Businesses of Mount Prospect

See also our extensive essays on Randhurst

Does MPHS have photographs: Around 2,000 of them

Address: Rand and Elmhurst

Is building standing: Yes

What is at site: Randhurst Shopping Mall

When was business founded: Opened in 1962

Is business still operating: Yes

Who owned business: Originally, Randhurst Corporation

Interesting stories, facts, history:

Randhurst Shopping Mall was an incredible project in its time. Built on top of one of the last farms in Mount Prospect, construction started in 1958 and opened to the public in 1962. The mall was originally constructed by the Carson Pirie Scott Company, who purchased the land through the George L. Busse Realty Company. At the time Randhurst opened, it was the largest shopping center under one roof in America and possibly the largest shopping center in the world. People traveled miles to see the first modern shopping mall. In the first month of business there were over one million shoppers in Randhurst. Those who lived in Mount Prospect at the time remember the mall being so crowded that you could barely walk.

In the late 1960s and 1970s the Randhurst Corporation began hosting special events, such as fashion shows, children’s fairs, and educational programs. In both 1976 and 1977 the mall hosted a full three ring circus. The mall also brought in a number of celebrities such as Robert F. Kennedy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferigno, and cast members from the “Planet of the Apes.”

As other malls opened in the area the attraction to Randhurst declined. In the 1980s the mall went through a multi million dollar renovation adding, among other things, an upper level food court. In the 1990s the mall has brought in a number of free standing businesses around the perimeter of the building, such as Home Depot.

 

Does MPHS have photographs: Yes

Address: 1706 E. Kensington

Is building standing: Yes

What is at site: Photo’s Hot Dogs

When was business founded: October 30, 1989

Is business still operating: No, the Mount Prospect location closed in 2019

Who owned business: Jim Photopoulos

Interesting stories, facts, history:

Jim Photopoulos got the nickname “Photo” when he was a high school student in Buffalo Grove and it stuck. Photo started working in restaurants when he was ten years old. His family ran The Round Table in Libertyville, The Forum in Arlington Heights and Artemis and Sunrise Pancake House in Mount Prospect. When he finished college he worked managing the Artemis Restaurant while looking for a spot to start his own restaurant. In 1989 he found a spot near the Kensington Business center and set things in motion. After opening the store he started a major promotional campaign, bringing fliers and free hot dogs and shakes over to the receptionists at Kensington trying to drum up business. This worked and he soon had a lunch rush, sometimes serving over 300 people in an hour. He has used his successful business to give back to the community as well, offering many different clubs and organizations free food or discounts. He received both the Sam Walton Business Leader of the Year award from Wal-Mart and the Business Leader of the Year Award from the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce.

If you ordered delivery from Photo’s Hot Dogs in the 1990s, chances are your food was brought to you in this vehicle. Jim Photopoulos, the owner of Photo’s Hot Dogs, used a retired 26-year-old ambulance as his delivery truck. It was dubbed the “Photomobile.” In the early 2000s, the ambulance was replaced with a VW Bug.

Does MPHS have photographs: Yes

When was business founded: 1898

Is business still operating: Is now the Daily Herald

Who owned business: Hosea C. Paddock

Interesting stories, facts, history:

Hosea Paddock began a newspaper in the developing communities surrounding Chicago. Over the years his company has been able to become the most trusted source for information in the suburbs and has successfully compete against the large Chicago papers. Paddock’s personal goals for the paper were to: “Fear God, Tell the Truth, and Make Money.” His company has continued with these goals and has survived for over a century. In this time, it has increased its popularity by reflecting the views of the readers. Paddock Publications has weathered two World Wars, the Great Depression, the dot com revolution, a fire in the offices, and a gun wielding irate reader.