New Joliet Restaurant Coming To Jefferson Street?

JOLIET, IL — Two men remodeling an empty building Friday on Joliet's West Jefferson Street told Joliet Patch they believe it will be a restaurant. The property has sat vacant since 2017.

Most recently, it was an Illinois Title & Loan Company. In 2019, Joliet Patch did a real estate story about the empty property at 1511 W. Jefferson St. asking readers what should be here?

City of Joliet economic development director Derek Conley told Patch on Friday afternoon that "we've had several inquiries for restaurants at that location."

Conley said that drive-thru fast-food restaurants have been gaining in popularity since the pandemic and the former Illinois Title & Loan, which was a Checkers several decades ago, "has a drive-thru lane and that makes it more valuable."

Joliet Patch has written numerous articles the past year about major changes within Joliet's restaurant landscape along Jefferson Street and Larkin Avenue.

In late November, the Louis' Family Restaurant closed at 1001 W. Jefferson St. as the sons of the retiring 73-year-old owner opened their new place, Louie's Waffle House, at the corner of Larkin Avenue and McDonough Street.

In the coming weeks, the much anticipated Pop's Italian Beef restaurant will open at the old Boston Market that closed on Jefferson Street during the pandemic.

At 1444 N. Larkin Ave. the IHOP was torn down in September and a Portillo's Pickup restaurant is being built in its place, with an expected grand opening in February.

In early March, Patch reported that a coming soon sign was displayed in a window in the 1000 block of Jefferson Street for a Jerk Flavors Jamaican cuisine restaurant said to be opening next to Louis' Family Restaurant.

Ten months later, the Jerk Flavors restaurant still has yet to open.