loveph Mall-goers can now fuel up with coffee, donuts and ice cream as they look to redeem gift cards, return presents or buy themselves the gifts they didn't get this holiday season. A combination Dunkin'/Baskin Robbins opened in the middle of the super-regional mall at U.S. 30 and Mississippi Street in Hobart. The two Massachusetts-based chains teamed up to offer sweets to shoppers. Baskin Robbins is, of course, known for serving 31 flavors of ice cream at any given time, and has rolled out 1,300 different flavors since it opened in 1948. Formerly known as Dunkin' Donuts, Dunkin' is a staple in the Calumet Region and greater Chicagoland that historically was best known for its donuts, but which has pivoted to focus more strongly on caffeinating people on the go with a wide array of coffee drinks, including many sugary options like the seasonal peppermint mocha. It's perceived by some as a more working-class and less pretentious alternative to Starbucks. "The brand-new kiosk is located on the lower level in Center Court," Southlake Mall Marketing and Business Development Manager Kristyn Filetti said. "We are excited for them to be open and offer coffee to our shoppers again with such a strong, national brand. Along with coffee and donuts, shoppers can also enjoy their favorite Baskin Robbins' sweet treats." Open Toni's Pizza, a longtime landmark pizzeria in East Chicago, is under new ownership. Uli Gom, an acclaimed chef who also runs the EC Cafe and is especially well-known for his previous Tapas Cafe restaurant, took over the pizzeria at 4724 Indianapolis Blvd. in downtown East Chicago. It's a homecoming of sorts as he had started working there as a teenager, getting his first taste of the kitchen. ""In fact, the first time I discovered pizza was from Toni's Pizza in EC," he said. "I wow myself indulging the flavors of this melted cheese, tomato and sausage baked pie. 'What is this?' I said. So I took a job as a cook here at Toni's. Actually, my culinary journey started here. I remember spending long hot summer days making pizza with my brothers Rim and Alberto while we all were students at Purdue University." The longtime institution, having opened in 1972, is known for its pan pizza slices and Chicago-style deep dish. "Two months ago, the previous owner of Toni's decided to retire from the pizza business so my brother Rim and I took the opportunity to take over the place and bring the old Toni's Pizza back to its glory days," Gom said. "It's been a challenge for us. Unfortunately, the three-year Indianapolis Boulevard street reconstruction had a big impact to all of the small businesses in East Chicago. Fortunately, the whole street is back open for traffic, so we are taking the opportunity to promote and get the pizzeria back on track." He plans to bring old recipes back using homemade pizza dough, Italian sausage and sauce, while adding unique interesting items like chicken BBQ, pork pastor, barbacoa brisket, Buffalo and Italian meats pizzas, as well as baked pizza rolls Gom describes as ideal for game day. Toni's Pizza is open 4-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Coming soon The old Michel's Sports Eatery across from Lake Central High School at 8209 Wicker Ave. in St. John has been completely gutted for renovations. R-Bar in Highland, a sports bar in Highland known for its Serbian food, is taking over the space about five miles south. Michel's was a popular place to watch the game that closed after owner George Michel, a retired fire chief with the Schererville Fire Department, died earlier this year. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts "We've been looking to get into St. John for the last five or six years. We had other opportunities that didn't work out. This opportunity was a great fit, so we jumped on it," said Steve Ruzich, who runs R-Bar with his business partner Alex Romic. "We're got it gutted and have filled up four dumpsters. We're going to renovate the whole thing. It will be redesigned and laid out similar to our new bar. The blueprint's here. If it ain't broke, don't fix it." R-Bar's second location will have 40 new TVs, live music, trivia night, bingo parties and other events. It will encompass about 5,000 square feet and seat up to 200 people. It will have the same menu of Serbian food that includes cevaps, pljeskavica, shish kebab, smoked sausage, muckalica, burek, sopska salata, ajvar and kajmak. The traditional old world cuisine, which comes with authentic sides like raw onion, draws Serbs, Croatians and Eastern Europeans from across Northwest Indiana. Open Kabelin Ace Hardware opened a new store on Michigan City's east side. The family-owned retailer opened its eighth store and second in Michigan City at 2309 E. Michigan Blvd. in Eastgate Plaza. "This new location is more than just a store — it is a promise to support and uplift the East Side community by creating jobs, offering essential products, and forming meaningful partnerships with other local businesses," Mackenzie Kabelin Watkins said. "Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for everyone who calls this area home." Chicago-based Ace is the place with the helpful hardware man and more than 5,700 locations across the country. It's a cooperative of local hardware stores like Kabelin Hardware, which started in 1912. The chain also has locations in LaPorte, New Carlisle, Granger, Walkerton and South Bend. It's calling its latest location the Michigan City East store. The store has a 4,000-square-foot open-air garden center as well as a wide array of hardware, home improvement supplies and the expert advise Ace is known for. “We have been hard at work for months bringing this new store together. I couldn’t be prouder of the team involved and their commitment to making sure we provide the highest level of quality and service to our new neighbors," Store Manager Lisa Conley said. Reopened Tarimoro Fruits reopened in Hammond after suffering a fire in November. The neighborhood grocery store at 1301 Chicago Ave. in Hammond stocks fresh fruit, produce and meat and a wide array of imported goods from Mexico like nopales, tortillas and clay pots. It also has many vendors who serve freshly prepared meals like chicken tamales in green sauce with hot champurrado. The butcher serves many Mexican favorites like barbacoa, carnitas and cow tongue. Ethnic fare like ceviche and Puerto Rican cuisine draws customers from a wide area, including neighboring East Chicago and the south suburbs.The Ravens looked better defensively last week, but now Roquan Smith's injury is a concern

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