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the orland park prairie | November 8, 2018 | 5
Mona Lisa owners happy to be in Orland Park
Jacqueline Covey
Freelance Reporter
At the Orland Park Crossing
shopping center — between
Francesca’s and
Evereve — a familiar face
recently turned up.
Mona Lisa Boutique, run
by the France-loving sisters
Jill Evans and Wendy Lundberg,
opened in Orland Park
in early June.
Since 1991, Palos Heights
was home to this unique boutique.
Then, by chance, 27
years later, a space presented
itself in an Orland Park shopping
hub.
Mona Lisa is a gifts, home
and women’s clothing store
— everything familiar about
a local boutique but with a
warm history.
The store first opened off
Route 83 and Harlem Avenue
— nestling into the community
for 22 years. Evans said
with six window fronts it was
far larger than the next two
they would own.
Then, the store moved into
what Evans called a “lovely”
spot on 123rd Street for
five years, before moving to
14215 S. LaGrange Road.
“We drew people from
Orland Park [at those locations],”
said Evans, a Palos
Heights native. “But now
we’ve seen more customers
from Palos Heights, simply
because of the shopping
... This is where I come to
shop.”
The sisters opened nearly
three decades ago, drawn
into the business for the love
of fashion. Mona Lisa, Lundberg
explained, is known as
the classic beauty — referring
to Leonardo da Vinci’s
famous Italian Renaissance
portrait.
“We thought, ‘classic
clothes for beautiful women,’”
she said, but added,
“We’re quite different from
when we first started.”
Walking in, customers
might be greeted with a warm
smell of the holidays. But the
candles are not the only-holiday
ready item. Halloween
merchandise is on its way
out, and customers are looking
to snowman decals and
Jill Evans (left) and Wendy Lundberg stand behind the counter at their Orland Park space
for Mona Lisa Boutique, after they moved earlier this year after more than two decades in
Palos Heights. Jacqueline Covey/22nd Century Media
music made with silver bells.
In addition to the seasonal
items, the store is bursting
with detail-focused clothing,
wall art and other boutique
merch. In the far right corner,
French imports. On the left,
Lundberg’s collection of artwork
— her favorite spots in
France, London and Chicago
— line the wall.
And Mona Lisa is all about
presenting those items with a
side of customer service. The
bright blue bags there are
packed neatly by cashiers,
who walk around the counter
to present them with a friendly,
“Have a good day.” It’s all
just part of owning a store,
according to Evans.
“I always wanted to open a
boutique,” Evans said. “Retail
has always interested
me.”
And although Evans and
Lundberg keep up with the
buzz of fashion magazines
and attend trend seminars,
their merchandise mainly is
based on customer interests.
“We started off buying
what we liked, and then we
realized, ‘Oh, nobody likes
this stuff,’” Evans said with
a laugh.
But then they “started to
see what they were wearing
when they walked in,” she
explained.
“Our buying changes all
the time,” she said.
In addition to complimentary
gift wrapping, Mona
Lisa hosts a decorating service
— which Lundberg runs
within the boutique — and
offers a 10 percent discount
on all cash purchases. And
Evans and Lundberg are excited
about the store in Orland
Park, hoping to offer the
same experience for customers
as they did for years in
Palos Heights.
It must be off to a good
start, as Lundberg repeatedly
expressed “how happy we are
to be in Orland” when talking
to The Orland Park Prairie.
Family comes first for Orland Park business owners
Couple’s fourth
franchise spa has
blossomed in Orland
Park since May
Erin Christie
Freelance Reporter
Married for 39 years,
Mike and Kathy Hendershott
know what it takes to
form a thriving and longlasting
partnership.
It is no surprise, then, that
their joint venture into the
business world has proven
equally successful.
In May, Mike and Kathy
opened Hand & Stone Massage
and Facial Spa in Orland
Park. And Mike noted
the prime Orland Park Crossing
location as a contributing
factor to the steady stream of
customers who have patronized
the business since then.
This is the couple’s fourth
franchise location, with additional
spas in Wheaton,
Geneva, and Naperville.
The Hendershotts had big
plans in mind for retirement.
They dreamed of working
collaboratively to build
something special within
their community. Starting a
business was on the top of
that list.
Kathy, who worked in
purchasing before retiring
in 2009, always loved massages
and facials. So, when
she and Mike met with a
franchise matcher who connected
them with Hand &
Stone, it was a natural fit.
And Kathy spearheaded the
opening of their first location
in Wheaton in 2013.
Soon after, Mike retired
from his position as a management
director for a banking
company and joined
Kathy with the franchise
expansion efforts. This dynamic
husband/wife duo attributes
communication and
collegiality as the cornerstones
to their success as a
team.
They also credit their focus
on family. And Mike and
Kathy stressed the importance
of building community
within their business.
“We want to create a family
atmosphere that people
want to be a part of, something
not too small but not
too big,” Mike said.
This business philosophy
is at the forefront of everything
the Hendershotts do.
“Kathy likes to bring cupcakes
to the staff,” Mike
added. “We try to say ‘hello’
to every employee and greet
everyone by name.”
It helps that their business
is a family affair.
Native Texans who now
live in the western suburbs
of Chicago, Mike and
Kathy recruited their daughter
Amanda to move to the
Chicago area to assist with
the growing business. As
a mother of four, Amanda
knew this was the right decision
not only as a business
endeavor but also to reunite
their family.
“My parents missed their
grandchildren,” Amanda
said. “Family is important
to us.
Working together as a
family team has proven advantageous,
as each member
of the family brings unique
skill-sets to the business.
Mike’s business savvy allows
him to focus on marketing
and analytics, whereas
Kathy’s eye for detail allows
her to organize daily in-spa
operations. Amanda, on the
other hand, focuses on employee
training efforts — a
skill that was honed by her
10 years of experience as a
special education teacher.
Ultimately, though, the
Hendershotts’ priority is on
community and customer
service.
“What really enticed us to
get involved in this business
is customer service,” Mike
said. “We aim to provide
that extra level of service
that keep our clients coming
back. We want them to have
a good experience and to
feel like part of our family.”