Joliet's Newest Starbucks Set To Open Soon

JOLIET, IL ? It's safe to predict that within the next month, Joliet's new West Jefferson Street Starbucks will be opening for business ? and that means thousands of Joliet citizens will be pulling into the former Bakers Square property to order their favorite Starbucks beverages.

The parking lot at 2211 W. Jefferson St. was lined over the weekend, and all the Starbucks coffee machines are inside the restaurant. The Starbucks redevelopment project is in the home stretch. The last thing that needs to happen is the hiring and training of the employees.

When Terry D'Arcy ran for Joliet mayor in 2023, the Bakers Square property was dilapidated, and the future of the property remained uncertain. The City Council eventually considered putting a marijuana dispensary at the location, but that project did not materialize.

Now that the Starbucks is opening, there will also be a new marijuana shop two storefronts to the east on West Jefferson Street. The Bisa Lina marijuana dispensary expects to draw 300 to 700 marijuana consumers every day once it finishes remodeling the former NAPA auto parts building along West Jefferson Street near Hammes Avenue.

Coffee and marijuana are helping Joliet's West Jefferson Street undergo its revitalization, but that's not all.

The Good Fellas Cigar Lounge will be opening this summer across the street next to the Rax Roast Beef, at the former Super China Buffet restaurant.

"Premium Cigar Lounge Featuring The Largest Selection of Cigars in the Joliet Area," the Goodfellas Facebook page proclaims.

Starbucks coffee. Recreational marijuana offered at affordable prices aimed at keeping Joliet's marijuana users from traveling to Michigan and Indiana. Top of the line premium cigars, plus a fancy humidor featuring a wide selection of product.

Joliet's West Jefferson Street is on the upswing.