By Jeff Vorva
Correspondent
When Tony Kavaliunas bought a Worth gaming hall and restaurant, he never imagined his foray into that field of ownership would lead to him meeting some of his Chicago Bears heroes.
Kavaliunas, who grew up in Chicago’s Marquette Park neighborhood and now lives in New Lenox, purchased Roma Cafe in 2023 and renamed it Worth Stadium Club.
He later hired Brandon Hiatt to do some live podcasts from the place, 6900 W. 111th St., and the two became fast friends. Hiatt’s connections with people in the Bears organization soon had Kavaliunas making new friends, including Misty McMichael, the wife of ex-Bears great and 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Steve McMichael.
When Misty gave Hiatt four VIP tickets to the Pro Football Hall of Fame festivities Aug. 1-3 in Canton, he gave two to Kavaliunas, who gratefully accepted the gesture. Kavaliunas took his 16-year-old son, Jake, a high school junior who plays offensive line at Lincoln-Way West.
For a Bears fan, this was a pretty good year to go to the Hall of Fame ceremonies. Three ex-players with Bears ties — Steve McMichael, Devin Hester and Julius Peppers — were inducted and there were a lot of former Bears who made themselves at home in Canton for a few days.
Steve McMichael has ALS and was unable to travel to Canton, so on the morning of Aug. 3, Pro Football Hall of Fame representatives and ex-Bears teammates presented McMichael with a gold jacket and Hall of Fame bust in his Homer Glen home, then flew back to Canton for the induction ceremonies and party.
“The coolest part of the weekend for me was Steve McMichael’s personal party,” Kavaliunas said. “It was in the Hall of Fame building, and we got to walk through and see a part of the museum. The room was in the back of the Hall of Fame. It was a really cool room to begin with. It was a great atmosphere. It was like being at one of your own family parties with celebrities.
“By far, that was the best experience.”
There were so many big-name people at the gathering that Kavaliunas said, “It almost felt like we didn’t belong.”
But that didn’t matter as the former trader and FedEx contractor made himself at home with his idols, including engaging in a conversation with Otis Wilson on a couch.
The St. Laurence High School alum also got to meet members of the late Walter Payton’s family.
“Walter Payton, hands down, is my favorite,” he said. “And not even because he was such a great player but because he was a class act.
“That’s the kind of player I get drawn to. My favorite player outside of the Bears organization is probably (former Detroit Lions and Hall of Fame running back) Barry Sanders. They are high-class guys.”
Worth Stadium Club aims to draw in Bears fans. For the season-opener against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 8, it will offer a free buffet and $5 “76 Smash” cocktails in McMichael’s honor.
Last year, Bears legend Dan Hampton made an appearance at Worth Stadium Club, and Kavaliunis hopes to bring in another Bear or two this season.