Joliet Subway Restaurant Not Approved For Occupancy: City Of Joliet Declares

JOLIET. IL — As 2025 draws to a close, Joliet's West Jefferson will be down one long-time fast-food restaurant and it's evident from last week's damage that the Subway sandwich shop cannot be salvaged. Yellow crime scene tape is stretched around the property in the 1700 block of West Jefferson Street. The Joliet Fire Department has placed signs throughout the windows of the building that read, "WARNING ONGOING FIRE SCENE INVESTIGATION DO NOT ENTER, DISTURB, ALTER DESTROY OR REMOVE ITEMS IN THE AREA."

The inside of the restaurant is filled with fire debris and piles of damaged wood; the Joliet Fire Department advised Patch a section of the ceiling collapsed into the main section of the restaurant because of last week's fire.

Joliet Patch previously reported that battalion chief Jim Batusich indicated that at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 22, the Joliet Fire Department responded to the Subway for a structure fire. An off-duty firefighter was on Jefferson in front of the business, when he noticed smoke from the roof. He went inside and alerted the workers there was a fire in the roof.

Company 6 arrived within 2 minutes of the call and found heavy smoke coming from the roof vents. Crews were met with heavy fire and smoke as they accessed a narrow staircase; the narrow stairwell to the cockloft had detached from the wall which made access impossible.

"Due to the dangerous conditions inside, crews went to a defensive attack to extinguish the fire," Batusich announced in his press release.