelsea Smith from 1st Source Bank and Jason Allen Williams from the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest.
Businesses, utilities and local governments contributed the prize money.
“Starke County is a wonderful, supportive community,” Dan said. “Our existing businesses understand that by helping other entrepreneurs to succeed it benefits them as well.”
Attendees to the awards ceremony brought donations of food and toiletries that the Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry uses to help neighbors in need.
“The community responded in a big way to that request as well,” Dan said. “We appreciate everyone’s generosity and are looking forward an even bigger Starke Tank next year.”
NWI Business Ins and Outs: IV vitamin therapy bar, El Salto, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-fil-A and Basecamp Fitness opening
Coming
Soon you’ll have the chance to mainline nutrients at a new business in Crown Point.
Anyone who wishes to get nutrients straight-up, sans food, Jetsons-style will be able to stop by the new IV vitamin therapy bar DRIPBaR at 10480 Broadway in Crown Point in January.
Owners Bryan and Hannah Cliver are opening the business, which aims to bring holistic wellness to the community.
“The DRIPBaR is dedicated to supporting the health of our clients. IV vitamin therapy is the quickest way to deliver nutrients throughout the body, and we cater to all individuals wanting to make this part of their regimen,” Bryan Cliver said. “Whether you are healthy and want to stay that way, or battling an illness or chronic disease, we have something to support your unique personal health.”
It will be located at the busy corner of Summit and Broadway.
“We will have a full menu of IV Lifestyle Drips. IV nutrients are absorbed at a much higher percentage, feeding your cells to fuel a more balanced life,” he said. “We will have a menu of IV Health support drips to aid your body in recovery and to help fight illness or chronic diseases. We will offer a full menu of quick shots for those looking to supplement their IV or for those in a rush looking for a quick boost in five minutes or less. We will have additional services like infrared sauna to promote health, healing and recovery.”
The service can be paid for with a health savings account or flexible savings account as part of one’s health insurance plan.
“We will offer mobile IV services for concerts, races and an array of other events as well as to your home for those that prefer to receive their IV in the comfort of their residence,” Cliver said.
Open
El Salto celebrated a grand opening at its new restaurant in Cedar Lake, where it took over the former 41 Pizzeria & Pub space.
Robert Mendoza opened the traditional Mexican eatery at 13019 Wicker Ave., a building it shares with Banter Floors. It’s part of a local chain with locations in Schererville, Merrillville, Munster, Portage, Valparaiso and Chesterton that’s often been voted Best of the Region by Times readers.
El Salto had a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Cedar Lake Chamber of Commerce Thursday.
The sit-down family-dining eatery serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, burritos and other Mexican cuisine. It offers authentic fare like Bistek El Salto, Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo, Pollo Ixtapa and Tortas Ahogadas, as well as free-flowing margaritas.
The new location will feature an outdoor patio, a festive ambiance and weekly margarita specials.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 .m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call 219-390-7731 or visit elsaltorestaurant.com.
Joseph S. Pete
Returning soon
Buffalo Wild Wings will return to Michigan soon, likely next year.
The chicken wing chain recently closed its longtime location on Franklin Street but is building a new restaurant at the Marquette Mall on the corner of Franklin Street and U.S. 20, Michigan City Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Clarence Hulse said.
The new sit-down restaurant will be larger than the past location and located along Franklin Street just north of the Walgreens pharmacy.
Buffalo Wild Wings took the unusual step of closing its restaurant in Michigan City before opening a new one because its lease was up and it couldn’t reach terms with its landlord on a short-term lease until it got the new building opening.
“Usually, the commercial landlords want a lease of at least five years,” Hulse said.
Buffalo Wild Wings should be reopened in Michigan City by next summer, he said.
Joseph S. Pete
Open
Basecamp Fitness plans to have a grand opening at its new Schererville location.
The gym chain will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Crossroads Chamber of Commerce from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 23.
“We will have a live DJ, food, prizes, giveaways and other local businesses set up throughout the studio as well,” Area Coach Jen Crunk said. “We are also offering a limited class at 4:45pm with music provided by the DJ.”
The new gym at 1906 U.S. 41 will offer a chance to sign up for just $1 with a 30-day quit-for-free guarantee during the grand opening.
“Basecamp Fitness is a community that pushes you to become the best version of yourself,” Crunk said. “It’s a fun and challenging full-body workout that combines strength and cardio in 35 minutes or just 2% of your day with the support of the best coaches. We are excited to bring a new effective and efficient workout to Northwest Indiana.”
For more information, visit basecampfitness.com.
Joseph S. Pete
Open
Chick-fil-A continues its expansion in the south suburbs.
The chicken sandwich chain opened its Bradley Bourbonnais location at 1359 Locke Drive in the Kankakee River town not far from the state line across from south Lake County and north Newton County. The fast-food restaurant near the intersection of Route 50 and Armour Road in Bradley opened on Thursday.
Franchisee Jon Klavohn, a longtime educator who graduated from the nearby Olivet Nazarene University, opened the restaurant, which is open for dine-in, drive-thru and carryout. The Atlanta-based fast food place known for its antibiotic-free chicken breast sandwich cooked in peanut oil employs about 125 people.
“Being an operator in a community where we have invested so much of our own lives is a dream come true,” Klavohn said. “I look forward to giving back to a community that I love and want to be a part of making the Greater Kankakee area the best it can be.”
Chick-fil-A Bradley Bourbonnais joins 44 other Chick-fil-A eateries now in Chicagoland, including in Schererville and Hobart.
It’s open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Joseph S. Pete
Open
Gorjana, a Southern California-based jewelry brand, opened a second Illinois location at Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook.
The jewelry collection features gold plating, solid gold, diamonds, opals, sapphires, turquoise, emeralds and other fine materials.
It also has a store in Chicago’s ritzy Lincoln Park neighborhood.
“Retail is fundamental to our brand’s growth strategy, and we continue to see a phenomenal, positive response as we look to meet our customers where they live,” CEO Jason Griffin Reidel said. “Based on the tremendous success of our location in Chicago, we look forward to bringing the gorjana retail experience to Oakbrook Center, providing customers with the ability to interact with our brand in person and access services like buy online, pick up in store, same day delivery, complimentary bespoke engraving, and assistance from our incredible team of stylists.”
Joseph S. Pete
Second location
Gorjana’s new 1,171-square-foot store features mango wood finishes, brass hardware, driftwood details, sea glass accents and live greenery meant to give it a coastal bungalow feel and impart “the brand’s coastal cool vibes.” It also has crystal quartz chandeliers, tapestries paying homage to the Laguna Beach coastline and custom candles with “beachy notes of citrus, palm and palo santo.”
“We love helping brands further expand their brick-and-mortar footprint in the Chicagoland area,” said Tim Geiges, senior general manager of Oakbrook Center. “Gorjana is a great addition that complements our collection of tenants. Oakbrook Center is proud to welcome gorjana to our shopping center and we know our community will enjoy discovering this brand.”
Joseph S. Pete
Coming soon
Genric Security Services bought an office in Hobart.
The national private security firm purchased a 5,288-square-foot office at 7779 E. Ridge Road in Hobart. It’s part of the Ridgewood Professional Center, an office complex comprised of four professional office buildings on Ridge Road.
Genric will occupy the north portion of the building and continue to lease out the south portion.
“During our time representing the ownership of the Ridgewood Professional Center, we have completed five leases and sold two buildings. With the addition of Genric as an owner and occupant, the complex is now 100% leased,” said Antony Miocic, director of office group at Crown Point-based Latitude Commercial. “It’s wonderful to work on a project until the very end.”
Joseph S. Pete
