Cut 158 Seeks Another Business Continuity Grant Of $63,734 From Joliet's Taxpayers: City Hall

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet City Council's Land Use and Economic Development Committee will hold a special meeting next Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. and there is only one topic on the agenda: downtown Joliet restaurant operator Bill Dimitroulas is asking for another Business Continuity Grant, this one totaling $63,734 for his CUT 158 restaurant, next to the Rialto Square Theatre.

If the city approves the grant request, CUT 158 would remain the highest Business Continuity Grant recipient since the Joliet City Council established the program last year. The taxpayer-funded payments to CUT 158 alone would now total at least $141,505.

Dimitroulas owns three of the downtown Joliet restaurants and bars that have received significant taxpayer funding through the Business Continuity Grants. In addition to CUT 158, Dimitroulas operates Juliet's Tavern and Mousa Greek Tavern.

Last December, Joliet Patch reported the Joliet City Council approved an initial allocation of $250,000 from the general fund to establish the Business Continuity Grant, where funds of no more than $100,000 will be disbursed to qualified applicants, under the program parameters and meeting approval from the Council or City Manager Beth Beatty. For grants of more than $25,000, Beatty has authorization to fund the first $25,000, city reports show.

Joliet Patch has not produced any stories on the downtown Business Continuity Grants for the past several months. Back on Aug. 22, following a Freedom of Information Act request, Joliet City Clerk Lauren O'Hara provided Joliet Patch with all of the downtown Joliet businesses that had received Business Continuity Grants and how much money each business had received since the program was set up last December:

According to the city clerk's response, Joliet had funded $240,554 in Business Continuity Grants for fiscal year 2024 to a total of 10 recipients, all businesses on North Chicago Street.

As of late August, only one fiscal year 2025 grant had been awarded, totaling $5,215.

The following list constitutes the Business Continuity Grants that Joliet's taxpayers had funded as of Aug. 22:

Internode Greenery and Home, a garden and house plant store, 81 N. Chicago Street, FY 2024 Award: $13,107 approved on Jan. 22; FY 2025 award: $5,215 approved on July 31.

Chicago Street Pub, 75 N. Chicago St., FY 2024 Award: $33,034 approved on July 15.

CUT 158 Chophouse, 110 N. Chicago St., FY 2024 Award: $77,771, approved March 31.

Mousa Greek Tavern, 158 N. Chicago St, FY 2024 Award: $9,024 approved on March 31.

Juliet's Tavern, 205 N. Chicago St., FY 2024: $57,748, approved March 31.

AmaLove, 152 N. Chicago St., described as charming clothing store FY 2024: $5,542, approved March 31.

Kula's Jewelry & Loan, 174 N. Chicago St., FY 2024: $20,664, approved March 31.

Prison City Vintage, 72 N. Chicago St., FY 2024: $5,786, approved March 31.

Yura Nuna, 221 N. Chicago St., FY 2024: $8,804, approved June 4.

Blue Taco, 79 N. Chicago St., FY 2024: $9,073, July 31.