Cemeno's: Lord Will Help Overcome Coronavirus Restrictions

JOLIET, IL — This week's announcement by Gov. JB Pritzker making sit-down restaurants and bars in Will and Kankakee Counties off-limits to indoor patrons did not leave the owner of Cemeno's Pizza angry at the governor. Rather, Mike Cemeno remains upbeat about his legendary Joliet restaurant's latest challenge amid the pandemic.

"The government was really put in a bad spot," he said.

During an interview Tuesday at his Essington Road restaurant, Cemeno told Joliet Patch he does not have a pessimistic attitude about Cemeno's business prospects for the coming weeks. The governor issued the shutdown for indoor dining and bar activity because of the huge spike in coronavirus cases in the Joliet and Kankakee regions during the past month.

"We've got to trust that the good Lord is going to work this out for all the better," Mike Cemeno told Joliet Patch on Tuesday. "He's carrying us through the whole time."

Despite the coronavirus impacting virtually all of Illinois' bars and restaurants since March, business at Cemeno's has remained "very, very good," its second-generation owner told Joliet Patch on Tuesday evening.

Normally, Cemeno's has a seating capacity for about 600 guests because it has several banquet rooms throughout its large restaurant. However, Mike Cemeno said that despite the indoor restaurant being temporarily shutdown by the governor's decision this week, Cemeno's will remain open for regular business. Customers can still order carryout, curbside or eat outside in Cemeno's large outdoor patio, its owner said.

The outdoor patio can seat about 70 guests.

"We've done well with outside dining," he said.

Mike Cemeno said he was not angry at Gov. Pritzker for making this week's decision that will impact hundreds of bars and restaurants in Will and Kankakee Counties.

Earlier this summer, incidentally, Cemeno's briefly closed for two days after learning that an administrative employee was diagnosed with the coronavirus. Business has not seen slowdown despite the myriad of challenges Cemeno's has faced since March, according to its owner.

"We have been very, very, blessed by the response of our wonderful customers and our community," Mike Cemeno told Patch. "We try to be a light on the hill. We're just trying to be prudent about what we're doing. It's safety first. We're taking all the precautions ... washing hands ... and we're doing a lot of praying. A lot of it is trust in the Lord."

During the pandemic, Cemeno's remains open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant phone is 815-254-2500. For more, visit the Cemeno's website here.