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26 | April 20, 2017 | The frankfort station life & arts frankfortstation.com Care packaging Frankfort Lions Club delivers more than two dozen food baskets to area families in need need a Doctor? See a DoCtor! EVERYDAY • 7 AM – 11 PM Al Russo (left) and Dale Redemske carry bags of food April 8 out to be delivered by the Frankfort Lions Club to families for Easter. photos by Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media • Board-Certified Physicians • Easy Access/Parking • Prompt Attention MOST INSURANCE PLANS ACCEPTED LA PORTE RD N 45 TACO BELL ST. FRANCIS RD COLORADO AVE Food bags line the garage of Frankfort Lions Club members Alan and Donna Stratton’s home as they are prepared to be delivered. frankfort • 815-464-2010 LaGrange Road @ St. Francis Road Ray Schmitz grabs a bag of food to pack up for delivery. The club aimed to deliver more than 25 baskets of food. Ray Schmitz (left) helps Joe Rohaly pack bags of food into a car before it goes out to be delivered.
frankfortstation.com dining out the frankfort station | April 20, 2017 | 27 the dish Smallcakes offers quality, community atmosphere in Orland Park Brittany Kapa, Assistant Editor The sweet smell of freshly baked cake and sugary icing wafts over customers, as they wait in line for cupcakes. Becky Gross, 57, of Midlothian, and her friend Charlene Andrew, 58, enjoyed Choco-Holic cupcakes March 29 at the newly opened Smallcakes in Orland Park. The newest location of the franchise store is thanks to Matt Hackney. The former commercial banker knew if he could find the right home for his newest business venture it would do well. He found that home in Orland Park. Hackney opened Smallcakes to the public March 25 at 14225 95th Ave., Suite 414. Hackney said what set Smallcakes apart from other franchise ventures was the amount of freedom with the business. “If you go to different Smallcakes throughout the country, they all look and feel a bit different, because the business owner has complete control over marketing, how they want the store to look and the size of the store,” Hackney said. “You can do whatever you want.” Smallcakes is a franchise from the original concept by Jeff Martin. Martin competed on the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” during the show’s first, second and seventh seasons, according to the official Smallcakes website. The original location opened in Overland Park, Kansas, and has blossomed into more than 160 locations worldwide. Hackney found Smallcakes while he was working with a client and immediately saw the bakery’s value. “We really brand ourselves Smallcakes offers these Hot Fudge Sundae cupcakes ($3.75), which feature chocolate topped with buttercream frost, drizzled in hot fudge, sprinkled with roasted pecans and topped with a cherry. to be premium quality,” Hackney said. “So, when you get in there, you’re guaranteed a freshly baked cupcake every day — that day.” The only requirement is that franchise owners use Martin’s recipes. Those recipes are battle tested, which made Smallcakes a safe bet for Hackney. He also will be serving one of Smallcakes newest ventures: ice cream. The ultra-creamy ice cream is mixed with cupcakes to give it a thick enough consistency that it will not slide off a customer’s spoon, Hackney said. “When people come in, I want them to know that they’re getting top-quality products,” he added. In Hackney’s search for the perfect location for his new store he wanted a community that would be receptive to this type of establishment. “I also wanted a community that was engaging, that had a good chamber of commerce, had a good location with a lot of foot traffic,” Hackney said. “I wanted a community that needed something like this, too, that wasn’t oversaturated with cupcakes.” Smallcakes 14225 95th Ave., Suite 414, in Orland Park Temporary Hours • 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday- Saturday • 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday • Closed Monday and Tuesday For more information ... Phone: (708) 590-6403 Web: facebook.com/ smallcakesorland Hackney looked at multiple towns, but Orland Park — and that particular location — had the most potential for Hackney, in terms of ease of access and foot traffic. During the shop’s first three days of business, it sold out each night. Hackney was forced to shorten hours temporarily in order to deal with the high demand. Hackney added that once he gets everything leveled, he is planning to partner with local businesses in the area to donate any unused cupcakes at the end of the day. Hackney’s short list includes nonprofit organizations like The Bridge Teen Center and potentially the Matt Hackney (middle), owner of Smallcakes in Orland Park, helps customers March 29 at the recently opened location. Photos by Brittany Kapa/22nd Century Media Sam Rodriguez, 23, adds icing to the store’s Birthday cupcakes ($3.75) — one of 12 signature flavors Smallcakes offers. University of Chicago Medicine building. While there are no agreements in place yet, Hackney said he is confident that when everything settles down, he should be able to come to agreements with local nonprofits. Hackney is focused on getting everything running smoothly before the planned grand opening Saturday, April 29. Andrew said she came with her daughter on the first day the store was open and brought Gross along with her for a second tasting. “We’re connoisseurs of cupcakes,” Andrew said, adding she and Gross try cupcakes across the state. Andrew and Gross both gave their seals of approval. “I was just telling [Gross] I was having a hard time eating just one,” Andrew said.
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