Baker's Square Auction This Week, Will New Owner Emerge?

JOLIET, IL — At a time when many of Joliet's empty restaurants are being acquired and brought back to life, Joliet's empty Baker's Square will be the subject of a property auction set to occur Thursday. It's a sealed bid auction.

Baker's Square closed in March 2019. Efforts to sell the property at 2211 West Jefferson St. did not materialize. The property listing on LoopNet has the building priced at $475,000.

In 2019, the property owners hoped to fetch $1.25 million.

"Previously used as a Baker’s Square, the restaurant is built-out with a large dining room, a commercial kitchen, coolers and storage," the real estate listing reads.

The sign promoting Thursday's auction lists Dan Hyman of Millennium Properties as the point person. His phone number on the sign is 312-338-3003.

The Baker's Square is next to the empty Senor Tequila property, which was recently made into a public nuisance by the Joliet City Council. That's because the property owners, Basinger's Pharmacy across the street, don't have the money to tear it down and build a new pharmacy and liquor store as they wanted to do five years ago.

There is a large chain link fence around the Senor Tequila property nowadays to keep the vagrants away.

On the opposite side of the Baker's Square, World Vape & Tobacco Wholesale opened in September, filling a storefront in the mostly empty strip mall along West Jefferson Street across from the Marycrest Plaza.

World Vape & Tobacco covers its windows so people can't see inside. Advertising signs on the windows promote premium cigars, glass pipes and hookahs.