A new cannabis dispensary opened earlier this month in Hodgkins.
Owner Roshan Patel said Namaste Cannabis & Wellness at 6119 East Avenue is more than just a dispensary.
“It’s not just selling marijuana, it’s more holistic for me. I wanted to help people get pain relief without opioids. Opioids cause death, marijuana does not.
“We offer meditation, cannabis, we are trying to balance it all. We hold educational meetings and seminars once a month in the evening. We talk about how some products can help children with autism and cancer. We want to take out the stigma that people just want cannabis to get high.
“We welcome people to stop by and see our business. Anyone can use our meditation room.”
The dispensary is in the former home of Blue Nose Brewery.
Patel was a pharmacist for 16 years, and wanted a change. She said she saw the space was available, reached out to the village and it finally happened.
Patel and her mom, Chandrika Patel, each own half the business.
“My mom and I did it by ourselves. It all came together really nicely, and the grand opening was for the people that have stood by us since day one. We appreciate them and wanted to thank them. Our opening day was an auspicious day on the Hindu calendar, marking the birth or one of the Hindu gods, the deity Krishna. It was a very meaningful day for us.”
Hodgkins Mayor Ernest Millsap cut the ribbon.
“I’m excited for them and their grand opening. It’s been proven that CBD has had great results in the medical field and it’s a wonder drug for cancer patients, and those in pain. If we can help in any way by having this available, we will. It’s what we are about, helping people. We wish the Patels the best. They own the Dunkin’ in the Quarry Shopping Center, and are great people to work with.”
In fact, the Patel family own quite a few Dunkin’ restaurants in the area, including shops in Lyons, Brookfield, Hinsdale, Downer Grove and Lisle.
Namaste Cannabis and Wellness is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
After a fire six years ago forced the closure of the original El Famous Burrito at 6159 S. Archer Road, the famous Summit restaurant held its grand reopening on Friday.
“We are so excited for the grand opening,” said Isabel Sagrado, daughter of the restaurant chain’s founder Benny Sagrado. “We will have the same menu, but more added to it.”
“The fire happened in October of 2017. We always had plans to eventually reopen, and wanted to reopen sooner, but then the pandemic happened and delayed it more,” Sagrado said.
She said the restaurant will open with a new bar area.
“We hope to have a family, or date night atmosphere, where people can have a drink and enjoy a good meal, or carryout if they choose. We will have the same seating. We refurnished the seating we had before as we wanted to try and keep the feel of the restaurant before the fire.”
“I want it to be very intimate, for people of all ages. A place to have a taco with a margarita or michelada. My vision is for people to walk in to see that this is a home to them and be very relaxed and have a great time.”
El Famous Burrito has several other locations. There are 12, including Summit, which was the original.
The Sagrado family is involved with all of the locations.
Planned additions include a patio and a beer garden.
The Chicago Southland is gearing up for the return of the American E-Kart Championship at Accelerate Indoor Speedway & Events in Mokena on Oct. 11-14.
The fourth AEKC will bring 18 of the country’s best indoor e-kart racers to compete for the $10,000 first place prize.
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Officially sanctioned by the World Karting Association, the same governing body for Formula 1, the AEKC series offers just about everyone the opportunity to be a champion racer.
“The World Karting Association has always had a place for everyone in Karting, and that includes E-Karting. With that, the decision for WKA to sanction The American E-Karting Championship Powered by Monster Energy was a no-brainer,” says Kevin Williams, President of WKA.
The 18 finalists qualified for the Championship at one of nine e-kart tracks across the country. Each competitor is hoping to become the next Jeff Gordon or Lewis Hamilton, both of whom caught their racing bug by karting.
“This is such a fun event, not only for participants, but for fans as well and we’re thrilled to welcome them back to Mokena and the Chicago Southland,” said Jim Garrett, president/CEO of the Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“With all the wonderful dining and shopping options in Mokena, our partnership with the AEKC is a perfect match and the entire Village is excited to host this fantastic event,” added Mokena Mayor Frank Fleischer.
For information, visit https://www.americanekart.com.
Bob Bong is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at bobbong@hotmail.com.
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