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Business & Tech

Olivers's Owners Offer Triple Threat: Family, Food, Sports

Les brothers Tom and Pete become second generation of successful restauranteurs.

After many weeks of choosing the businesses for our story, our editor decided this week to turn the choice over to Oak Forest Patch Facebook fans.

One business with many fan votes was , located at 6150 W. 159th. 

One of the things you need to know about Oliver's is that it is not just a bar, it is a restaurant with real food.

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Their menu includes 19 appetizers, burgers prepared 11 different ways, 18 sandwiches and paninis, eight variations of salads and wraps, 11 entrees, and pizza. 

Owners and brothers Pete and Tom Les opened Oliver's in 2006, adding it to the family of an Oliver's in Bradley, which is part of their Quality Inn and Suites hotel. Both businesses in 2003.

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Opening a hotel may sound like a daunting task until you learn the backgrounds of these two entrepeneurs.  Their mother's family are the owners of Georgio's Banquets and Hotel Center in Orland Park.  Their father's family are the owners of Les Brothers Restaurants in Oak Lawn and Hickory Hills.

Their father is retired, but their mother, Joanne, assists them with the businesses.

"I've worked for my family all my life," said Joanne.  "My father started Georgio's in 1968 in Burbank. When my boys were old enough, we brought them into the business. That's where they learned.

"They decided to branch out on their own," she went on.  "So they bought the restaurant and hotel in Bradley.  So far, so good."

Like most businsses, they have felt the pinch of the economy in recent years. They say they've countered tight times by adding value to their services. 

"We know people are having a hard time," said Joanne, "so we have lots of specials. Ribs for $12. We created a kids menu. Last year we featured free sandwiches during the Bears games."

Each day, there are food and drink specials, including free soup with lunch.  Friday they have an all day, all-you-can-eat fish fry for $10.99. 

They also work hard to provide personal service. 

"Julie knows just about everyone who walks in here," said Joanne, referring to bartendeer Julie Williamson.

"The atmosphere is great here," said Williamson. "We have a real mix of people. We get a lot of local people for lunch. Families come in for dinner, and the young crowd comes in for the games."

Speaking of games, customers can catch them on one of many large, flat-screen televisions around the restaurant.

"It's nice," said Joanne.  "If our customers want to watch different games, we can accommodate them."

The personal service has paid off in spades, they say. Joanne estimates that 80 percent of their patrons are repeat customers.  In fact, they started the Oliver's Cash Rewards Club, and they now boast 1,200 members. 

"Our regulars are starting to bring their events here," said Joanne. The owners offer its dining room for private parties.

"We block off our dining room," she said.  "We can seat up to 75 people. We've had bachelor parties, birthdays, we had a welcome home party for a soldier.  Any kind of event you want."

So how does the family like doing business in Oak Forest? They have a new restaurant under construction at the site of the old Forest Inn, 16200 S. Cicero.

"We're going to call it Lucky's," said Pete Les.  "It's going to be a fast, casual type of restaurant. It will have a drive-thru, and seat about 40 people."

The Forest Inn has been closed for about three years, and the brothers kept driving past it, noticing it was empty.

"We finally decided to look at it," said Pete.  "We thought, let's try something local.  Something for the neighborhood.  We're going to have some fun with it."

Lucky's is scheduled to open in the next few months.

You can reach Oliver's Bar and Grill by phone at 708-687-6500, or bay fax at 708-687-6506.  Visit their website at www.oliversbargrill.com.  They also have carry-out and catering.

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