Five Guys about 3 Weeks Away from Opening

If questions posed to Joliet Patch about "what's opening up in the old KFC near the mall" are any indication, there's a lot of interest in the soon-to-open Five Guys burger restaurant.

The sign on the fast-food restaurant went up Tuesday afternoon, and word is the restaurant will be open for business by about mid-April. The furniture has arrived and the final work on the building's interior and exterior is being completed.

Owners have sunk about $500,000 into renovating the store, according to building permits that were taken out back in October. At the time, city officials thought the restaurant might open by year's end -- not spring.

For those unfamiliar with the family-owned chain, which got its start in Arlington, Va., in 1986, Five Guys prides itself on a small menu that's essentially limited to regular and "small" sizes of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, bacon burgers and bacon cheeseburgers and Kosher-style hot dogs that can be topped with bacon and/or cheese.

Unlike most fast-food restaurants, they also cater to a vegetarian crowd by selling veggie sandwiches and grilled cheese.

Among the 15 toppings you can add are green peppers, grilled mushrooms, A-1 Steak Sauce and pickle relish.

The chain has 1,000 restaurants in 47 states, and has plans to add 1,500 more, according to its Web site. There are 36 in Illinois, including two in Naperville, Bolingbrook and Orland Park.

DON'T MISS THE LATEST JOLIET NEWS. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER

FOR A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TAKE, FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK