Zeigler Auto Group, which recently acquired Zeigler Subaru of Merrillville, took over four more dealerships on the other end of the Chicago metropolitan area in Southeast Wisconsin in its first entry into the Badger State.
The Michigan-based auto group bought Home Run Auto Group for an undisclosed sum. It took over Honda of Racine, Toyota of Racine, Kenosha Subaru and Racine Hyundai, marking dealerships No. 32 through 35.
All the dealerships, previously owned by Jim Bozich and Mark Geiger, are now operating under the Zeigler name.
"We are very proud to be expanding Zeigler into the great state of Wisconsin. We know that the community here will appreciate the way we do business, not just in how we go above and beyond for every single customer, but also in the way that we make it a priority to actively take part in the communities where we operate," said Aaron Zeigler, president and owner of Zeigler Auto Group.
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The auto group has bought nine dealerships in the last 16 months, including Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter of Hoffman Estates, Infiniti of Hoffman Estates, Jaguar Land Rover of Schaumburg and Subaru of Merrillville.
"Besides the fact that these are top-performing, high-volume stores, we chose these stores because of their great potential," Zeigler said. "They will without a doubt offer all of our customers, both current and new, access to more choices with their locations being right off the highway."
Go on patrol with Aaron Crawford, a Cpl. with the Lowell Police Department, as he speaks about joining the force, DUI enforcement grants, and police Jiu-jitsu training.
Through the acquisition, Zeigler Auto Group is adding 14,000 more vehicle sales a year. It's currently on pace to sell more than 67,000 vehicles for more than $2.2 billion next year.
Selling both domestic and foreign cars, Zeigler was founded in 1975 and is now one of the largest privately owned dealer groups in the United States with 78 automotive franchises across the Upper Midwest, more than 1,800 employees and annual sales of $1.7 billion. Its new dealerships will be known as Zeigler Honda of Racine, Zeigler Toyota of Racine, Zeigler Hyundai of Racine, and Zeigler Subaru of Kenosha.
The Kalamazoo-based firm plans to keep all the staff at all its new locations in Southeast Wisconsin, just across the border from Illinois.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Ramen District, Chick-fil-A, Good News Vintage, Tacos & Burritos Rancho Grande and Starbucks opening; The Room closed
Open
Ramen District plans to bring the trendy Japanese noodle soup, traditionally served with ingredients like pork belly, boiled eggs, miso, seaweed and scallions, to the Old Courthouse in historic downtown Crown Point.
Meraki Hospitality Group, the owners of Provecho Latin Provisions on the courthouse square, plan to open the new ramen joint in the space formerly occupied by Noka's Cafe and Catering at the north entrance of the Old Courthouse at 1 Courthouse Square. Chef Chris Pappas started Ramen District as a pop-up series that has taken over Provecho several times with a special menu that showcases different noodles, rice dishes and cocktails.
Pappas describes it as an "exhilarating concept that brings a fresh and hip experience to the historic Old Lake Courthouse." The pop-up takeover dining experiences at Provecho all sold out quickly, proving to be a hit on social media.
A departure from the Spanish and Latin American food Provecho is known for, Ramen District has served up Japanese cuisine like ramen bowls, fried rice and made-from-scratch kimchi.
The restaurant is now hiring for a range of positions and plans to open soon.
While ramen restaurants are common in neighboring Chicago, Northwest Indiana does not currently have a dedicated ramen restaurant, though the dish is available at Region restaurants like Motea in Schererville, Poke-Man in Merrillville, Kitaro Surf & Turf & Sushi in Munster, Furin Japanese Restaurant & Bar in Valparaiso, Beer Geeks in Highland, Little Tokyo Japanese Restaurant, Fuji Japanese Restaurant in Portage and Dragon Bowl in Munster.
For more information, visit www.ramendistrict.com or call 219-663-0050.
Joseph S. Pete
Coming soon
The new Chick-fil-A restaurants coming to Valparaiso and Schererville should be open within weeks.
The fast-food restaurants specializing in southern-style chicken at 315 U.S. 41 in Schererville and 61 Silhavy Road in Valparaiso are both far along in construction and hiring workers.
A company spokesman said both restaurants should open "later this summer, though we don't have dates to share just yet."
Chick-fil-A has a cult following and is especially known for its chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets and waffle fries, as well as being closed on Sundays. Its duel with Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen for chicken sandwich supremacy sparked the so-called chicken sandwich wars that have led McDonald's, KFC, Wendy's, Burger King, Portillo's and countless other restaurants to launch their own premium chicken sandwiches made with juicy chicken breasts.
Closed
The Room music venue in Highland has closed after a five-year run of entertaining the Region.
The concert hall in the Highland Ultra Plaza brought in many touring acts like Local H, Jackyl and Aaron Carter. It also hosted a variety of cover bands, midget wrestling and other entertainment like a Hairbanger's Ball heavy metal concert.
The Room at 8355 Indianapolis Boulevard often hosted tribute acts to Bon Jovi, Elton John, Billy Joel, Journey, the Grateful Dead and other classic acts. It reopened for live music in February after an extended break because of the coronavirus pandemic, but canceled its last show in May and has not scheduled any new events or posted on social media since then.
The attached bar, which was previously known as the country-themed Silver Buckle Saloon and then the firefighter-themed Hoses N Cuffs Grill & Bar, has been shuttered and the owners did not respond to messages. No upcoming concerts are listed for the venue on ticketweb.com , where it previously sold tickets.
Northwest Indiana's other live music venues include the Art Theater in Hobart, Avenue 912 in Griffith, the Venue at Horseshoe Casino and the new Hard Rock Casino in Gary.
Joseph S. Pete
Open
Good News Vintage is selling antiques and vintage goods in downtown Michigan City.
The antique store is located in the former Patina Vintage Goods space at 613 Franklin St. in the Uptown Arts District, a prime spot for antiquing and vintage shopping that is also home to Hoity Toity, Rainbow Trades and The Closet By Franklin Vintage.
It sells hand-picked and curated vintage finds that owner Amy Bowman turns up on hunt-and-gather sessions. Catering to "weekend warriors," it carries furniture, clothes, home decor and artwork, stocking many midcentury-modern items. Its eclectic offerings include vinyl records, wicker baskets, books, lamps, suitcases, glassware, glass pop bottles, American flags and antler mounts. One might find polo mallets, a gumball machine, a decorative pillar or a handmade stone birdhouse.
Customers can browse 2,000 square feet of rustic and retro goods. There's a wooden cutout of hippies people can pose for pictures with outside the well-presented shop, whose facade is adorned with many hanging flower baskets.
The business is open from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from noon until 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Joseph S. Pete
On the move
Tacos & Burritos Rancho Grande in downtown Lansing is moving to a new location on Torrence Avenue.
The Mexican restaurant at 3444 Ridge Road does a brisk walk-in business, including with the late-night crowd. It has been building out a standalone fast-food restaurant with a drive-through.
It will be located at 17904 Torrence Ave. at the site of the former Golden Crown Restaurant, the old-school family-dining diner that closed in 2018 after more than 40 years of serving eggs, bacon and minced ham.
The family-owned Mexican restaurant serves traditional authentic cuisine with recipes that have been passed down for generations.
In addition to its namesake tacos and burritos, Tacos & Burritos Rancho Grande serves burrito bowls, tortas, tostadas, gorditas, sopes, flautas, enchillades, tamales, fajitas, chimichangas and quesadillas, as well as full entrees like carne asada and pollo a la plancha. It offers a range of protein options that include ribeye steak, marinated steak, beef tongue, tripitas and chile rellano.
For more information, visit www.tacos-burritos.com or call 708-474-9622.
Joseph S. Pete
Open
A Classic Spa opened in downtown Valparaiso, celebrating a ribbon cutting with the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce the week before last.
The spa at 11 Washington St. provides services like brow laminations, tints and waxes. It offers chemical peels, facials, makeup, masks, lashes, waxes and LED light therapy.
"Our mission is to provide an open and shameless environment for both men and women to get the highest standard of self care possible," A Classic Spa said on its website. "We strive to strip the stigma from the beneficial services we provide. We hope to inspire each and every one of our customers to go on being the best that they can be and feeling great about themselves, while doing it."
A Classic Spa also sells a variety of products, such as skin creams, skin wash, body salves, moisturizers, masques, exfoliants, microfoliants, Biolumen-C serum, CBD oil and fruit chews.
People can book appointments online or by calling in.
For more information, visit aclassicspa.com , visit aclassicspa@gmail.com , call 219-312-5513 or find the business on Facebook.
Joseph S. Pete
Reopen
Starbucks at 9150 Calumet Ave. in Munster reopened after being closed for renovations for a few weeks. The Seattle-based cafe chain freshened up the coffee house's look.
If you would like your business to be included in a future column, email joseph.pete@nwi.com .
Joseph S. Pete
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