Goodbye Diamand's Family Restaurant, Hello Raising Cane's

JOLIET, IL — A well-liked Joliet restaurant that had struggled in recent years in attracting new customers had its date with a demolition crew Monday. By late morning, Alpine Demolition Services had torn down most of the walls for the Diamand's Family Restaurant along Plainfield Road near the Louis Joliet Mall.

Back in February, Joliet Patch broke the news that a Raising Cane's chicken fingers restaurant would be built on the site of the Diamand's restaurant.

Diamand's had operated on Plainfield Road for about 30 years until Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered all indoor restaurants to shut down in March 2020 because of the worldwide pandemic. When the governor's indoor dining restrictions were lifted last summer, the family owners of Diamand's chose not to reopen and they put their property up for sale.

During these past several months, members of Brian Bessler's Joliet Area Bar and Restaurant Guide often ask: What happened to the Raising Cane's project? Is it still going to happen? Is Raising Cane's still planning to come to Joliet?

The answer to that question, obviously, is yes.