Joliet lines up for Fry the Coop chicken sandwich giveaway

People lined up by the dozens for the start of Fry the Coop’s chicken sandwich giveaway in Joliet on Thursday, and the line got longer as the event went on.

Owner Joe Fontana has done this before.

He was giving away chicken sandwiches at his 10th and newest Fry the Coop at 2611 W. Jefferson St. to celebrate its grand opening.

At a grand opening in Prospect Heights during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fontana said, “There was a two-mile line in one direction and a one-mile line in the other direction.”

The lines were not that long Thursday, but people continued to line up outside the restaurant for the grand opening that lasted until 10 p.m.

Fontana said 2,000 people registered via email for the free sandwiches.

“It’s great to see someone local be successful and grow his business,” customer Ken Smith said as he left with a bag of sandwiches.

Fontana is a Downers Grove resident. He and staff wear T-shirts that read “EAT LOCAL FRIED CHICKEN.”

Many of those at the grand opening were new to Fry the Coop but the restaurant actually opened in June, offering plenty of opportunities to visit before the grand opening.

Sandwiches range from the most popular Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich to the Donut Fried Chicken Sandwich, which, Fontana said, “gets everyone’s attention.”