Jody's Hot Dogs Feed A First Responder Becomes Huge Hit

JOLIET, IL — The shutdown of sit-down restaurants and bars after the new coronavirus outbreak spread across Illinois has devastated many Joliet area small businesses. Jody's Hot Dogs at 326 Republic Ave. wasn't sure a few weeks ago whether it would survive the economic slowdown.

Then, the small local restaurant is promoting a program to honor the Joliet area's emergency first responders such as doctors, nurses, police officers and paramedics. A "Feed A First Responder Program" plastic jar was placed on the main restaurant counter at Jody's. It's been a smashing success ever since.

Jody's is delivering 20 to 70 meals a day. Meals include Jody's chips, a soft drink and burgers or hot dogs, sub sandwiches, pastas, poor boys, Polish sausages and more.

"It's just kind of boomed. It's been great to serve the community," remarked one of Jody's managers, Tamera Wright.

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Joliet's AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center has been one of the regular recipients of the donated meals. It's a token of appreciation to the medical staff who are caring for the scores of coronavirus patients confined to a hospital bed or using a ventilator, Jody's told Patch.

Other meal donations have gone to:

• Joliet Fire Department's nearby Station 6
• Joliet Walmart on Jefferson Street's drive-thru coronavirus testing site where members of the Joliet Police Department are assigned to help with traffic
• The two Troy Township Fire Stations in Shorewood

On Wednesday, the Jody's crew made a large delivery all the way to the Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, near Interstate 355.

None of this would be possible, remarked Jody's owner, without the enormous generosity of Joliet area residents as well as several local businesses that are stepping forward and making donations.

All Jody's asks is that customers make a minimum donation of at least $5 for the First Responder Program; $5, the manager said, covers the costs for a sandwich, chips and beverage.

At the same time, Jody's owner Mike Villarreal told Joliet Patch, he is matching every donation from the community dollar for dollar.

On average, donations to the Feed A First Responder Program are "at least $20," Wright said

"We've gotten donations up to $100. It's a range. It's been a great, great service to the community," she said.

Villarreal said Joliet City Councilman Don "Duck" Dickinson also made a very large donation to the Feed A First Responders Program.

Nowadays, the Jody's delivery crew is becoming a regular presence at the parking lot for St. Joe's hospital off Glenwood Avenue.

"The hospital administration called and said they're very thankful," remarked Villarreal, who has owned Jody's the past 10 years.

Jody's customers can either walk inside and put money into the plastic jar or they can make a donation if they're paying for their meal by credit card, for example.

Jody's owner told Joliet Patch he wasn't sure how business would fare once the state of Illinois forced all restaurants to close their dining rooms to the public.

Fortunately, the Feed A First Responder Program is bringing the people of Joliet together, Jody's owner said. He also thanked Joliet resident Brian Bessler who runs the Joliet Area Restaurant Delivery/Curbside/Carryout Options Facebook page for helping generate the initial wave of publicity about the program.

Bessler came up with the idea of the Feed A First Responder Program and he told Patch that several Joliet area restaurants are now participating including: Babe's, Morris Chop Shop, Chefy's Kitchen and Catering, Gustos Bar & Grill, Jody's Hot Dogs and Sunshine Mexican Cafe - Party Time RJ!!!

"We appreciate the support of these businesses and all businesses and individuals making a difference in the efforts to provide meals to our first responders," Bessler added.

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Not only that, the owner of Jody's Hot Dogs told Patch he is making a point of venturing out into Joliet every day and purchasing food from other locally run restaurants for his employees.

On Wednesday, for example, he had picked up several items of food from The Sunshine Mexican Cafe, a new locally owned Mexican cafe that opened last September on the northern edge of downtown Joliet, along North Scott Street.

"I'm definitely supporting other smaller restaurants. I believe in unity," Villarreal told Patch.

Jody's is staying open from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, depending how busy it is. Jody's is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.

It's closed Sunday.

The phone number for carryout is 815-729-0251. The online menu for Jody's Hot Dogs is here.

In September 2018, Joliet Patch's Editor did a food review on Jody's: "Jody's Hot Dogs: Patch Editor Tries The Fries."

In recent days, Jody's was one of the small businesses to fill out Joliet Patch's simple online survey to let everyone know whether they are open and current hours of operations during the coronavirus outbreak. Nearly 100 Joliet businesses have been added to Patch's list.

If you still want to add your small local business to Joliet Patch's growing list of open and closed businesses, you can do so here.

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