MORGAN PARK — It's been a rough couple of weeks for Kean Bros. in Morgan Park.
The gas station and convenience store at 2632 W. 111th St. was robbed at gunpoint on Jan. 30.
Seven days later, someone threw two landscaping bricks through a side window and swiped an empty cash register, said Raleigh Kean Jr., owner one of the few remaining full-service gas stations in Chicago.
Kean said the neighborhood has rallied around him in the wake of the incidents. And while he's considering adding a surveillance camera or two, don't expect a security guard, bulletproof glass or a going-out-of-business sign anytime soon.
Similarly, he also doesn't anticipate customers avoiding his station after the robberies. This includes a large number of neighborhood teens who regularly flock to the store to buy candy and pop.
"I think people are tough in this neighborhood. Things like this happen every once in a while," Kean said.
Howard Ludwig says some parents are worried about their kids going to the gas station now:
His resolve comes despite being ordered to the ground on Jan. 30 by a pair of armed robbers. He was in the station, near the windshield washer fluid, when the two men approached the cashier and ordered him to open the register.
Meanwhile, a busy station attendant pumped gas, seemingly unaware of the robbery. Another customer was using the copy machine in the store. She was equally oblivious until also ordered to the ground.
The robbers fled with roughly $150 in cash to an awaiting black minivan. As they walked out the door, one of the men kicked Kean in the legs, reached into his back pocket and stole his cellphone.
The robbers have not been caught.
Seven days later, security cameras at the store captured a pair of concrete blocks being thrown through a side window. A heavily-bundled man entered through the broken window at 4:37 a.m.
The robber swiped the cash register — even though the drawer was left open and empty. As the burglar alarm sounded, he also unsuccessfully tried to steal the machine that dispenses lottery tickets.
The lottery machine also didn't have any money in it. He fled with the empty register, which has yet to be recovered. Kean said the two incidents appear unrelated.
Kean, a resident of the South Loop, grew up in the neighborhood on the far Southwest Side and reiterated he has no plans on closing or selling his family's gas station after the robberies.
On Wednesday, Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) sent an email to constituents asking them to stop by Kean Bros. in the wake of the armed robbery. Little did he or anyone else know that two days later, the business would fall victim to the smash-and-grab.
Still, Kean said the show of support proved to be profitable for his business. O'Shea even donned the signature coveralls worn by Kean's attendants and pumped gas on Wednesday evening.
The business is still reeling a bit. The window near the ice machine is boarded up. The candy bars and gum near the cash register had to be thrown out after being showered in glass.
Kean is confident business will recover. He believes the recent robberies were simply a string of bad luck — not a trend.
"This community is great," he said.
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