![Dead Hardee's - Grayslake, IL | by [jonrev]](http://live.staticflickr.com/6174/6188216850_985bf42bbc.jpg)
Dead Hardee's - Grayslake, IL
Located on 83 and Center in Grayslake, this place has been around for as long as I can remember. It's constructed on a hill, which I presume was in the wake of the flood in 1986.
This restaurant originally opened as a Hardee's in the late-80s, and was one of the first fast-food restaurants in the village. It closed in December of 1996 in what appears to be a regional pull-out, and reopened shortly afterward as a 50s diner called "Twist Again". It only survived a year or so before closing and becoming "Charcoal Delights", a grill that in a decade seemed to become a staple in the community before suddenly closing in 2008 (makes me think they signed a 10-year lease). Finally the exterior went through a decent remodeling and it re-opened as Jack's Pizzeria and Burgers, adding a second location to their existing restaurant in Waukegan.
In March of 2011 a fire broke out overnight, but received little to no press beyond a YouTube video. Though, it gets better; the owners, and I presume most of their employees between this restaurant and the other in Waukegan, were arrested on May 5, 2011 on charges of drug smuggling. About $160,000 worth of coke, ex, and Vicodin are believed to have been distributed throughout Lake County. The delivery vehicles were seized.
Ultimately, early this month the Grayslake restaurant shut down, stripped all its signage, light poles and canopies, and even removed the old Hardee's pylon sign; and is once-again deserted. Something tells me the light poles and sign were sold for scrap as the Waukegan location is apparently still open, and now I presume this place will either rot for eternity or be demolished for another stupid corner drug store or coffee shop.
I ate at every business that existed here... Hardee's and Twist Again I can't comment on as I was too young, but I certainly remember Hardee's having a plastic ball pit. Charcoal Delights was pretty good at serving hockey pucks instead of burgers, or frying super-dry chicken. Jack's was actually pretty decent having almost everything you could think of on the menu. They did a few car shows in the summer of 2009, but most drivers were driven away when a club overran it.
It would be nice to see Wendy's or Steak n' Shake come in and actually make this joint profitable.
Dead Hardee's - Grayslake, IL
Located on 83 and Center in Grayslake, this place has been around for as long as I can remember. It's constructed on a hill, which I presume was in the wake of the flood in 1986.
This restaurant originally opened as a Hardee's in the late-80s, and was one of the first fast-food restaurants in the village. It closed in December of 1996 in what appears to be a regional pull-out, and reopened shortly afterward as a 50s diner called "Twist Again". It only survived a year or so before closing and becoming "Charcoal Delights", a grill that in a decade seemed to become a staple in the community before suddenly closing in 2008 (makes me think they signed a 10-year lease). Finally the exterior went through a decent remodeling and it re-opened as Jack's Pizzeria and Burgers, adding a second location to their existing restaurant in Waukegan.
In March of 2011 a fire broke out overnight, but received little to no press beyond a YouTube video. Though, it gets better; the owners, and I presume most of their employees between this restaurant and the other in Waukegan, were arrested on May 5, 2011 on charges of drug smuggling. About $160,000 worth of coke, ex, and Vicodin are believed to have been distributed throughout Lake County. The delivery vehicles were seized.
Ultimately, early this month the Grayslake restaurant shut down, stripped all its signage, light poles and canopies, and even removed the old Hardee's pylon sign; and is once-again deserted. Something tells me the light poles and sign were sold for scrap as the Waukegan location is apparently still open, and now I presume this place will either rot for eternity or be demolished for another stupid corner drug store or coffee shop.
I ate at every business that existed here... Hardee's and Twist Again I can't comment on as I was too young, but I certainly remember Hardee's having a plastic ball pit. Charcoal Delights was pretty good at serving hockey pucks instead of burgers, or frying super-dry chicken. Jack's was actually pretty decent having almost everything you could think of on the menu. They did a few car shows in the summer of 2009, but most drivers were driven away when a club overran it.
It would be nice to see Wendy's or Steak n' Shake come in and actually make this joint profitable.