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The Herald-News

Wendy’s in Lockport opening on Friday, rewarding early customers

The Wendy's restaurant under construction along 159th Street by Springs at Lockport residential property just west of Interstate 355 in Lockport on Dec. 15, 2025.

Wendy’s plans to reward the first 50 customers on Friday when it opens its new location at 16556 W. 159th St., Lockport.

Starting at 10:30 a.m., the first 50 guests who make any purchase will receive a “Dave’s Single Hamburger every month for a Year” certificate to celebrate the occasion, according to a news relase from Hamra Enterprises, a nationwide, family-owned restaurant operator headquartered in Missouri.

Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy’s restaurant in 1969, and the restaurant soon became known for. its “square beef patties, made from fresh beef, and iconic Frosty desserts,” according to the Wendy’s website.

Also on opening day, 20% of every purchase goes directly to the Lockport FISH Pantry. if the customer says “Frosty” at the register.

The new restaurant in Lockport is Hamra’s 29th Wendy’s in Illinois. Hamra Enterprises currently operates 102 Wendy’s® locations across five states.

The new Lockport location features the Global Next Gen restaurant design, which includes a kitchen engineered for speed and efficiency, a building optimized to reflect today’s digital ordering preferences, dedicated mobile and delivery pick-up points, and an enhanced drive-thru design.

This Lockport Wendy’s will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily and “plans to employ 45 staff members from the Lockport region,” according to the release.

Customers may order ahead with the Wendy’s app, use the drive-thru or get delivery.

For more information, wendys.com.

We welcome news about business developments in our communities. We appreciate hearing about local business comings and goings, new hours, expansions, and milestones in the Joliet area. If you have a tip to share for Eyes on Enterprise, email news@theherald-news.com.

Denise  Unland

Denise M. Baran-Unland

Denise M. Baran-Unland is the features editor for The Herald-News in Joliet. She covers a variety of human interest stories. She also writes the long-time weekly tribute feature “An Extraordinary Life about local people who have died. She studied journalism at the College of St. Francis in Joliet, now the University of St. Francis.