Tinley Park spotlights Dunkin' franchisee and House of Light nonprofit at March 4 meeting

At the March 4, 2025 Tinley Park Board of Trustees meeting the village presented two business-spotlight presentations: one for a local Dunkin' franchise and another for House of Light LLC, a Tinley Park-based nonprofit that provides services and job training for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Clerk O'Connor introduced the first spotlight, noting the Dunkin' location at "7941 West 170th Street." Rich Momson spoke on behalf of the franchise group, describing a multi-store family-owned operation that began in 2008 and operates locations on the Southwest Side and in the suburbs. Momson said the Tinley Park store initially lacked a drive-through and that the company focused on customer service and community involvement to build a loyal customer base. "We know their names. We know what they want, we kind of get it ready," Momson said, describing regular customers. He said the franchise moved to a new location with a drive-through in 2022, which helped recover business lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clerk O'Connor then introduced House of Light LLC at 6815 West 167th Street. Sierra Dockery, founder of House of Light, described her background in special education and work helping people who are blind or visually impaired. Dockery said she hires locally, including staff who are blind; she also said the organization provides on-site services such as instant Braille printing and is partnering with the I Can Dream Center to expand job-training opportunities in the village. "Your disability does not define who you are," Dockery said. She described initial work with a local church and ongoing plans to provide training and employment pathways for graduates.

Ending: Both presentations were brief introductions; no formal board actions were taken on the spotlights beyond the introductions and acknowledgments recorded in the meeting minutes.