Olive Garden Plans Joliet Restaurant Opening In 2022

JOLIET, IL — The Olive Garden restaurant chain is building a new location in Joliet at The Boulevard, the major retail center development anchored by Costco, Joliet Patch has learned.

The new Olive Garden plans to be open in 2022, city of Joliet officials told Patch. This becomes the second major development at The Boulevard. Last November, the Costco store opened.

"I'm happy to hear this announcement today," Joliet's two-term Mayor Bob O'Dekirk told Joliet Patch. "This project has been pursued by the city and past mayors, and I am glad to have played a role in bringing Olive Garden to Joliet."

The Olive Garden will go right in front of the Costco facing Route 30, city of Joliet economic development director Derek Conley told Patch.

"It's good to have another restaurant select Joliet," Conley told Patch. "Since I've been here three and a half years, I've been told that Joliet residents were constantly asking for an Olive Garden to open in Joliet. It's good to see it come to fruition."

Mike Paone, Joliet Chamber of Commerce vice president, told Patch on Monday afternoon that the news of Olive Garden's expansion shows that Joliet's economy is strong and "it goes to show that a national chain that has long been sought is taking notice of all the positive developments and revitalization of the restaurant industry.

"This should be one of the biggest announcements ever. It should satisfy the thousands that have been hungry for the presence of Olive Garden for the past dozen plus years."

Brian Bessler, a licensed real estate broker with Karges Realty, told Patch that the announcement of Olive Garden coming to Joliet, "it's going to be huge news."

During the past few weeks, Bessler said, "there had been more and more rumors out there about Olive Garden and some validity to the rumors."

Bessler also runs the Joliet Area Bar and Restaurant Guide on Facebook, the social media group has more than 26,000 followers. Monday afternoon's topic of discussion?

You guessed it? The news of Olive Garden building in Joliet dominated the discussion thread in Bessler's Joliet area restaurant group.

"I have yet to figure out why people get excited over mediocre at best Italian food," one person commented.

"If they build it, we need a new restaurant to speculate is coming to town anytime something is under construction," another person responded.

"It’s one of my favorites I’ll work on weekends," one woman wrote.

"Soup, salad and breadsticks (expletive) yeah!" another person commented.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Joliet Olive Garden: Patch Reader Reaction Tells The Story