Sale Of Syl's Restaurant In Rockdale Complete: Business Permit Sought

ROCKDALE — For more than two years now, the Syl's restaurant property along Moen Avenue in Rockdale has remained vacant, but that's not going to be the case much longer. This week, Mike McCatty of Century 21 Commercial told Joliet Patch that the empty Syl's Restaurant & Lounge at 829 Moen Ave. has been sold to a corporation.

McCatty said he was not entirely certain on the specifics of the corporation's plans, but he believed that a couple different business propositions have been discussed. One idea involves turning the Syl's building into an accessories and equipment shop for high-end expensive automobiles.

The other idea involved the opening of a cannabis dispensary.

He suggested that Joliet Patch reach out to Rockdale village officials to see if they have received any more definite plans on the future business plans at the Syl's property.

McCatty said he was 100 percent sure that Syl's will not continue to serve as a sit-down restaurant of any kind under the new ownership group.

He said the previous owners sold off all the restaurant furnishings, tables and equipment.

On Tuesday, Rockdale Village President Sam Wyke informed Joliet Patch that the former Syl's location will definitely not become a cannabis store. He said that a cannabis store would require a special use permit from the village board and that "nobody is filling anything out."

On the other hand, Wyke said that there has been an application for a new business license as well as a building permit for the new owners of the Syl's location to do extensive remodeling.

The village president of Rockdale said the new business license is for "Zuracan Underground" and that the business license applicant wants to sell auto accessory parts and do detailing for fancy sports cars including the Nissan Infinity 350 and Corvettes.

The business licenses and building permits have been submitted to Rockdale and are still awaiting approval, Wyke said. "We were hoping to get a restaurant that would go in there and we'll see how everything else comes out, but it is definitely not going to be a cannabis store," Wyke noted.

Overall, McCatty said the village of Rockdale should be proud of the fact that Syl's was a community draw as a legendary steakhouse for so many decades. Syl's first opened back in 1946. The late Don "Duke" Williams and his wife Maura acquired the property back in 2019. The restaurant closed in 2023, months after Duke's death.

When Syl's was first put up for sale, Joliet Patch reported that the owners were seeking $1.1 million. However, in May of 2024, Patch reported that the new real estate agent for the listing, McCatty of Century 21, had lowered the price to around $640,000.

More Joliet Patch Syl's coverage in recent years:

Syl's Restaurant & Lounge: Big Change For 1st Time Since 1946

Price Drop: Syl's Restaurant And Lounge Now Under $1 Million