PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Highland Park, IL ... - Wordspecs

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Crimo (continued from previous page) musicians playing live music as part of Late Nite HP. Next Spring, Bob will open a large, shaded, outdoor area with tables and chairs for dining under the trees in nice weather. Even the walk-in cooler makes Bob’s face light up like a new father. The brand new five-door freezer is significantly bigger than Bob’s old one. Giggling, Bob explains: “To give you a little bit of comparison, at my old place the cooler was 11 doors that were each 24 inches wide. We now have 12 doors that are each 30 inches.” For those who remember the old White Hen drink cooler, this new one is basically seven feet wider and a foot-and-a-half taller. The larger cooler gives Bob 12 more shelves. “This sucker’s capable of holding a lot of cold drinks! I’ve also installed extraheavy condensers so that if beverages come off the truck warm, they’ll can be cooled down quickly while everything else stays cold. It’ll hold the temperature.” Other stations will hold chilled wines, an expanded beer section, lottery tickets, cigarettes and magazines, and a larger selection of hard liquors than before. “Over the last two decades in business, I’ve really tried to give my support back to the community,” Bob explains. “I’ve been in the Fourth of July parades, we’ve supported our resident sketch comedy troupe for the last nine years [full disclosure, the author is one of those comedians] as well as various other causes.” That list of additional causes is too long to name in full, but among the groups that Bob has supported are Highland Park Hospital, the City of Highland Park, Highland Park High School, all of the local elementary schools, various little league, soccer and baseball teams and numerous social and educational groups. That kind of commitment has earned Bob some remarkable and equally selfless thank you’s. “About a month after I closed my old store, I was perusing the Internet and came across an obituary written about my White Hen Pantry. It pretty much summed up everything I had hoped to achieve in the way that I ran my business and treated my customers. It was very touching, to say the least.” Among the praises in the obit are such sentiments as “Five stars to the memory of a great chain store that functioned like a local corner grocery of the bygone era,” and “As they say with many things in life, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone’” and “The White Hen in Highland Park was a crossroads of the community—this place had soul.” Bob’s Pantry & Deli will be a new crossroads—and so much more. Bob’s Pantry will be a welcome breath of local ownership in a town that has, in recent years, seen more and more national and regional operations take hold. Welcme Back, Old Friends How many names can you recall? Bob Crimo knows more than 1,500 of us just by looking at our faces. We, the Community with a capitol “C,” should support the sense of community that means everything to a man (and a business) who has already touched so many of our lives. “I know that my wife and I will go there,” says Dave Auerbach! “We’ll be in there spending our money! Hopefully, Bob can pick up some additional business from Glencoe. He should do great!” And if Bob does attract out-of-town customers, that’s good for Highland Park. 30 / Holiday 2008 The original crew �: (back row) Mario Sanchez, Josh Phillips; (middle row) Paul “Paulie” Crimo, Bob Crimo, Sr., Elva Velez; (front row) Denise and Bob Crimo, Jr. So whether you have known Bob for 20 years or met him for the first time in this story, drop in any time—no matter how far you have to travel. The sandwiches alone are worth the trip. It’s just a mile or so south of his previous location, just about 900 feet north of Lake Cook Road on St. Johns. Lester Dotson was very happy to hear that Bob was opening a new place. “I told him he would definitely get my business. And once Bob’s Pantry opens—boom, it’ll knock the competition out of the water!” Judy Koster exclaims, “Oh my gosh, we can hardly wait! We’re going to camp out there. We’re going to take advantage of it more now than we ever did before. There was limited parking on Roger Williams, he’s closer to Ravinia Festival now, all that good stuff! I hope he makes three times as much money, and now he doesn’t have to pay anybody a fee!” PHOTO: Daniel Kullman, Bitter Jester Creative
Your visit to Bob’s Pantry & Deli will also get you free Wi-Fi and something that’s all too rare, loyal employees � who treat the customers well…and vice versa. “At my new place, I can’t tell you how proud I am that my entire staff is returning. Even the utility guy wants to come back.” Aside from saving Bob the trouble of training new employees, he starts off on the right foot, knowing that his is one place where the idea of community is valued from the top down. Bob puts it more simply: “It doesn’t cost anything to be nice. That’s just the way I operate.” Remember theCheers theme song? “Makin’ your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Takin’ a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. And they’re always glad you came...” In our stressed-out economy, in this season that reminds us to value family � and friends, it’ll cheer us all to have such a place right here at home! Bob’s Pantry & Deli, 55 St. Johns, HP, 847-432-DELI (3354) “To the Highland Park community I would really like to say thank you. Thanks to everyone for all the support they’ve shown in all different ways. It means a lot to me; it’s more than I ever thought I might see, and it’s truly very touching. In fact, it just makes me want to strive that much harder not only to recreate what existed before, but to move forward into this new, exciting chapter of our lives! My family and I hope to see you soon at the new store!” Nicolas DeGrazia is the Creative Director/Co-Owner of Bitter Jester Creative, a video, photography and theatre production company. Contact Nicolas at 847-433-8660 or ndegrazia@bitterjester.com. Everyone’s an expert! Put your passion to work Volunteer in your community •Share your life experience •Feel a unique sense of satisfaction •Develop deeper bonds within your hometown •Connect outside your usual circles •Explore new professional paths Volunteer Pool of Highland Park 847-433-2190 VolunteerPoolHP.org Established in 1964, the Volunteer Pool is a not-for-profit agency. Donations are welcome and are tax-deductible. Holiday 2008 / 31
Page 1 and 2: PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Highlan
Page 3 and 4: HIGHLAND PARK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE w
Page 5 and 6: On Our Cover …With a Generous Hel
Page 7 and 8: Index of Advertisers Ambiance Galle
Page 9 and 10: Outfit your family for winter fun W
Page 11 and 12: PHOTO: Nancy Wolff, the Bootery dep
Page 13 and 14: We Won’t Tell… …not your folk
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Page 17 and 18: all competitions. In May of 2008, t
Page 19 and 20: REDUCE GREENBACK EMISSIONS Romitti
Page 21 and 22: THINKING ABOUT BUILDING OR REMODELI
Page 23 and 24: 432-WASH Voted “North Shore’s B
Page 25 and 26: That most recent editionboasts 122
Page 27 and 28: A RIBHOUSE BAR & GRILL Dine In or C
Page 29 and 30: A Trip Down Memory Lane Bob was bor
Page 31: PHOTO: Daniel Kullman, Bitter Jeste
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Page 37 and 38: physicians—critical care physicia
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Page 43 and 44: around $35. High-end lines priced $
Page 45 and 46: In September, Half Price Books open
Page 47 and 48: IS NOW Since 1891 WE’VE BEEN HERE

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