Joliet Chick-Fil-A Project 'Moving Forward', Opening Early 2021

JOLIET, IL – Chick-fil-A is coming to Joliet, but the popular chain restaurant that was slated to open this fall on Plainfield Road won’t open until early next year, city officials said Tuesday.

After the coronavirus pandemic delayed demolition of the former Lone Star restaurant at 2705 Plainfield Rd., the project will resume in mid-July and construction of the new Chick-fil-A double-drive-thru restaurant will follow in the weeks thereafter, Derek Conley, Joliet’s economic development specialist wrote in an email to Patch on Tuesday.

Conley indicated that he has spoken with the broker for the project and that construction on the new restaurant is “moving forward.” Conley wrote that while he wasn’t given a specific opening date, he expects the restaurant to open for business in early 2021.

Work at the site was slated to begin in April with a goal of opening in September. The Joliet Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variation for signage for the new 4,863-square foot restaurant in January, which signaled the beginning of work to begin in the spring.

Patch reported last fall that the city had engaged in conversations about bringing Chick-Fil-A to Joliet. After receiving 153 pages of correspondence that came from a Freedom of Information Act request, Patch learned that city officials had approved the demolition of the Lone Star Steakhouse and that a Chick-fil-A would be built in its place.