Juliet's Red Tagged, Owner Says 'We're Not Closing'

JOLIET, IL — For more than six years, Juliet's Italian restaurant and sports bar has been one of downtown Joliet's most popular places for family dinners and business parties. This week, the Will County Health Department taped two red tags to the front door of Juliet's, 205 N. Chicago St.

One red tag states: "The permit to operate this food service establishment has been suspended."

The restaurant phone is also disconnected.

"The number you are trying to reach is out of service," Juliet's phone proclaims.

One of Juliet's owners, Drake Rossi, contacted Joliet Patch on Tuesday afternoon telling Patch that he expects to have the issues with the Will County Health Department resolved and the red tags removed from his business in the near future.

"The stickers are for operation without a valid permit," Will County Health Department spokesman Steve Brandy told Joliet Patch.

Rossi said Juliet's has remained closed for indoor dining guests since early October. He has continued following the governor's restrictions prohibiting indoor dining and drinking in the interest of keeping everyone safe, Rossi told Joliet Patch on Tuesday.

"We're not closing," he stressed. "Our position is to remain open. We're going to continue to follow the government's restrictions on indoor dining and we look forward to serving the community soon."

Patch asked Rossi about the red tags placed on the front door of his business by the Will County Health Department.

He said the issue involving the licenses "has been addressed and it's been taken care of."

The owner of Juliet's said he anticipates the "red tags to be removed soon."

Juliet's opened in the fall of 2014 and promoted itself as "Italian comfort food & cocktails are served in this 19th-century building with a cozy atmosphere."

A lot of people have visited Juliet's over the years.

The Juliet's Facebook page shows 11,900 social media check-ins from customers and more than 3,200 Facebook likes and Facebook followers.

Juliet's also shows 474 Google Reviews and a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Last year, without a doubt, was a rocky year for Juliet's along with many other Joliet restaurants that focus on indoor dining.

Following the governor's orders, Juliet's stayed closed from mid-March until early July.

On July 8, Joliet Patch produced a news feature announcing that Juliet's was reopening six days a week for indoor dining. At that point, the number of coronavirus cases in Will County had dropped sharply.

"Yesterday was our grand reopening," Rossi marked during his July 7 interview with Joliet Patch . During the coronavirus shutdown, Juliet's did interior remodeling, installing new hardwood floors, Rossi said.

"We replaced the flooring, and we've been cleaning like crazy. Sanitation's been key especially with the pandemic you want people to feel safe," Rossi told Patch in July.

By the end of July, Juliet's slashed its hours of business closing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and no longer staying open during the lunch hour.

As of this week, the last time Juliet's posted anything on its Facebook page was September.

Joliet Patch first wrote about Juliet's opening in downtown Joliet in October 2014. In that article, the restaurant owners said the name, Juliet's, was a nod to the original name of Joliet.

The building, constructed in the 1890s, has served as several businesses, including a grocer, a shoe store, dentist's office and theater. Most recently, it was home to The Department restaurant, which closed in March 2014.