Mayor D'Arcy: Reject New Joliet Bar Proposed For 926 Gardner Street

JOLIET — Now that someone new is proposing opening up another bar inside one of Joliet's long-time taverns, formerly known as Eden's Bar and Grill at 926 Gardner St., Joliet Mayor Terry D'Arcy, serving as liquor commissioner, is against the idea.

At Tuesday night's meeting of the City Council, D'Arcy will urge the Council to go along with his recommendation of denying the transfer of a liquor license to a person identified as Imad Mosbah doing business as "Tony Bar and Grill."

The applicant for Tony Bar and Grill is not a convicted felon and has 15 years of experience in the sales of alcoholic beverages, city of Joliet records show.

Mosbah's application for 926 Gardner states that alcoholic sales would constitute about 80 percent of the business, and the form of entertainment at Tony Bar and Grill would consist of music.

According to the mayor's recommendation, D'Arcy is against the transfer of the liquor license because the previous liquor establishment, Eden's Bar & Grill, had a lot of problems with crime.

Last fall, Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English said a shooting that injured two women and one man happened at Eden Bar and Grill in the early morning hours of Sept. 22. Joliet police said at the time that the 29-year-old man sustained three gunshot wounds to his lower body, a 31-year-old woman sustained a gunshot wound to her right ankle, and a 25-year-old woman sustained a gunshot wound to the right leg.

The longtime owners of Eden's Bar and Grill in 2023 opened Tru Country Bar and Grill in Channahon and in September 2023, Mayor D'Arcy recommended the approval of the transfer of the liquor license at 117 N. Center St. the Last Chantz Sports Bar to Eden Wiechec, one of the longtime owners and founders of Eden's Bar and Grill on Gardner Street.

The property at the corner of Center and Oneida Street was one of Joliet's favorite bars for decades, when it was known as O'Charley's Irish Pub. O'Charley's closed in August 2021.

According to his memo urging the Council's rejection at the former Eden's Bar and Grill property, the mayor's letter reads: "Joliet Police Department states that in the past 12 months, there have been 22 calls for service to this location including several serious crimes. Based on this information, the transfer of a liquor license at this location would exacerbate existing law enforcement problems in the area. Joliet Police Department asks that this application be denied."