New Chicken Restaurant Opens In Joliet

JOLIET, IL — Years ago, a member of the Joliet Police Department told Joliet Patch to pay close attention in that for every new restaurant that opens around Joliet, another one closes.

But maybe it's the other way around. After all, Joliet just saw its only west side Pop's Italian Beef go out of business at 1866 West Jefferson Street, over near Larkin Avenue. However, there is no time for despair. That's because Joliet's foodies began rejoicing and sharing the great news on Tuesday that Joliet's first Fry The Coop chicken restaurant just opened for business.

Fry The Coop replaced the Mooyah Burger in the same brick restaurant building as the Chipotle Mexican Grill and Pot Belly Sandwich Shop, at 2611 W. Jefferson St.

"Yes, our chicken is 100 percent Halal certified," the Fry The Coop website explained. "However, we fry all our chicken and fries in beef fat. Unfortunately, that beef fat is not Halal. Currently, Halal certified beef fat does not exist in large quantities for restaurants. We have looked everywhere! When it is accessible, we will make it happen, but that may not be for 2-5 years."

You are probably wondering, will Joliet residents flock to Fry The Coop by the thousands?

After all, every time a new fast-food restaurant in Joliet opens, practically everyone has to rush out to the new restaurant on the first or second day that it opens, rather than wait a couple weeks for the hype and buzz to subside.

Another question you're probably thinking about concerns the potential for traffic congestion along West Jefferson Street. Will the customer lines at the new Fry The Coop become so enormous that the Joliet Police Department will be summoned to help direct traffic in and out of the new restaurant?

So, what exactly is Fry The Coop?

Joliet Patch reported back in March that the menu for Fry The Coop restaurant features the following items:

• Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
• Chicago Hot Chicken Sandwich
• Cheese and Chicken Sandwich
• Spicy Butter Fried Chicken Sandwich
• Donut Fried Chicken Sandwich
• Veggie Sandwich
• Tender Plate: 3-piece tender plate
• Chicken Tender Flight: 6 jumbo chicken tenders
• 6-piece chicken nuggets
• 12-piece chicken nuggets
• 30-piece chicken nuggets
• Chicken and Waffles: Double fried chicken and waffles in beef tallow chicken tenders
• Messy Fries
• Beef Tallow House Fries
• Seasoned Fries
• Cheesy Fries
• Mac and Cheese
• Potato Salad
• Cole Slaw
• Side of Pickles
• Cheese Sauce