After months of teasing its arrival into Kankakee County, owners of the Chicago area, Cajun-themed Saucy Crab restaurant chain opened their doors on the cusp of the holidays.
The Bourbonnais location of The Saucy Crab, 1315 Armour Road, officially opened Dec. 19, at the site of a former Bakers Square that abruptly closed this summer.
Attempts to reach Saucy Crab ownership for this article were unsuccessful, though staffers have been posting about the new location on social media, including the company’s Facebook page.
At a time when restaurant chains have been shuttering amid COVID-19, Saucy Crab decision-makers have been bucking the trend, opening additional locations in the second half of 2020.
Early this year, the ownership of The Saucy Crab operated locations in Evergreen Park and Tinley Park. A third location in Grand Rapids, Mich., also was added to the company’s portfolio.
One additional location, in Homewood, is also in the works, according to the company’s website.
The Saucy Crab previously operated under the name Hot ‘n Juicy Crab in Evergreen Park and Tinley Park. According to its Facebook page, the name change occurred June 1, leading into the additional locations as 2020 progressed.
While the general cuisine is the same from one location to the next, each Saucy Crab eatery has its own specific menu — a delineation noted on the main website.
The Bourbonnais menu has a range of items — from such traditional fare as soups, salads and sandwiches to more specialty cuisine, ranging from gator bites to different varieties of crawfish.
Bakers Square’s parent company, Nashville-based Blue Ribbon Holdings, has closed a number of locations this year, before and after the onset of COVID-19.
While the longtime eatery exited the Bourbonnais market, it still has 13 locations, including six in Illinois: Chicago, Gurnee, Melrose Park, Orland Park, Palatine and Woodridge.
