Recent shooting at Anthony's Restaurant & Pub could lead to the end of a family business

Within the past year, Anthony's Restaurant & Pub has faced serious issues regarding violence. The restaurant and late night bar located near the Louis Joliet mall has been the scene of numerous fist fights and most recently a shooting. The shooting took place on July 23 around 2:40 a.m. after a parking lot fight escalated. Two people were wounded in the incident: a 25 year old Joliet woman and a 31 year old Joliet man. The police described the two people involved in the shooting as black men. One man stood at about 5'11 and wore a red t-shirt, while the other stood at about 5'6 and wore a black t-shirt. It has now been over a month since the shooting and still no arrests have been made.

It was stated by a city official that the police have had over 130 calls for service to Anthony's Restaurant & Pub in the last three years. Because of this, the city and Anthony's have come to an agreement on a set of rules and regulations in order to keep the bar open. These changes include Anthony's not saying open any later than 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, along with the forfeiting of their entertainment license which allows for live music.

Anthony's Restaurant & Pub was originally named Samy's but coincidentally the owners changed the name to try to dismiss the violent incidents that were associated with the Samy's name. Once again faced with a crippling reputation,The Hohlastos family who owns the restaurant is trying to make money while getting bashed in the local news and losing business hours. Time will tell if the Joliet restaurant and bar will survive this turmoil, but it does not seem like another name change will do the trick.