Patch Picks: New and Innovative Local Businesses

Every Thursday, Patch Picks highlights editor and reader picks for great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off and more.  

You’ll find useful lists to help you, your family, friends, and significant others find the best places for everything from Sunday brunch to New Year’s Eve celebrations, pumpkin patches, date night destinations, florists, girlfriend nights out, kids’ party places, parks and more. 

Today’s list is a list of local new and innovative businesses.

1. Removal Xchange: Matt Baker recently started a waste removal business in Romeoville called Removal Xchange. The business rents dumpsters for home and businesses, but, unlike its competitors, Removal Xchange offers complementary “clean out” help for 30 minutes with each rental. The business also offers recycling of construction materials—so if a client is remodeling, Removal Xchange will take the dumpster items for recycling rather than to a landfill. Clean-out and demolition crews are also available for hire to take care of the demolition job, if necessary. But one dumpster really sets this business apart: a portion of the rental proceeds for a special pink dumpster go to women in the area who are battling breast cancer. For more information, visit www.removalxchange.com or email Matt at matt@removalxchange.com.

2. MonaVie: Kim White and her boyfriend, Mike Canfarelli, both of Shorewood, became MonaVie distributors in March. MonaVie is a six-year-old network marketing company designed to promote and sell its products which include five health juices, an energy blend and a weight-management system. All of the products are all natural, with no additives or preservatives, blended to benefit the immune system, joints and cholesterol. MonaVie executives and distributors also help to fund and volunteer for the MORE Project, a charity organization dedicated to changing lives and restoring families living in extreme poverty in Brazil. For more information on MonaVie and its products, visit www.monavie.com or contact White and Canfarelli via -mail at MOREMonaVie4me@live.com.

3. Puppy Portraits: Nader Batayeh of Plainfield is the artist behind Puppy Portraits, a recently launched business to capture animals and even their owners through watercolor. Batayeh works off of a picture of the client’s choice, usually a photo of a dog, but it can be of both the owner and animal. He then turns the photo into a lifelike 18X24 watercolor. Prices are $100 for the first image and $20 more for each additional person or animal. Colored pencil or pencil portraits are also available for $80 each. The process takes about one week. To see Batayeh’s work, visit his personal Facebook page, or contact him at nbatayeh@gmail.com.

4. The Thanks Jordan Foundation’s Vegan Cafe: The Thanks Jordan Foundation’s Vegan Café at 928 S. State St. in Lockport opened in April and serves a full menu of appetizers, entrees, salads and beverages without animal byproducts to satisfy vegan appetites. In addition, the restaurant is run completely by volunteers, with all proceeds from any sales benefiting to provide assistance to children with life-threatening illnesses. The restaurant and foundation are named after Jordan Pickering, a young girl in remission from leukemia. Stop in Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to try the food and help a worthwhile cause.

5. Victoria Elizabeth Productions: Victoria Green of Joliet helps local businesses set up and maintain social media networks like Facebook, Foursquare, and Twitter. Depending on the client or business, she offers one-on-one consultations or social media training on how to best use these platforms to their advantage.  For more information on the recently launched business, visit www.facebook.com/victoriaelizabethproductions.