Business & Tech
Chipotle, Panera, Aldi and Sparkle Car Wash Opening on Jefferson
The Joliet City Council approved site plans and permits for two new developments -- one at Caterpillar Drive and the other near Infantry Road.
A Panera Bread, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Adli food store will be built on the site of the old Dukes Dodge dealership on Jefferson Street, and just down the block a new car wash is to go up on land next to D'Arcy Volkswagen.
All four businesses received Joliet City Council approval Tuesday night.
The first three are part of a development proposed by Jerry Cairo for 4-acre site at Jefferson Street and Caterpillar Drive, almost directly across the street from the Starbucks strip mall, also built by Cairo.
The Aldi will be a free-standing, 16,400-square-foot building and the Panera and Chipotle will be housed in a second building with each allocated 7,570 square feet. A third 4,000-square-foot building does not yet have a tenant.
Aldi will be vacating its current location at 1820 W. Jefferson St. once the new building at 2617 W. Jefferson is ready to open about a year from now.
Panera and Chipotle both already have successful Joliet locations -- the former in the Louis Joliet Mall and the latter off Plainfield Road near the mall -- that will remain open.
When asked by council members if the new buildings would be of similar high-caliber construction to those found in other suburbs, Cairo assured them they would.
"I believe the buildings will be high quality and built with first-class products," he said. "They're going to be built to last a long time. You can see that with the Starbucks across the street."
Councilman Jim McFarland praised Cairo for proposing a development that will help upgrade the Jefferson Street business corridor.
"I think this is a shot in the arm to a corner that's been blighted for so many years," he said.
Two blocks away, a new Sparkle Express Car Wash is to be built at 2831 W. Jefferson St.
It will be the third car wash facility located on or near Jefferson Street between Essington Road and Larkin Avenue, competing with Delta Sonic at 1812 W. Jefferson St. and Motor Mat at 77 Republic Ave., about a half block north of Jefferson.
Sparkle, part of a franchise that already has a location in Oswego, offers drive-through service and provides free vacuum stands for customer use. It will be open every day other than Christmas, with hours likely to be either 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. There will be no detailing services.
The council approved a special use permit and a drive-through window permit for the business.
The first three are part of a development proposed by Jerry Cairo for 4-acre site at Jefferson Street and Caterpillar Drive, almost directly across the street from the Starbucks strip mall, also built by Cairo.
The Aldi will be a free-standing, 16,400-square-foot building and the Panera and Chipotle will be housed in a second building with each allocated 7,570 square feet. A third 4,000-square-foot building does not yet have a tenant.
Aldi will be vacating its current location at 1820 W. Jefferson St. once the new building at 2617 W. Jefferson is ready to open about a year from now.
Panera and Chipotle both already have successful Joliet locations -- the former in the Louis Joliet Mall and the latter off Plainfield Road near the mall -- that will remain open.
When asked by council members if the new buildings would be of similar high-caliber construction to those found in other suburbs, Cairo assured them they would.
"I believe the buildings will be high quality and built with first-class products," he said. "They're going to be built to last a long time. You can see that with the Starbucks across the street."
Councilman Jim McFarland praised Cairo for proposing a development that will help upgrade the Jefferson Street business corridor.
"I think this is a shot in the arm to a corner that's been blighted for so many years," he said.
Two blocks away, a new Sparkle Express Car Wash is to be built at 2831 W. Jefferson St.
It will be the third car wash facility located on or near Jefferson Street between Essington Road and Larkin Avenue, competing with Delta Sonic at 1812 W. Jefferson St. and Motor Mat at 77 Republic Ave., about a half block north of Jefferson.
Sparkle, part of a franchise that already has a location in Oswego, offers drive-through service and provides free vacuum stands for customer use. It will be open every day other than Christmas, with hours likely to be either 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. There will be no detailing services.
The council approved a special use permit and a drive-through window permit for the business.
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