Copyright Joliet, IL Patch
On November 15, 1969, Dave Thomas opened his very first Wendy's restaurant in Columbus, Ohio at 257 East Broad Street. JOLIET, IL — On Monday, Joliet Patch broke the news that Joe's Hot Dogs at 810 Plainfield Road is now for sale at $1.2 million. As it turns out, Joe's Hot Dogs is not the only long-time Joliet fast-food restaurant on the market. The Wendy's Restaurant at 110 South Larkin Avenue is also for sale. According to the listing on the Crexi commercial website, the Joliet Wendy's is "unpriced." Potential buyers are also advised that the fast-food restaurant property will be vacant as of Feb. 2, 2026. Under the category for "Occupancy," the real estate listing reads "Vacant." The listing on Crexi also blurred the name "Wendy's" from the photo showing the property. The Joliet property simply states, "Drive-Thru Restaurant on Busy Larkin Avenue." "Existing 2,842 square foot drive-thru restaurant building in move-in-ready condition," the listing reads. "Situated on a .72-acre parcel on bustling Larkin Avenue which carries 28,200 vehicles per day in front of the parcel, just north of the full interchange with Interstate 80. Strong daily needs traffic drivers in the area including Tony’s Fresh Market, Sam’s Club, Jewel-Osco, and Planet Fitness." Citadel Property Advisors out of Chicago is listed as the company trying to sell the Joliet Wendy's property. "Available February 1, 2026. While Tenant is in operation, please do not disturb Tenant’s business or its employees," the listing reads. These days, there are three Wendy's restaurants in business in Joliet. In addition to the one on Larkin Avenue, there's the restaurant on Center Street at the intersection of West Jefferson. The other one has been open for decades along Plainfield Road on the backside of the Louis Joliet Mall. This month, there have been a flurry of national news stories reporting the Wendy's corporation will be closing hundreds of more restaurants because of declining revenue. WGN, Chicago's Very Own Channel 9, aired a story this week headlined, "Wendy’s to close hundreds of US stores in bid to halt falling profit." According to WGN, Wendy’s plans to close hundreds U.S. restaurants over the next few months to boost its profit and make its remaining stores more appealing. Wendy’s ended the third quarter with 6,011 U.S. restaurants. If 5 percent of those locations were impacted, it would mean 300 store closures, according to WGN.
