Mokena Welcomes Jenny's Steak House to 191 South

Although it's been open for a few weeks in the restaurant section of , Jenny's Steak House got its official welcome to Mokena Thursday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

to replace Joe's Italian Villa in the restaurant area of the popular 191st Street bar. The restaurant also has a Chicago Ridge location.

Mayor Joe Werner said the name recognition Jenny's has should help draw diners—and sales tax dollars—to Mokena more quickly than a new place that has to build a reputation would.

"We'll probably get there faster," Werner said. "It's always better than the new start-up."

191 South had a prime location and a good bar crowd, but had Italian food service that wasn't doing so great, owner Jim Hanna said. Hanna decided to merge 191 South with another restaurant he owned, Jenny's Steak House in Frankfort.

"The time seemed to be right," Hanna said. "The restaurant end (of 191 South) just wasn't doing what it was capable of doing."

Meanwhile, Jenny's had name recognition but a location in Frankfort that wasn't setting the world on fire.

"We weren't going uphill," Hanna said of the Jenny's spot.

Hanna put the chef at Jenny's in charge of the kitchen but kept on the Joe's Italian Villa chef and several of the dishes, including the pizza and some of the more Cajun-themed foods. So far, the combination has seemed to work.

"I think you see all the people here tonight, so I think they're doing a brisk business," Assistant Village Administrator Kurt Zoellner said. "That's a good sign."

Hanna still owns the property in Frankfort and was able to find a restaurant tenant in barbecue joint .

Between , a Red Rock Bar and Grill opening in town and even soon tearing down to rebuild on the same spot, there has been a lot of motion recently in Mokena's food scene, Village Administrator John Downs said.

Werner said this is a good sign for the economy.

"There's more developmental activity now than we've seen in a couple years," Werner said. "That's kind of the beginning of things opening up and getting better."