Joey's Red Hots has moved across Wolf Road to 17259 Wolf Road in Orland Park. Photo: Andres J. DeLeon / DinerPhotos.com
Joey's Red Hots has moved across Wolf Road in Orland Park, but this was more than a change of address. After about a decade at the original location, owner Anthony Nardo says staying close to where Joey's started was important. The new location gives the company's flagship restaurant considerably more room, indoor dining and a setup that better fits what the business has become.
If you've driven down Wolf Road in Orland Park lately, you've probably noticed that Joey's Red Hots looks a little different.
Actually, a lot different.
After about a decade at 17400 Wolf Road, Joey's has moved across the street to 17259 Wolf Road.
The original location was the first Joey's Red Hots and became the home base for a business that has since expanded throughout the Chicago area. Joey's currently lists eight Chicagoland locations, with Orland Park still serving as the flagship.
So when it came time to find a new home, owner Anthony Nardo told me moving somewhere else wasn't really what they wanted.
Staying on Wolf Road mattered.
"That home base where we started and been there for 10 years," Nardo said when I asked why remaining so close to the original location was important.
Why Joey's Moved
The original Joey's had a certain charm to it, but it was also an unusual setup.
The operation was split between two small buildings, each roughly 1,200 square feet. The lease was also coming to an end, and Nardo said the aging property had become increasingly difficult to operate from.
After about a decade there, the space simply wasn't providing the kind of experience he wanted Joey's to offer going forward.
The new building changes that.
At approximately 7,000 square feet, the new Joey's puts the operation under one roof and provides considerably more room for customers. Nardo said the restaurant can comfortably seat around 100 people inside, with outdoor seating available as well.
The new Joey's has a much larger indoor dining area than the original Wolf Road location. Photo: Andres J. DeLeon / DinerPhotos.com
It's a major change from the original two-building setup, but Nardo said the idea wasn't to reinvent Joey's.
The menu and the people behind it remain familiar. The goal was to give customers a more comfortable place to enjoy what was already there.
A Bigger Joey's, But Still Joey's
Walk inside and the new building feels considerably more polished, but it doesn't exactly look like Joey's suddenly decided to become a quiet little café.
The walls are covered with Chicago imagery, Joey's memorabilia, photos and oversized murals. Red ductwork runs across the ceiling. Neon signs hang over the service area. One wall carries the familiar Joey's phrase, "Just Like the Old Neighborhood."
Made in Chicago mural and Joey's Red Hots artwork inside the new Orland Park restaurant. Photo: Andres J. DeLeon / DinerPhotos.com
There's also a full service counter, a much larger dining room and separate areas for the different parts of the Joey's operation.
The new location brings the restaurant operation together under one roof. Photo: Andres J. DeLeon / DinerPhotos.com
The move also gives Joey's more control over its long-term future on Wolf Road. Nardo said the property is controlled through their company, something that gives the business more certainty than it had at the previous location.
For a restaurant that started on this stretch of Wolf Road and has since grown into multiple locations, that appears to be an important part of the move.
Take a Look Inside the New Joey's
Photographer Andres J. DeLeon put together this look inside the new restaurant shortly after the move.
Video: Andres J. DeLeon / DinerPhotos.com. Used with permission.
The Flagship That Started It
Joey's has grown well beyond Orland Park.
The company currently lists locations in Orland Park, New Lenox, Chicago, Crest Hill, Justice, Riverdale, Orland Hills and Burbank. Nardo has also said another location is in the works in Cicero.
But he still considers Orland Park the flagship.
That's part of what makes moving directly across Wolf Road interesting. Joey's could change the building without really leaving the place where the brand established itself.
Joey's has expanded beyond its restaurants with catering and branded food trucks. Photo: Andres J. DeLeon / DinerPhotos.com.
The business has also grown beyond traditional restaurant locations through catering and its fleet of food trucks.
Even the Horse Made the Move
There was one other piece of the old Joey's that apparently wasn't getting left behind.
The horse.
The painted horse that became a familiar sight outside the original Orland Park location has a story of its own.
Nardo told me the horse is connected to Horses of Honor, a public-art project created to honor police officers killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty while supporting police-related charities.
The project uses life-size fiberglass police-horse statues painted by artists, with individual horses dedicated to fallen or severely injured officers.
The Joey's horse has been documented outside the Orland Park restaurant since around 2016, carrying its distinctive tiger-style paint scheme along with Chicago Police imagery.
Nardo said keeping the horse is also a reflection of Joey's support for police and the surrounding community.
And when Joey's crossed Wolf Road, the horse came along too.
Still Part of the Community
When I asked Nardo what he wanted people to know beyond the move itself, he kept coming back to the community.
He said Joey's is thankful for the support it has received from Orland Park and the people who have supported the restaurant over the years, and that giving back has become part of how they view the business.
That's also why this story caught my attention.
It's easy to drive past a restaurant, a shop or another local business for years without knowing much about the people behind it or how it got there.
Joey's started with one location on Wolf Road. About a decade later, there are locations across the Chicago area, food trucks on the road and a much larger flagship restaurant sitting almost directly across from where the whole thing started.
Sometimes there's a little more behind the sign than we realize.
I'm looking for more of the people, businesses and local stories that make the southwest suburbs what they are. If there's somebody you think I should know about, send it my way here.
Where Is the New Joey's Red Hots?
Joey's Red Hots & Pizza
17259 Wolf Road
Orland Park, IL 60467
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week
Restaurant: 708-478-6200
Catering: 708-654-8000
- Joey's Red Hots moved from 17400 Wolf Road to 17259 Wolf Road in Orland Park in October 2026.
- The original Joey's operated from two roughly 1,200-square-foot buildings.
- The new location is approximately 7,000 square feet and can seat around 100 people inside, with additional outdoor seating.
- Owner Anthony Nardo says remaining on Wolf Road was important because Orland Park is where Joey's started and remains the company's flagship.
- Joey's currently lists eight Chicagoland locations, with another location planned in Cicero.
- The familiar painted police-horse statue from the original Orland Park restaurant made the move to the new location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Joey's Red Hots move in Orland Park?
Joey's Red Hots moved across Wolf Road from its longtime location at 17400 Wolf Road to 17259 Wolf Road in Orland Park.
Why did Joey's Red Hots move?
The lease at the original property was ending, and owner Anthony Nardo said the aging two-building property no longer provided the space and customer experience he wanted for the restaurant. The new location brings the operation under one roof and provides significantly more dining and operating space.
How big is the new Joey's Red Hots?
The new Orland Park location is approximately 7,000 square feet. Nardo said it can comfortably seat around 100 people indoors, with outdoor seating also available.
Is the Orland Park Joey's still the flagship location?
Yes. Nardo says Orland Park remains Joey's flagship and home base. It was the original Joey's Red Hots location before the business expanded to other communities around Chicagoland.
Did the menu change when Joey's moved?
Nardo said the move was about improving the space and customer experience rather than changing what Joey's is known for. The restaurant continues to serve its familiar Chicago-style menu at the new location.
Sources & Reporting
- Direct correspondence with Joey's Red Hots co-owner Anthony Nardo, October 2026.
- Joey's Red Hots official website
- Orland Park Patch: Joey's Red Hots moves across Wolf Road
Reporting note: This article includes information provided directly by Joey's Red Hots co-owner Anthony Nardo, along with publicly available business information and independent reporting. Photographs and video credited to Andres J. DeLeon / DinerPhotos.com are used with permission.