Margarita Flights Have Dock At Inwood Flying High

JOLIET, IL — When Illinois bars and restaurants could no longer serve dine-in guests starting March 16 because of the new coronavirus outbreak, The Dock at Inwood temporarily closed its Joliet restaurant and sports bar at 3000 W. Jefferson St.

The Dock stayed closed for two entire weeks.

The ongoing closure gave owner Rick Trafton a chance to reassess his business, which had opened in December 2018 inside the Joliet Park District's Inwood Recreation Center.

Then, three weeks ago, The Dock reopened with a stripped-down carryout menu. And there's one item on the menu that has taken off "like crazy," Trafton told Patch.

The Dock's Margarita Flights on the Fly have been a huge hit with Joliet area drive-up customers. Business has been so strong that The Dock has created two separate lines for vehicles pulling up to pick up their carryout orders.

At one point Friday night, 30 to 40 vehicles were lined up in the Joliet Park District parking lot waiting for carryout orders, Trafton told Joliet Patch on Sunday evening.

"With the margarita flights, to tell you the truth, the community has been wonderful to us," Trafton said.

Don't miss updates about precautions in the Joliet area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

Since reopening, Trafton said, The Dock has donated numerous free pizzas to the Joliet Fire Department, Joliet Police Department and employees at the nearby AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center.

"And those are the people that are coming in and giving back to us now," he said.

He and his brother, Mike, are both retired members of the Joliet Police Department. Mike Trafton was the Joliet police chief.

During the past three weeks, The Dock has sold 1,500 margarita flights, Rick Trafton said. "I never would have anticipated this," he said.

The Dock offers four margarita flights for $12. The Dock has 18 flavors of margaritas available including blueberry, coconut, pineapple, mango, passion fruit, watermelon, original strawberry banana, key lime pie and many more.

Before the coronavirus crisis, The Dock sold an average of 150 margarita flights per week. During the past three weeks, The Dock has averaged "500 a week now," Trafton said. "This past Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we went through 80 gallons of margaritas. It's crazy."

"We promise these flights won’t be cancelled!! You can now enjoy them in the comfort of your own home," The Dock's website says.

The Dock wanted to thank local resident Brian Bessler for all his social media promotions at his new Facebook page, Joliet Area Restaurant Delivery/Curbside/Carryout Options.

"The push we got from new clients has been 70 percent," Trafton said. "The feedback we're getting on Facebook has been great. It's been wonderful."

The Dock also is rolling out some new menu items this week.

There's a new macaroni and cheese, a couple of new pizzas, and a new hot-and-spicy Asian wing sauce for wings and fries.

The Dock continues to offer boneless wings and fries, burgers, chicken tenders and a chicken sandwich.

Customers are encouraged to order online. Otherwise, people can still place their carryout order by calling 815-630-3966.

The Dock is now staying open 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 to 9 p.m. Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. To check out The Dock's menu, go here.

One last crazy thing: Last summer, The Dock introduced its "Dogs On the Deck at The Dock" promotion.

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, The Dock can't have customers and their furry pets hanging around its patio. But that is not stopping the Trafton brothers from bringing back their animal-friendly food promotion in a new way.

Beginning this week, The Dock is selling a takeout meal tailored for dogs. It's called the "Frisbee Feast."

For $5.99, your dog will get a chicken or beef patty served on a red plastic frisbee, with carrots, a scoop of ice cream and a dog biscuit. "Don’t forget about the pups," The Dock wrote on its Facebook page.

The Dock at Inwood is one of the most recent local restaurants to fill out Joliet Patch's simple survey to let everyone know they are open and their current hours of operation. About 130 Joliet businesses have been added to Patch's list so far. Joliet Patch continues to write human-interest profiles on Joliet-area businesses during the ongoing health crisis.

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

Related:

Illinois Coronavirus Update April 20: 1,290 Deaths

Illinois Sees Steep Drop In Coronarvirus Deaths April 19

K Ribs BBQ Offers Family Platter During Coronavirus