First, let’s get to the important news: Jet’s Pizza, 4112 Dempster St., will be giving out free slices of pizza from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26. The first 50 customers will also get a complimentary t-shirt. Now, let’s get to the bold statement Jet’s co-owner Mark McConnell made: “Detroit is a bigger pizza town than Chicago,” he said. For the record, McConnell was being playful and half serious when he said that. But Skokie is growing on McConnell, who moved from Warren, Mich., with his cousin, Kevin O’Donnell about two years ago. “The way I see it, two more years and I’ll start …

When Benjamin Marin was just a boy he would shine shoes at his father's barber shop in Ecuador for some small side cash. Now, he's shining much bigger things - cars, expensive ones. Marin, 53, and owner of Nature's Hand Car Wash, 9003 Waukegan Road, said he learned a lot from working at his father's business. "Doing customer service is almost like being a psychologist with some customers," Marin, a Morton Grove resident, said. "Customer service is a lot of listening and matching to what the customer wants. One of the things I learned in Ecuador is that some people will run all over you if you…

Armando Gonzalez first came to America from Mexico with only four quarters in his pocket. The money was supposed to be used to call his brother in Chicago to pick him up from O'Hare International Airport. Unfortunately, his brother never picked up, and Gonzalez found his way home by taking a train system he'd never seen before. That was in 1985, when Gonzalez was only 17. Fast forward to today, and the Mexican immigrant is cooking up a storm at Skokie's hottest restaurant, Libertad. Earlier this week, Chicago Magazine named it one of the top 20 newest restaurants in Chicago. The 35-year-old …

Aw Yeah Comics is looking to be an 'Aw Yeah' addition to downtown Skokie. The shop at 4933 Oakton St. is sort-of open for business. While their official grand opening is May 5, doors are still open to customers in the meantime. Art Baltazar, one of three owners at Aw Yeah Comics, is also a cartoonist for DC Comics. The artist gets to draw iconic characters like Superman, Batman and Aquaman. His style, however, is more cartoonish and animated; all the characters look cute and huggable. That's why it's no surprise that his biggest fans are children and parents.   Yet Baltazar wasn't drawing for…

Downtown Skokie's latest edition adds another ethnic restaurant to an already robust pallet of choices in the downtown area.   Siunik Armenian Grill, 4839 Oakton St., opened its doors in January, but the man behind the grill took an interesting path to becoming his own boss. Originally a deacon for St. James Church in Evanston, owner Levon Kirakosyan, 30, made the move from man of God to chef after friends encouraged him to open his own restaurant, he said. "I worked at St. James for six years. I was basically a pastor, with exception, I couldn't do Sacrament," Kirakosyan said. "When I was …

This April, Marge's Flowers will be celebrating something that most small business owners' only dream of: Their 62nd anniversary. Originally owned by Marge Kalmes and then passed on to son and daughter in-law Ron and Gloria Kalmes, Marge’s Flowers sits at 8038 Lincoln Ave., which is considered by many as the cornerstone street in downtown Skokie. Yet before the couple began working in the flower trade the two both had unique backgrounds. Ron served in the United States Army. Gloria, on the other hand, worked at the Federal Aviation Administration for 15 years. “I had a very good job,” Gloria …

Before Eddie Biro cut hair in Skokie, he worked construction. The experience paid off handsomely. "I built everything - new plumbing, floors - everything," Biro said, gesturing to his salon. "I did it all by myself. It saved a lot of money." With more than 70 hair salons in town, Biro is among the most sought-after barbers in the village. But Biro's journey didn't begin and end with construction jobs and hair. The Assyrian immigrant first began cutting hair for the Syrian Army during the 80s. Cutting a soldier's hair had its benefits. "Every day I would give five or 10 haircuts," Biro said. "…

Skokie native Robert Schmitt has never filled out a job application in his life. Yet Schmitt, now in his 70s, has a plethora of experience working in a variety of fields - from his parent's liquor store to serving in the United States Navy. As of late, however, Schmitt has been managing his business, Robert's Office Supply, 7909 Lincoln Ave. "My dad started Toni's Liquors," Schmitt said. "And my mom was running her own bookstore selling wholesale to libraries and schools. When I got out [of the Navy], I started working at both stores." Schmitt said he saw a large demand for office supplies …

Arden Kruger made a bet that most people wouldn’t make. The 57-year-old had a stable job working as a nurse for 35 years. But Kruger traded good income and stability to open Sweety Pies in downtown Skokie, despite having little experience as a business owner or baker. She bet on herself and her family's future, in hopes of improving their lives. “It was very scary to stop making good money,” Kruger said. “But I got burnt out working as a nurse and it wasn’t my passion.” After mulling over the decision with her husband for about 10 years, Kruger left her job and began working at a bakery in …