Latest news with #Teehan's
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rebuilt Teehan's in Tinley Park aims to respect tavern's long legacy
A large crowd of revelers, most wearing green for St. Patrick's Day, rechristened Teehan's, a popular Irish bar in downtown Tinley Park. Mayor Michael Glotz said Teehan's 'is a storied name here in Tinley Park' and represents the 'cornerstone of the entire Harmony Square development.' Teehan's, at the northeast corner of Oak Park Avenue and North Street, is part of the village's larger Harmony Square project that will include an outdoor music venue north of the Oak Park Avenue Metra station. It is slated to be ready sometime this summer. Located for decades in a building put up long before Tinley Park was founded, Teehan's was demolished last March to make way for a near replica on the same site. It is now owned by the village but operated by a longtime restaurant owner in the southwest suburbs. Teehan's has been a popular spot for the village's annual Irish Parade, and longtime patrons and fans had bid farewell to the original Teehan's early last March, during Tinley Park's 24th annual installment of the parade. Teehan's had a soft opening for this year's parade March 9, but was formally reopened for business on Monday. 'It's been a home away from home, a gathering place,' Glotz said Monday outside Teehan's. 'It has helped define downtown Tinley for decades.' Tinley Park paid $200,000 for the Teehan's property, including the intellectual and other property, which includes the names Teehan's and Teehan's Irish Bar as well as the phone numbers, email address and website. When plans were first announced to raze Teehan's and put up a replica, longtime fans of the tavern asked why the building couldn't be saved and rehabbed. Engineers examined the structure and determined it would not be safe to try to use the existing building, mainly due to an eroding foundation as the building is well over a century old. Regis Teehan operated the bar for 34 years before retiring in September 2023, and it was in her family since 1917. In designing and building a replica, Glotz said the village strived to respect the long legacy of Teehan's and worked with Regis Teehan to stay true to the tavern's heritage. He said that while the building may be new, 'the old Teehan's is still very much alive and well.' One customer helping celebrate the reopening Monday was Paul Mellen, of Plainfield. 'It's good,' he said of the new look. He said he had previously been to the old Teehan's two or three times, and that it is largely unchanged but 'more inviting' and cleaner. Tom McAuliffe, owner of Durbin's Pizza restaurants in the southwest suburbs, operated Teehan's after Regis Teehan's retirement and is running the rechristened tavern. He will also have a separate Durbin's Pizza in the building, which will have a second-floor banquet/event space. For several years McAuliffe owned a Durbin's restaurant on Oak Park Avenue just north of Teehan's. He said Monday that he was skeptical of the tight deadline of one year the village had outlined to build the new Teehan's. 'I had to admit I kind of doubted it,' McAuliffe said. He praised village officials for moving ahead with the multimillion-dollar Harmony Square development, which will also see apartments built to the east and north of the plaza. 'I think this project is going to be the crown jewel of Tinley Park,' McAuliffe said. The first business on the site was built in 1852 and called the Pacific Hotel, reflecting the owner's hope the nearby railroad line would ultimately extend to the Pacific Ocean, according to a May 2003 Chicago Tribune article. It later became the Tinley Park Hotel.
Chicago Tribune
18-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Rebuilt Teehan's in Tinley Park aims to respect tavern's long legacy
A large crowd of revelers, most wearing green for St. Patrick's Day, rechristened Teehan's, a popular Irish bar in downtown Tinley Park. Mayor Michael Glotz said Teehan's 'is a storied name here in Tinley Park' and represents the 'cornerstone of the entire Harmony Square development.' Teehan's, at the northeast corner of Oak Park Avenue and North Street, is part of the village's larger Harmony Square project that will include an outdoor music venue north of the Oak Park Avenue Metra station. It is slated to be ready sometime this summer. Located for decades in a building put up long before Tinley Park was founded, Teehan's was demolished last March to make way for a near replica on the same site. It is now owned by the village but operated by a longtime restaurant owner in the southwest suburbs. Teehan's has been a popular spot for the village's annual Irish Parade, and longtime patrons and fans had bid farewell to the original Teehan's early last March, during Tinley Park's 24th annual installment of the parade. Teehan's had a soft opening for this year's parade March 9, but was formally reopened for business on Monday. 'It's been a home away from home, a gathering place,' Glotz said Monday outside Teehan's. 'It has helped define downtown Tinley for decades.' Tinley Park paid $200,000 for the Teehan's property, including the intellectual and other property, which includes the names Teehan's and Teehan's Irish Bar as well as the phone numbers, email address and website. When plans were first announced to raze Teehan's and put up a replica, longtime fans of the tavern asked why the building couldn't be saved and rehabbed. Engineers examined the structure and determined it would not be safe to try to use the existing building, mainly due to an eroding foundation as the building is well over a century old. Regis Teehan operated the bar for 34 years before retiring in September 2023, and it was in her family since 1917. In designing and building a replica, Glotz said the village strived to respect the long legacy of Teehan's and worked with Regis Teehan to stay true to the tavern's heritage. He said that while the building may be new, 'the old Teehan's is still very much alive and well.' One customer helping celebrate the reopening Monday was Paul Mellen, of Plainfield. 'It's good,' he said of the new look. He said he had previously been to the old Teehan's two or three times, and that it is largely unchanged but 'more inviting' and cleaner. Tom McAuliffe, owner of Durbin's Pizza restaurants in the southwest suburbs, operated Teehan's after Regis Teehan's retirement and is running the rechristened tavern. He will also have a separate Durbin's Pizza in the building, which will have a second-floor banquet/event space. For several years McAuliffe owned a Durbin's restaurant on Oak Park Avenue just north of Teehan's. He said Monday that he was skeptical of the tight deadline of one year the village had outlined to build the new Teehan's. 'I had to admit I kind of doubted it,' McAuliffe said. He praised village officials for moving ahead with the multimillion-dollar Harmony Square development, which will also see apartments built to the east and north of the plaza. 'I think this project is going to be the crown jewel of Tinley Park,' McAuliffe said. The first business on the site was built in 1852 and called the Pacific Hotel, reflecting the owner's hope the nearby railroad line would ultimately extend to the Pacific Ocean, according to a May 2003 Chicago Tribune article. It later became the Tinley Park Hotel.
Chicago Tribune
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Parade goers celebrate new Teehan's in downtown Tinley Park
The stoop is no longer there. That was the only mild complaint Mike Maus, of Tinley Park, had. For the last 10 years or so, Maus and his wife, Cindi, would watch the Tinley Park Irish parade at the top of a stoop at Teehan's tavern. It was a family tradition. But last year, the 171-year-old building that housed the popular bar was torn down weeks after the 2024 running of the parade. They were there for the final day at Teehan's and felt sadness. But swiftly a new Teehan's was built just in time for this year's parade at 17329 Oak Park Ave. The Maus couple set up shop on the sidewalk where the stoop used to be. They also enjoyed a pre-parade celebration inside Teehan's and both were impressed with the place. 'This place is beautiful — isn't it sharp?' Mike Maus said. 'The new floor, the new ceiling, the new walls … yeah, this is great.' The 25th running of the parade had 88 entrants and officials were hoping for 40,000 people on a sunny day that was north of 50 degrees. Last year, under cooler conditions, it drew an estimated 33,000 people. Last year, people were mourning the demise of the old Teehan's. This year people were celebrating the new place, which was open Sunday but will have an official grand opening at 5:30 p.m. on March 17. Many enjoyed the soft opening the day of the parade, including the Maus family. The idea was to give the new place a similar atmosphere as the old bar and it appeared to have succeeded. 'The old place had so much character and so many memories,' Mike Maus said. 'It was so nostalgic. Anybody who would come to Tinley Park was familiar with Teehan's. 'With the new place, it's time for a new chapter in town and making new memories in town. I think people are going to make memories here.' Cindi gave a verbal thumbs up on the new Teehan's. 'I absolutely love this place,' she said. 'Teehan's has been a staple in Tinley Park forever. But times change and things change. We're very happy for what is happening in Tinley Park and in the downtown area.' Erin Kissane, or Orland Park, also made Teehan's her home for the Irish Parade for the last 10 years. 'I like how authentic it is,' she said of the new digs. 'They kept the tradition and the character of the Irish Teehan's. They kept everything alive.' She called the former Teehan's 'vintage' and appreciates that the same people who worked at the old Teehan's are also at the new tavern. Teehan's is a part of Harmony Square and village officials hope to open the rest of it in June. It's going to be a multi-use plaza that will host concerts and other events. The parade had a slight change, with the starting point formerly at Central Middle School moved north a few blocks to 179 Street and Oak Park Avenue. Kassie Kopach, of Willow Springs, has worked as a teacher at Memorial School and Fulton Elementary School for the past 13 years but had never been to the parade prior to Sunday. She brought her family including her son, Cassius, who turned 2 Sunday. She was smart of enough to get there early thanks to the advice of her friend, Jaclyn Crescent of Mokena. But she was also lucky to get a spot near the new starting point because she didn't know about the change. Crescent, a 13-year teacher at Memorial, said she has been coming to the parade for five years. 'I love all the candy,' she said with a smile. 'I also love all of the floats. It's fun to see all of the families enjoying the day.' She said she also goes to the South Side Irish Parade next weekend in Chicago and the Fourth of July parade in Mokena. The Irish Parade offers unpredictability in the weather. 'Today is great,' Crescent said. 'Last year wasn't bad, either. But there have been times I wore a winter coat and was freezing.'
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Popular Tinley Park tavern Teehan's set to open for village Irish Parade
The 'new' Teehan's underway at the former site of the popular Irish tavern in downtown Tinley Park will be ready in time for the village's Irish Parade next month, according to the village. Teehan's, at the northeast corner of Oak Park Avenue and North Street, is part of the village's larger Harmony Square project that will include an outdoor music venue, north of the Oak Park Avenue Metra station. Located for decades in a building put up long before Tinley Park was founded, Teehan's was demolished last March to make way for a near-replica on the same site. The plan is to have the new Teehan's open before the March 9 parade, said Village Manager Pat Carr. What day that will be is still up in the air at this point, he said. The village said interior work is underway, including millwork and floor tile, and bathrooms are complete and waiting on finished plumbing fixtures. An elevator is expected to be completed by the end of this month. 'It is coming along great,' Carr said. Teehan's has been a popular spot for the village's annual Irish Parade, and longtime patrons and fans had bid farewell to the original Teehan's early last March, during Tinley Park's 24th annual installment of the parade. It was also the last day of business for Teehan's, which was razed later in the month. The 25th annual parade steps off at 1 p.m. on March 9 from Central Middle School, 18146 Oak Park Ave., and heads north on Oak Park into the downtown business district. Tinley Park paid $200,000 for the Teehan's property, including the intellectual and other property, which includes the names Teehan's and Teehan's Irish Bar as well as the phone numbers, email address and website. Regis Teehan operated the bar for 34 years before retiring in September 2023, and it was in her family since 1917. Tom McAuliffe, owner of Durbin's Pizza restaurants in the southwest suburbs, operated Teehan's after her retirement. He will also operate the rechristened Teehan's under an agreement with the village, as well as a separate Durbin's Pizza in the building, which will have a second-floor banquet/event space. Teehan's will occupy about 2,200 square feet of the building and Durbin's Pizza will be about 10,200 square feet, according to the licensing agreements. McAuliffe operated a Durbin's for 16 years at 17265 S. Oak Park Ave., just to the north of Teehan's. The first business on the site was built in 1852 and called the Pacific Hotel, reflecting the owner's hope the nearby railroad line would ultimately extend to the Pacific Ocean, according to a May 2003 Chicago Tribune article. It later became the Tinley Park Hotel. Under agreements with the village, McAuliffe will pay just under $15,300 in rent each month for the restaurant space and about $3,400 per month for the Teehan's space. Those fees would initially remain flat, then increase 2% each year starting in the fourth year of the agreements. Both businesses would operate from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. seven days a week, according to the agreements.
Chicago Tribune
18-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Popular Tinley Park tavern Teehan's set to open for village Irish Parade
The 'new' Teehan's underway at the former site of the popular Irish tavern in downtown Tinley Park will be ready in time for the village's Irish Parade next month, according to the village. Teehan's, at the northeast corner of Oak Park Avenue and North Street, is part of the village's larger Harmony Square project that will include an outdoor music venue, north of the Oak Park Avenue Metra station. Located for decades in a building put up long before Tinley Park was founded, Teehan's was demolished last March to make way for a near-replica on the same site. The plan is to have the new Teehan's open before the March 9 parade, said Village Manager Pat Carr. What day that will be is still up in the air at this point, he said. The village said interior work is underway, including millwork and floor tile, and bathrooms are complete and waiting on finished plumbing fixtures. An elevator is expected to be completed by the end of this month. 'It is coming along great,' Carr said. Teehan's has been a popular spot for the village's annual Irish Parade, and longtime patrons and fans had bid farewell to the original Teehan's early last March, during Tinley Park's 24th annual installment of the parade. It was also the last day of business for Teehan's, which was razed later in the month. The 25th annual parade steps off at 1 p.m. on March 9 from Central Middle School, 18146 Oak Park Ave., and heads north on Oak Park into the downtown business district. Tinley Park paid $200,000 for the Teehan's property, including the intellectual and other property, which includes the names Teehan's and Teehan's Irish Bar as well as the phone numbers, email address and website. Regis Teehan operated the bar for 34 years before retiring in September 2023, and it was in her family since 1917. Tom McAuliffe, owner of Durbin's Pizza restaurants in the southwest suburbs, operated Teehan's after her retirement. He will also operate the rechristened Teehan's under an agreement with the village, as well as a separate Durbin's Pizza in the building, which will have a second-floor banquet/event space. Teehan's will occupy about 2,200 square feet of the building and Durbin's Pizza will be about 10,200 square feet, according to the licensing agreements. McAuliffe operated a Durbin's for 16 years at 17265 S. Oak Park Ave., just to the north of Teehan's. The first business on the site was built in 1852 and called the Pacific Hotel, reflecting the owner's hope the nearby railroad line would ultimately extend to the Pacific Ocean, according to a May 2003 Chicago Tribune article. It later became the Tinley Park Hotel. Under agreements with the village, McAuliffe will pay just under $15,300 in rent each month for the restaurant space and about $3,400 per month for the Teehan's space. Those fees would initially remain flat, then increase 2% each year starting in the fourth year of the agreements. Both businesses would operate from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. seven days a week, according to the agreements.
