Walt’s Ice Cream Joliet opens to flurries, lines of customers

A longtime Joliet ice cream shop opened on Saturday to snow flurries, cold winds – and plenty of business.

Walt’s Ice Cream at 1314 W Jefferson St. in Joliet traditionally opens for the ice cream season on March 1, according to Bill Dillon, who co-owns Walt’s Ice Cream with his siblings Mike Dillon and Victoria Dillon.

“We never had snow on opening day,” Bill Dillon said.

But the winter weather couldn’t deter loyal fans of Walt’s Ice Cream, who didn’t mind waiting in line for their turn to order.

“I waited all year for it,” said Karen Barnett of Joliet, who typically brings her grandsons with her. “It has the best ice cream, the best price, the best people.”

Barnett said she ordered an Oreo, cookie dough Wizard.

Corey Bulliner of Channahon said he “always comes on day one,” a tradition that’s at least 15 years old for him. And he brings the family, “six of us,” he said.

No one orders the same ice cream, though.

“I get the caramel sundae, the kids get Superman and birthday cake,” Bulliner said. “It’s always good.”

By 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Walt’s Ice Cream had served approximately 100 people on opening day, Bill Dillon said.

“It didn’t even hit 30 degrees for the high, but some people were out here with shorts,” Bill Dillon said.

“I waited all year for it.”

—  Karen Barnett of Joliet

Mention Walt’s Ice Cream, which was established in 1926, to any longtime Jolietan, and you’ll most likely hear, “I used to work there when I was in high school” or “It was my kid’s first job,” according to a 2021 Herald-News Mystery Diner story.

In addition to soft-serve ice cream with optional “dips,” sundaes and Wizards, Walt’s Ice Cream also sells shakes, malts, floats, slushes and hard-serve ice creams.

A sign on the side of Walt’s Ice Cream says its 34 different flavors of ice cream is “the most flavors in the universe…and by far the most in Will County!”

In 2024, Herald-News readers declared Walt’s ice cream as the “best ice cream” in Will County, making Walt’s Ice Cream a Herald-News Readers’ Choice award winner – again.

Hours for Walt’s Ice Cream are noon to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

For information, call 815-302-4628 or visit facebook.com/waltsicecream.