MK_032620

16 | March 26, 2020 | the mokena messenger dining out
mokenamessengerdaily.com
The Dish
Chesdan’s remains operational with curbside pickup, delivery during pandemic
Business continues
to serve customers
their favorites
Thomas Czaja
Contributing Editor
With several modifications,
a Homer Glen business,
like many others,
is ready to keep filling
orders for the cuisine patrons
want during a global
pandemic.
Chesdan’s Pizzeria &
Grille in Homer Glen has
had carryout and delivery
options for a while, meaning
it was prepared for recent,
indefinite changes,
according to owner Dan
Garr.
With Gov. J.B. Pritzker
mandating all bars and
restaurants in the state
eliminate dine-in through
March 30 because of
coronavirus concerns,
establishments are doing
what they can to keep
business going. Takeout
via pickup and delivery,
which Chesdan’s does,
are still allowed, as are
drive-thrus.
“We are pretty well set
in terms of having boxing,
delivery bags,” Garr said.
“We have quadrants set
up, and our staff is trained
to take credit cards over
the phone for deliveries
or curbside pickups.”
The business announced
on its Facebook
page March 17 that while
patrons cannot currently
dine in, Chesdan’s is not
limiting its menu for pickups
and delivery. During
this unprecedented time,
all deliveries are free and
taking place all day, beginning
at 11 a.m.
“Somebody can be out
in the parking lot, and
they can always call and
we’ll run it out to them,”
Garr added about pickups.
In terms of cleanliness,
Chesdan’s is following the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention guidelines,
along with sanitization
checklists. Staff there
wear gloves. Disinfectant
has always been at maximum
strength, and door
handles and pens that are
frequently used are being
wiped down as much as
they possibly can be.
Customers can still
walk in to pick up their
order, but if they are not
“Support your local restaurants.
It’ll be good for everybody.”
Dan Garr — Chesdan’s owner
Chesdan’s Pizzeria & Grille
15764 S. Bell Road in Homer Glen
Hours:
• 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday
• 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday
• Noon-9 p.m. Sunday
For more information ...
Phone: (708) 301-8300
Web: chesdanspizza.com
comfortable doing so
given the circumstances,
curbside remains the best
option, with a pickup area
set up on the side of the
building. That said, Chesdan’s
is still trying to do
all it can for its employees.
“We are trying to keep
the waitstaff working,
because we do need hostesses
and people manning
the phones for deliveries,
pickups and things of that
nature,” Garr said.
He noted on the first
day of the new guidelines,
on St. Patrick’s Day, that
orders were still coming
in at a decent pace. On
March 17 on Facebook,
the business wrote, “A
great big thank you to all
our loyal Chesdan’s customers
who are placing
those curbside pickup and
delivery orders! We love
you!”
Garr said since Chesdan’s
makes everything
from pizzas to pastas to
sandwiches to desserts
and more, he expects a
mix of their offerings to
keep moving out the door.
Those in the mood for
a pizza can still get the
The king special personal-size pizza ($9.67) is a quick
option for an individual looking for a meal on the go
from Chesdan’s Pizzeria & Grille in Homer Glen.
Thomas Czaja/22nd Century Media
likes of a large 14-inch
thin crust cheese ($18.50)
that serves 3-4 people,
or any of their other pies
with various sizing, pricing
and toppings.
Elsewhere on the menu,
the baked rigatoni ($17 or
$12.30 for the meta portion)
comes with tomato
Alfredo and mozzarella
cheese, with the option to
add spinach, mushrooms
or broccoli for $3 each.
That and the Parmesancrusted
tilapia ($15.55)
— served with garlic butter,
lemon and Parmesan
— are solid options during
Lent or anytime.
While it is unknown
what the future holds, including
if the no-dining in
mandate will be extended,
Garr and his staff are
ready and willing to keep
serving customers their
favorite menu items.
Those interested can
also order online with
DoorDash via the Chesdan’s
website and/or follow
the eatery on Facebook
to keep up on the
latest with any potential
further changes.
“Support your local
restaurants,” Garr said.
“It’ll be good for everybody.”
Robin
From Page 14
love’s energy into the
living, we serve well and
suffer well. Yes, out of
tragedy springs opportunity.
“I imagine Lent for
you and me as a great departure
from the greedy,
anxious anti-neighborliness
of our economy, a
great departure from our
exclusionary politics that
fear the other, a great departure
from self-indulgent
consumerism that
devours creation. And
then an arrival in a new
neighborhood, because it
is a gift to be simple, it
is a gift to be free; it is a
gift to come down where
we ought to be.
“Self-giving God, call
us to walk the road of
newness—a new self,
a new society, a new
world, one neighbor at a
time. May we have traveling
mercies this Lenten
season. Amen.” ~ Walter
Brueggamann
For more with Robin,
visit robinmelvin.com/
contact or on Facebook,
Robin Melvin, Author.
Also be on the lookout
for her story in a new
Chicken Soup for the
Soul book coming out in
April.
The thoughts and opinions
expressed in this column are
those of the author. They do
not necessarily represent
the thoughts of 22nd Century
Media or its staff.
matt galik
From Page 15
were quarantined. Like
our current battle against
COVID-19, all four village
churches and the Mokena
Public School were
closed until further notice,
and “gatherings of every
nature” were banned in
the incorporated limits.
Early on, 15-year-old Ruby
Bechstein of Mokena
Street was one of the ill.
On Oct. 16, she lost her
battle with the Spanish
flu, and has been remembered
by history as the
first resident of the village
proper to succumb to the
pandemic. The grim reaper
struck town twice that day,
when 33-year-old Emma
Schenkel was also claimed
by the virus. Their deaths,
along with those of the
Mexican railroad laborers,
led the local correspondent
to the Joliet Herald-News
to lament that week as “one
of funerals” for Mokena.
In keeping with quarantine
rules and the belief that the
flu thrived indoors, theirs
were held outside, while
crowds were kept away,
before the young women
were ultimately laid to rest
in St. John’s Cemetery.
When we look back upon
the experience of our village
forebears, we can learn
from their example. Community
leaders placed rules
upon the town, and while
they were uncomfortable
and new, townfolk followed
them and came out of the
pandemic more resilient and
unified than ever.