Olive Garden Wanted Tax Incentives To Come To Joliet: Capparelli

JOLIET, IL — Several months ago, Olive Garden officials approached the City of Joliet seeking tax incentives as part of their plans to build a new fine-dining Italian restaurant near Interstate 55 and Route 30, Joliet City Manager Jim Capparelli told Patch.

A retired colonel in the Army, Capparelli said he rejected Olive Garden's request seeking various tax incentives to build at The Boulevard, the new development off I-55 anchored by the Costco store.

"We have places in the city that are designed for tax incentives, TIFs," Capparelli said. "This was not one."

Capparelli said there was no reason for Joliet to provide tax incentives, given that the property off I-55 and Plainfield Road is prime commercial real estate.

On the other hand, if Olive Garden had wanted to locate in one of Joliet's Tax Incremental Finance districts, such as downtown Joliet and certain portions of Jefferson Street deemed blighted, then tax incentives may have been available, Capparelli said.

Last December, for instance, Joliet approved a host of property tax incentives for Tony's Fresh Market to redevelop the vacant Kmart. The building at the corner of Larkin and Jefferson was built in the 1960s and has been empty since Kmart closed at the end of 2016.

After getting off to a slow start, the interior remodeling for the future Tony's Fresh Market has been underway since fall.

Capparelli said that Olive Garden has not told him a specific date when they hope to open their new Joliet restaurant.

"I don't know what their timeline is looking like," Capparelli remarked Monday.

Overall, Capparelli said, this has been a great year of revitalization and redevelopment around the Joliet restaurant industry.

He pointed to the empty Boston Market converted into a Pop's Italian Beef; construction is well underway for the new Raising Cane's at the former Diamand's property; and Chick-fil-A opened in January at the former Lone Star Steakhouse lot.

The Portillo's Pickup restaurant, the company's first triple drive-thru location in Illinois, is being built at the former IHOP property at the North Ridge Plaza at 1444 N. Larkin Ave.

In downtown Joliet, CUT 158 Chophouse restaurant owner Bill Dimitroulas plans to quadruple his restaurant and bar space as he moves into John Bays' Two Rialto Square property during the month of January.

And in December, Michael and Nick Polimenakos will open their Louie's Waffle House at the former Bob Evans at the Larkin Avenue exit for Interstate 80.

Related Joliet Patch coverage on Olive Garden:

Joliet Olive Garden: Patch Reader Reaction Tells The Story

Olive Garden Plans Joliet Restaurant Opening In 2022