Beef Shack's Joliet Project Underway

JOLIET, IL - If you've driven along Jefferson Street lately, you've probably seen lots of building contractors pounding away at nails at a longstanding empty restaurant. Back in the day, this was a popular Taco Bell. Then it became the Shrimp House, but in recent years, the abandoned building fell into neglect. This summer, the property is coming back to life as a Beef Shack. And it's happening fast.

Franchise owner Spiro Douvris of Chicago was in Joliet on Monday overseeing the construction work at 1606 W. Jefferson St. The entire building is being gutted and renovated. The restaurant owner told Joliet Patch that he expects the new Beef Shack will open for business around Thanksgiving weekend.

The Joliet Beef Shack will mark the rapidly expanding franchise's first entry into Will County, he said. The original Beef Shack opened in 2011 in St. Charles. The second site opened in 2013 in Hoffman Estates. The third opened in 2016 in Chicago near Belmont and Sheffield Avenues. The fourth opened last year in Elgin. A fifth is set to open in DeKalb, home of Northern Illinois University, in a couple of weeks, Douvris said.

"Our claim to fame is our cheesy beef sandwich," Douvris told Joliet Patch on Monday.

He is excited about Beef Shack's prospects for success on Joliet's west side, he said.

Patch asked why he selected the empty Shrimp House property, which is across the street from the Silver Spoon restaurant and just up the street from the McDonald's restaurant.

"There's great traffic flow and great visibility here," he remarked. "We'll have a drive-thru and delivery service, plus an outdoor patio."

What about the new restaurant's hours?

Beef Shack will be open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., he said.

ORIGINAL STORY: Beef Shack Coming To Joliet

Images via John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor