In October 2012, Mark Paolello took a chance. He opened his own business - a tattoo shop - in Channahon. It was a dream come true. "As far as career-wise goes, this would be my first choice," he said. Labyrinth Tattoo is located at 24503 W. Eames St. in Channahon. He said getting the approval for the storefront in the village was an easy process. "They're smart enough to know a new business is good as long as it is a legitimate business," he said. Paolello has always done some kind of art at his full-time job. "I did graphic design for a while; that's what I got my associates degree in and …

Max Jacobs is the third generation of his family to work at his family business. He is the creative marketing/ social media administrator for the group of car dealerships that carry the Bill Jacobs name, including Bill Jacobs Chevrolet. He and his three brothers all work for the family business in some capacity. But it is his mother, Linda Jacobs, who is at the helm of the family business and her lifetime friend Cynthia Thrall serves as the president. The women who are at the helm at Bill Jacobs have an entire Women of Bill Jacobs section on the Bill Jacobs Web site. Dennis Wolff is a Joliet …

When you get up on Wednesday morning to the possibility of more snow and a long, dreary commute, the folks at Patterson Travel want to remind you that the time to start thinking about your summer vacation is now. And, if you use a travel agent, you can pay for your trip in installments. "They make a deposit and then it’s usually 40 days before the trip that they have to make the final payment," Linda Hawkinson, co-owner of Patterson Travel said. That's just one of the perks to using a travel agent instead of booking a trip yourself. Hawkinson, who owns Patterson Travel with Eileen Sellers, …

Back in August 2011, Will County Habitat for Humanity ReStore opened its doors on Larkin Avenue. Since that time, the non-profit store has seen nothing but growth. "We are 27 percent over last year," Annette Leck, executive director for Will County Habitat for Humanity said. And as they grow, they are making changes and additions that will help merchandise move faster and bring more customers through the door. About three months ago, the ReStore began a new pricing structure. After items are in the store for a month, the price drops to 25 percent off the original price. Then, a month after …

Flowers are a popular choice for your sweetie for Valentine's Day. But for Palmer Florists, 1327 N. Raynor Ave., in Joliet, it is the forth busiest time of the year. Owner Paul Palmer ranks December as the busiest time of the year. People order flowers throughout the month. That is followed by Mothers' Day, Easter and then Valentine's Day. But, despite it not being the busiest time of the year, the holiday this year garnered 500 orders. "This was the best one yet," he said of the 2013 holiday. The fact that Valentine's Day fell on a Thursday this year probably made it busier. "The day has a …

Zip Fitness is tucked into a strip mall along Jefferson Street in Joliet. It is one of five Zip Fitness locations in the state of Illinois and it has one goal in mind. Zip Fitness co-owner Jim Reddinger said 15 percent of the population already belong to a fitness facility. "We're trying to be a gym for that 85 percent of people," he said. "We are a fitness club for people who haven't been in fitness before." Zip Fitness does not want to be intimidating. The business wants everyone that comes in the door to feel welcome, no matter if they are overweight or out of shape or just unsure where to…

Two years ago, after Nancy Skinner was laid off from her landscaping job, she and her husband Steve bought the Joliet location of Wild Birds Unlimited. The store, it turns out, was a perfect fit. "It’s always been an interest to me because I was introduced to birds and nature as a small child," Skinner said. Today, as the owner of the store, she hopes to pass that gift along to the next generation. "We’re getting younger parents now with kids that come in," Skinner said. So, she created an area just for kids in her store, hoping that what they learn when they are young will stay with them. "…

In a lot of ways, it is a Joliet Area tradition. If you're not from the Joliet area, you have probably never heard of G-Shaft candy. If you are, though, and you have tasted it, your description is probably different than everyone else. Seemingly no one agrees about what it tastes like. “It’s a hard candy, you kind of pick up a peppermint (flavor) when you first put it in your mouth and then it changes,” Kristine Collins, owner of Dan’s Homemade Candies said. The candy, which is available only at Dan's, is brown in color and I detected notes of butterscotch or maybe caramel. Readers polled on …

Owner Barbara Bracken has seen it time and time again. A woman who bought her wedding flowers at Labo's Flowers and Gifts decades ago brings the next generation of her family into the store to buy her daughter's wedding flowers. Bracken has worked at the shop since 1977. "I started at Joliet Central (High School), at the horticulture class there," she said. "I enjoyed the class and thought I'd like to go in that direction." What began as a job, ended up being a career and in 1999, Bracken bought the shop. Her favorite part of being a florist is the time she gets to interact with the customers…

In the 1850s, the D'Arcy family traveled from Ireland to Joliet to settle in for a new life. In 1895, a D'Arcy, who was an attorney, served as the city attorney for the city of Joliet. Today, even though Terry D'Arcy's business is not in civil service, he regularly gives back to the community. "My (parents) were the kind of people who gave back to the community," D'Arcy said. Today, D'Arcy owns three car dealerships in Joliet - Buick/GMC, Hyundai and VW facilities. He opened his first dealership in Sept. 1991 with an Oldsmobile dealership on Stryker Avenue and Jefferson Street. He started …

You have probably driven past it a million times. Right across Jefferson Street from the Joliet Regional Airport, is a farm that sells pumpkins, mums, gourds, hay and squash. Unlike a number of the other area pumpkin farms, the Macfarlane Pumpkin Farm does not have attractions, hayrides or corn mazes. They just sell the makings for fall celebrations. "We fill a niche for the people who don't want all that commotion," Marilyn Macfarlane said. "The people who come are like, 'it's always so beautiful; we love it here." Marilyn Macfarlane is married to Drew Macfarlane, whose family has owned the …

Anthony Roy knows what rock bottom looks like. Before opening up Salon David Anthony with his business partner David Schmidt, Roy was very close to losing his house. "I was unemployed for three years," he said. "I used to go to food shelters." Roy was feeding himself and his elementary-aged son. But, somehow, he managed to keep his house. "I received so much help throughout Joliet," he said. "That's why I help other people; when you give, you get." Salon David Anthony opened in Oct. 2010. Schmidt is a hairstylist and Roy handles the business end of things. Even in their first year, they …

Harlow Lockwood is the third generation to help Joliet-area residents keep their heating and cooling systems in tip-top shape. His grandfather started Lockwood Furnace business when they were still selling coal furnaces. And the business is not only still family-owned, but also Harlow Lockwood's wife Margaret works in the business as a secretary. She told Patch a little bit about the business, her husband and how to keep heating and air conditioning units in top-running condition. It may sound obvious, but Margaret Lockwood said heating and cooling units are mechanical and they need the same …

Hanging in the window at the art studio at 310 Ottawa Street is a blue, ornament-like glass piece. To an untrained eye, it looks similar to other beautiful art pieces that Sue Regis creates from glass. But for Regis, it is a reminder of someone - a student she had who passed away. The glass in that piece incorporated the ashes or cremains of the student she lost. That piece is close to Regis' heart because she knew the person whom she was memorializing. Most of the time, though, she is creating glass art pieces to memorialize someone she has never met. Regis works with Tezak's Home to …

What is going on at the Town and Country Lanes in Joliet, started with a brainstorming session. The staff wanted to find a way to make bowling more alluring to younger bowlers. They wanted to attract the people who make it out only once or twice a year. And, they wanted to introduce new leagues. So, over the summer, they introduced a bowling league where all bowlers earn a trip to Las Vegas. The league was a success. "It's not a lot of young people that bowl," Gary Sula, Town and Country Lanes League and Tournament Coordinator said. "That's the audience we're trying to reach with this." By …

Wherever Amy Tezak-Rodrigue goes, the memory of her grandmother is with her. For Tezak-Rodrigue, this is not just an ethereal thing. "I have a bracelet that I wear that was made from the roses of my grandmother's funeral," she said. "I wear it every day. "It's kind of become a testimonial on my end." Tezak-Rodrigue is the fourth generation in her family to operate the family business, Tezak's Home to Celebrate Life. She is the owner and business manager and is going to school for her funeral director license. She admits that the business is part tradition and part forward-thinking, sometimes …

When you walk into Sumbaum Cycles, technicians are busy working on bicycles - repairing tires, doing tune-ups, getting them in top condition. Customers in the store are asking questions about bikes, anything from a question about a model on the floor to a more specific need to find a light bicycle for competing in a triathalon. One can imagine that back in 1894, when the store began, the bikes were less technologically advanced, but the services were not much different. For more than 20 years, Ted Sari has been at the helm of the store as its owner. "I started off just assembling bikes," he …

Last week, a representative of Judge's Bar in Joliet was on the courthouse lawn handing out coupons for a free round at the establishment. But the bar owners are not just trying to cash in on the Peterson trial. One of the owners will be out on the Caterpillar picket line Wednesday afternoon handing out the same coupons. "I'm doing it to support the workers, but I certainly hope they come back," John Dagnon, co-owner said. Dagnon owns the bar with business partner Omar Rudoini. The two have worked together in business before. Rudoini owns LA Boxing Clubs and Dagnon handles the bookeeping for …

The Red Goose Bakery & Cafe owners Raychel and John Wesley did not start out as restaurateurs. In fact, John was a carpenter and Raychel practiced law upstairs in the downtown building that now houses The Red Goose. "John is a carpenter; I'm an attorney," she said. "Both of our markets shifted and we decided to do something different." The Red Goose opened in February in downtown Joliet. The cafe is across the street from the Will County Courthouse. Originally, the husband-and-wife team intended for the shop to serve just baked goods. "The Sandwich Shoppe closed within a few weeks of our …

On his day off last week, Andy Sleezer headed over to the Will County Courthouse. He was not on hand to observe the circus that is Drew Peterson trial. Rather, he was on hand to let the others who were in town for the trial know where they could get a fast meal at lunch. Sleezer is the head chef at The Department. "We created an express lunch menu," he said. "As soon as you order your food, we can get it out in less than 15 minutes." In addition to an express lunch, The Department is offering a 15 percent discount to anyone who presents their media credentials. The Department is not alone in …