National Restaurant Chain Under Construction In Joliet: Photos

JOLIET, IL — Construction for Will County's first Raising Cane's fast-food restaurant is well underway along Plainfield Road near the Louis Joliet Mall.

Eight months ago, Joliet's City Council approved plans to build a Raising Cane's double-drive through lane at the former Diamand's Family Restaurant.

In July, demolition cranes tore the old Diamand's restaurant building into pieces. Now, the rapidly expanding Louisiana-based chicken fingers franchise is getting to work in Joliet.

General contractors at the site Friday told Joliet Patch the Raising Cane's restaurant is expected to be done before the year's end.

Tom White, executive director at the Three Rivers Construction Alliance, told Joliet Patch the entire scope of the Raising Cane's construction work is 100 percent union labor and tradesmen.

According to White:

• MAPP, based in Dallas, Texas, is construction manager.
• The HVAC contractor is Value Pro Mechanical in Elgin.
• The electrical contractor is Carlyn Electrical Construction in Elk Grove Village.
• The plumbing contractor is Dependable Plumbing from Plainfield.
• The roofing contractor is Langlois Roofing from Kankakee.
• The concrete contractor is Elliot Construction out of Glen Ellyn.

Raising Cane's announced plans to enter the Joliet fast-food restaurant market just one month after Joliet celebrated the opening of the new Chick-fil-A.

"They are hoping to start construction this spring and get it open later in 2021," city of Joliet economic development director Derek Conley told Joliet Patch back in February. "I think it will be a great location. I think they will be very successful."

As previously reported, Raising Cane's has been a rapidly expanding fast-food franchise. Raising Cane's has a simple menu: practically every meal option involves chicken fingers.

There is one sandwich on the menu, but don't let that fool you. It's three chicken tenders on a toasted bun, plus lettuce and their popular Cane's sauce.

To learn more about what's in store for Joliet, visit the Raising Cane's website.