No April Fool: Joliet 1st Stop Cafe Marks Anniversary

JOLIET, IL — On April Fool's Day 2021, Patrick Fanning opened his new cafe called Joliet's 1st Stop at 318 South Chicago St. A number of people questioned his sanity, Fanning admits.

Why would he open a new restaurant along Route 53, a busy highway that has thousands of semi-trucks barreling along South Chicago Street heading into downtown Joliet?

Many restaurants across the country fail to last a year. The owners of several Arby's franchises re-opened their former Joliet Arby's on West Jefferson Street as Amigeaux's Sophisticated Street Food. After seven months, the three Louisiana business investors shut it down.

Meanwhile, Fanning's Joliet's 1st Stop is still operating, and Fanning is looking forward to a strong second year. What's his secret to success?

"Because it's just me," he said, laughing. "Because I'm able to handle it all myself, there's low overhead."

Joliet's 1st Stop Cafe originally opened Monday through Friday, but during the past seven months, Fanning has kept Joliet's 1st Stop open on Saturdays as well.

Business swings wildly, he said.

He can have a Monday of $16 in sales and a Monday with $300 in sales.

"You just don't know. You never know here," he told Joliet Patch. "People love the breakfast sandwiches. It's on Milano Bread and everybody loves Milano's."

Fanning said he's very proud that Joliet's 1st Stop has attracted a diverse regular crowd.

"It's young and old and all races," he said.

Fanning is known for out of the box thinking, and he offers different daily specials such as the $6 breakfast sandwiches or the $5.99 cheeseburger and fries.

While most restaurants shut down for the holidays, Fanning said he's had tremendous luck by staying open.

"I had 30 takeout orders by 8 a.m. on Christmas Day," he remarked. "And both snowstorms, guess what? I was open. Memorial Day, I will probably be open, at least in the morning."

Last summer, Joliet Patch wrote about Fanning's plans to have a pig roast. He had to cut off orders a day before the pig roast because he got slammed with more than he could handle.

"I did 137 takeout orders in 90 minutes," Fanning recalled.

Joliet's 1st Stop also offers a $5 special for Joliet high school students who show a student ID.

For $5, students can get a cheeseburger and fries or chicken tenders and fries.

"And I want to let everyone know they have been the nicest and most polite bunch of kids," Fanning said. "Two Thursdays a month, Joliet Central students get out at noon, and they bring their dishes back up to the counter. I'm really surprised and happy."

Patch asked Fanning what's in store for his second full year of operating Joliet's 1st Stop?

"Hopefully more specials," he said. "People are making good comments about my homemade sausage. I mean, I make it from start to scratch."

Two of his other customer favorites include "my breakfast burrito and my Philly."

As for the Philly steak sandwich, "I use real steak and not shaved beef," Fanning said.

Nothing is easy owning a small restaurant, Fanning said.

Inflation has been unbearable at times. Last summer, he paid $24.99 for 5 gallons of frying oil. "Now, it's $40.99," he said.

One of his funniest stories is about a man who walked inside Joliet's 1st Stop, asking where Fanning kept the video gambling machines.

When Fanning told the man he didn't have any video slots, the man stormed out in disgust.

"Somebody's got a gambling problem," Fanning said, laughing.

As for all the people around the Joliet area who predicted that Fanning's Joliet 1st Stop was doomed to fail, "I will be collecting my bets that I wouldn't be open," Fanning smiled.

Joliet's First Stop is open 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday and 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It's dine-in or carryout. The phone is 815-791-9837. Joliet's First Stop also uses DoorDash and Grubhub.