All In The Family

Wow, has it been difficult to make plans with my family for Mother's Day and my niece's birthday, both this weekend. Imagine how challenging it must be for families who choose to work together. Every day, year after year. Maybe this is why many businesses choose to emphasize their family-owned status - it's a way of saying, "If we can cooperate and work well together as a family, imagine how well we'll work with you!"

Do you have a favorite family-owned-and-managed business here in Des Plaines? In the past, PlainTalk has featured local businesses like Via Roma, an Italian restaurant owned by a husband and wife. Now, you can watch the video above and meet the Wahl family, specifically Bob Wahl and his daughter Heather Wahl Cieslik. R.C. Wahl Jewelers should be familiar to Des Plaines residents and those who work in or visit our downtown area. It's a lovely store and I recently spent a sunny day there, admiring the beautiful gemstones and settings and learning more about this family-owned business, now with its fifth generation in place behind the counters. If you're in the market for a very special piece of jewelry or a watch (hint hint, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9!), try R.C. Wahl. I couldn't help but notice how knowledgeable everyone on the staff is, how distinctive the designs are and the personal, comfortable level of service. You're not going to find that at the mall!

What other family-owned-and-operated businesses make a significant difference here in Des Plaines? Feel free to add your comments here. In these times of economic difficulty, it is important that we support our local businesses whenever possible, so let's give them a shout-out here.

Oh - and Happy Mother's Day to all of our PlainTalk moms and grandmoms. :)