Twin Rail Pub: Indoor Dining Returns, Business Survival Cited

MINOOKA, IL — A number of area bars and restaurants are starting to look at their financial records and realize that if they continue to follow the orders of Governor JB Pritzker when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, these bars and restaurants are likely to be empty buildings in the near future.

Scott and Diane Breslar, long-time owners of Chapin's East Banquets and Twin Rail Pub in Minooka along Ridge Road Road, announced last week that the Twin Rail Pub is back open again for food and drinks.

Thursday, Dec. 3 marked the Twin Rail Pub's first day back in operation.

"This was not an easy decision to make," the owners announced on their Twin Rail Pub Facebook page. "We tried to follow the rules for as long as we could, as safety of our staff and customers is our number one priority, but we won't survive much longer if we do not open our doors again.

"With almost every other restaurant in our area open, we don't stand a chance of survival on just takeout service alone."

The Breslars said they fully expect to be the recipients of criticism for their announcement regarding Twin Rail Pub, "but we are not prepared to go down without fighting."

Joliet Patch produced a lengthy feature story back in April about the Breslars and their challenge of keeping their small Minooka bar and restaurant profitable during the pandemic. If you missed that story, you can find it here.