Eden's Bar & Grill Gets New Name, New Property Owner: 8-1 Joliet Council Vote

JOLIET, IL — At Tuesday night's meeting, Joliet Mayor Terry D'Arcy said he now wants to see the Eden's Bar & Grill continue under the direction of a new owner, Imad Mosbah, who plans to rename it Tony Place Bar & Grill.

D'Arcy said the new owner has a liquor establishment in Villa Park with an excellent reputation and is purchasing the property at 926 Gardner St., across from Nowell Park, and making a substantial investment in Joliet.

D'Arcy said he and Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra met with Mosbah and visited the property on Gardner Street, and they came away impressed with his plans and new ideas to make Tony Place a success and a positive attribute for the east side of Joliet neighborhood.

At the bottom of this story, you can read a recap of Joliet Patch violent crime stories dating back to 2018. Several people were shot or were victims of other violent crimes after patronizing the liquor establishment owned by Eden Mueller Wiechec.

On Tuesday night, the Council voted 8-1 in favor of D'Arcy's suggestion of approving a liquor license transfer to keep the long-time neighborhood bar in existence at the corner of Gardner and Doris Avenue. The neighborhood tavern was known for decades as Shortley's Corner, and it's just a block away from the busy Route 53 South Chicago Street corridor.

Only Councilwoman Jan Quillman voted against the liquor license.

She cited the fact that Eden's Bar & Grill had at least 22 Joliet police calls for service, including several serious crimes, as the reason for her vote against the project. Quillman said there's always been a problem with a neighborhood bar at 926 Gardner St., and "I just can't vote for this. I vote no."

On the other hand, Councilman Joe Clement remarked that "this guy has a great track record and I think you're spot on," in reference to Mayor D'Arcy's change of heart.

Originally, D'Arcy wanted the Council to reject the liquor license transfer, citing the police calls for service, but last week, D'Arcy wrote a letter to the Council explaining how he now supported the liquor license transfer to the new owner.

Here is a sampling of Joliet Patch crime stories involving Eden's Bar since 2018:

2024 story: Eden's Bar Shooting Solved By Joliet Police, Arrest Made: English

2024 story: Latest Eden's Bar Shooting: Joliet Police Arrest Felon From Clublands

2023 story: Woman Shot In Eden's Bar & Grill On Gardner: Joliet PD

2023 story: Trouble In Eden's Bar Parking Lot, Cocaine, Gun Found: JPD

2022 story: More Violence Outside Eden's Bar, Woman Hurt In Parking Lot

2021 story: Eden's Hit-And-Run Driver Injures 2 Women After Fight: Police

2021 story: After Shooting 3 Outside Eden's Bar, Gadson Draws Prison Term

2021 story: Eden Bar & Grill Sued By Woman Run Over In Parking Lot

2018 story: Captured: Gadson Faces Charges For 3 Attempted Murders