Jay’s Beef in Hardwood Heights opened up in 1976 under the original owner Justin Fortuna. Justin was originally in the dry cleaning business. He decided to start his own Italian beef restaurant with the help of his wife Muriel. Jay’s Beef was originally a small building but was rebuilt in 1994. This location has been serving the best beef sandwiches for years and many more to come. This location is run under the watchful eye of Justin’s son Jay.

Jay’s Beef in Schiller Park is the second location that was introduced to the Chicagoland area. This location is owned under Mr. John Fortuna who has been at this location since 1985. John is the second son of Justin and has made this location of a very respectable restaurant. This location is very inviting to the airport visitors as well employees. This location also invites many visitors of the surrounding areas to get their taste of a real Italian Beef. Jays Beef also makes deliveries to O’Hare Airport to fulfill the traveling person’s hungers.

Jays Beef in DesPlaines is run in unison by third son Frank Fortuna along with the helpful assistance of his mother Muriel. This location has been open since 2001 and this is the first Jays that introduced the drive-thru. This location is a very luxurious location and also houses plenty of seating areas for a quick lunch or family dinner. Frank has introduced a new area to Jay’s Beef and will keep introducing it to new people every day.

The newest location is in down-town Chicago and has immediately touched base with new individuals who haven’t tried a Jay’s Beef. The son of Jay Fortuna (Tony) has opened his own Jay’s to expand into the busy downtown area of Chicago. This location is in the heart of Bucktown and serves the many pedestrians heading to work or looking for a quick meal before their activities. Tony is the third generation of the family and has already set a base for the Jay’s Beef restaurants to continue for years to come