'Best Bourbon Bar In Joliet' Opens In May, 100 TVs: Hawthorne

JOLIET, IL — Joliet's Club Hawthorne Black Eyed Susan intends to be open for the Kentucky Derby on May 7, Hawthorne racing officials told Joliet Patch on Tuesday morning.

Last summer, Joliet Patch reported Hawthorne was taking over the old Hawk Subaru car dealership at 2200 West Jefferson St.

For years, Hawthorne has operated the Bookie Magee's Hideaway & OTB, but it's hidden, tucked behind the Menards store near the Jesse White Secretary of State's Office driver's license facility.

By moving into the former Hawk dealership, Hawthorne will have a much more visible location, along Joliet's most traveled corridor, remarked Daryl Voska, managing partner with Black Eyed Susan. On Tuesday, he was in Joliet overseeing the remodeling efforts, along with Michele Schaade, assistant director of OTB operations with Hawthorne Race Course.

The new bar area at 2200 West Jefferson will feature at least 40 seats, and the entire facility can accommodate about 200 patrons. It will feature video gaming, a sports lounge "and obviously horse racing," Voska pointed out.

A large portion of the new Black Eyed Susan will be available to rent for parties after the Kentucky Derby, officials told Joliet Patch during Tuesday's interview.

For the May 7 Kentucky Derby, Hawthorne also plans to have an outdoor tent set up on the property for guests to watch the race.

What will make the new OTB location on West Jefferson Street stand out?

There will be more than 100 TV screens on the walls, and Black Eyed Susan intends to become "the best bourbon bar in Joliet," Voska remarked. "There will be over a dozen different bourbons."

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Joliet's Off-Track Betting Moving To Jefferson Street