‘This is now home’: S2 Express Grill revives local dining in Ford Heights

Fleeting local businesses caused many of Ford Heights Mayor Fred Wilson’s friends to leave. Funeral homes, grocery stores, gas stations. Gone. But he chose to stay “because I knew that Ford Heights wasn’t as bad as people say it is,” Wilson said.

He was both appointed and later elected in 2025 after former mayor Charles Griffin was convicted of embezzling village funds. As mayor, has an eye on economic development. So, when he called upon his old friend S2 Express Grill restaurant owner Andre Williams, to open up its next location in the village, the wheels quickly began moving. 

“[Wilson] was like my mentor, and I was like so many other youth that grow up in tough areas,” Williams said. “I faced some obstacles when I was young, and it was a gentleman like Mr. Wilson that helped get me on track and just stay away from negative influences.”

The area began as a rural settlement occupied by many Black Southerners who migrated directly to East Chicago Heights, its former name, during the Great Migration, many seeking to take advantage of the industry boom in nearby Chicago Heights. 

In 1987, officials renamed the village to Ford Heights in hopes of annexing a nearby Ford complex to grow its tax base. But Chicago Heights beat officials to the punch, annexing the land along Lincoln Hwy., where that plant sits.

That plant — and the village’s name — are enduring reminders of economic jolts that never materialized. But the outlook for Ford Heights appears up: after a six-decade drought, Ford Heights has finally landed its first sit-down restaurant. S2 Express Grill, seated on the corner of 801 E. Lincoln Hwy., opened its doors to the village in February.

Needed economic boost

Williams and his wife Suheir Bakarat have served Chicagoland communities since 2019. The two handpick locations for each restaurant with a particular focus on food deserts and low-income communities. They have eight locations, with three in the Southland, including Harvey.

High quality dining is at the forefront of the chain, bringing residents an elevated dining experience closer to home. Succulent lamb chops, surf and turf, and freshly sauteed vegetables are menu highlights. “You shouldn’t have to go downtown or Oak Brook to get a nice meal…We bring that element,” Williams said.

The village expedited permits, but the couple paid out-of-pocket to renovate the property, previously home to a Shark’s Chicken. “To be honest, the town is not really in a position to give too many incentives,” Williams said.

The median household income in Ford Heights is $36,053, according to federal census data. The village’s effective tax rate for residences, or how much of a property’s full market value a homeowner pays taxes on, is roughly 9.74 percent, an HWH analysis of 2024 tax bills found. In Olympia Fields — frequently regarded as one of the most educated suburbs in America where the median household income is $123,875, federal data show — the effective tax rate is roughly 4.5 percent.

That means Ford Heights homeowners are throwing a greater share of their household incomes toward property tax bills than more affluent households across the Southland. And the total tax amount the village is requesting of taxpayers has skyrocketed over the past 30 years, county data show.

In 2024, Ford Heights billed taxpayers an estimated $4.33 million in tax revenue but only collected 39 percent across all property types, according to county data. That’s the lowest tax collection rate of any Cook County municipality. The village’s billing revenues have jumped 192.8 percent since 1995, according to county data — 3.5 times the rate of inflation. Had taxes kept on pace with inflation, Ford Heights would have billed taxpayers $2.27 million. 

Rapid de-population and little commercial activity means fewer taxpayers to shoulder the burden, fueling spikes in bills for those who remain. The population was 3,456 in 2000, according to census data. Now, it’s 1,813; the village lost nearly half of its population in 25 years.

The cost per person for the village to provide basic city services grows and municipal leaders are forced to bill more. In 2008, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office took over policing services after the village dissolved its own department due to fiscal challenges. “Many people discouraged us — but out of a place of concern — because they didn’t think that we would be able to sustain in the community,” Williams said. 

In the end, village officials have little choice but to raise property taxes. But those increases push even more people out, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of economic spiral. But businesses like S2 can disrupt it. And village officials — and prospective business interests — have reason to be optimistic: 46 percent of homeowners paid tax bills in 2024. That’s up 20 percent from the prior tax year, county data show. 

Wilson was persuasive in courting the elevated soul food and American fanfare eater, working with the couple to deliver “a nice sit-down restaurant and a nice place that hires people from the village that are there to pay taxes,” he said. “S2 is a win-win all the way around.”

Hometown feel

Domonique Robinson, Ford Heights native and manager of the Lincoln Hwy. location, was ecstatic to hear her employers were opening up shop in her hometown. “It wouldn’t be right if I’m from this neighborhood and didn’t work here because I am a product of this neighborhood,” Robinson said. She has worked with the S2 chain for five years, starting as a server at their location in Chicago’s Avalon Park neighborhood. Williams and Bakrat consulted with her when they were trying to get a sense of the Ford Heights area. 

Customer turnout has been consistent, a hit with the older crowd, and has also attracted customers looking for an event space, including birthday bashes. S2 is “where you can go and watch the game, or just sit down and eat and relax,” Robinson beamed.

Mayor Wilson shepherds patrons to the restaurant. “If S2 is sitting there and none of the people are going there to support that restaurant, they can’t keep the doors open,” Wilson said. “I’m encouraging the people of Ford Heights and from around the south suburban area that’s close, like South Village, Lynwood, Glenwood…to come to Ford Heights and eat at S2.”

According to Williams and partner Sharonda Emery, they plan to accept food assistance programs like EBT and SNAP, as with their other locations. They also plan to tap into the local workforce. With a school across the street and Ford plant up the block, they’re considering changing opening hours and specials to accommodate nearby workers, Emery said.

“Once other businesses see that S2 is here and we’re being successful, they too will want to come,” Emery said. Truck repair company Diesel Max has already started construction of a new facility on Stony Island Ave. A truck repair facility, four-story hotel for truckers and the public, and gas station will complement the endeavor.

As for Robinson, she’s fully aware of how Ford Height’s reputation can be discouraging for many. However, she and others hold onto hope for tomorrow. “Within this community, even though people have their negative comments, we know how to take care of home,” Robinson said, “and this is now home.”