The Meltdown Diner along Route 66 in southwest Tulsa will close its doors for good Saturday less than two years after opening. Owner Jim Hardcastle made the announcement Monday on the restaurant's Facebook page: Hardcastle sold a food truck he operated and used the proceeds to renovate a 1949 building at Southwest Boulevard (aka Route … Continue reading Meltdown Diner in Tulsa to close doors Saturday
Category: Restaurants
Outlook appears grim for Steak ‘n Shake restaurant chain
If you enjoy Steak 'n Shake or never have been to the restaurant chain founded 85 years ago along Route 66, you may ought to visit one soon. It may not be around in the next few years. Indiana-based Steak 'n Shake, founded in 1934 by Gus Belt along U.S. 66 in Normal, Illinois, contains … Continue reading Outlook appears grim for Steak ‘n Shake restaurant chain
Original Dew Chilli parlor in Springfield to be auctioned
The original Dew Chilli location in Springfield, Illinois, will be auctioned online after the regional restaurant chain closed it last year. Aumann Auctions, which sold the Sonrise Donut neon signs in December, is overseeing the sale. Online bids are being accepted for the building, property and kitchen equipment through 7 p.m. Wednesday. Here's what the … Continue reading Original Dew Chilli parlor in Springfield to be auctioned
Ramada Kingman, Canyon 66 restaurant to be sold by bankruptcy auction
The financially troubled Ramada Kingman hotel and its Canyon 66 restaurant will be up for bids via bankruptcy auction May 17, with the sale date of May 23. According to legal documents, the public sale date will be 1:30 p.m. May 23 at U.S. bankruptcy court in Riverside, California. The proposed sale price will be … Continue reading Ramada Kingman, Canyon 66 restaurant to be sold by bankruptcy auction
Switch is flipped on Ariston Cafe’s neon restoration
At 8:10 p.m. Saturday, the switch was flipped to show the restored neon signs and window accents for the Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, Illinois, during a relighting ceremony. The aim of the restoration was to show what the Route 66 restaurant looked like shortly after it opened in Litchfield in July 1935. The Ariston originally … Continue reading Switch is flipped on Ariston Cafe’s neon restoration
Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington holds its grand reopening
The Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois, held its grand reopening Friday, although the Route 66 restaurant had been open for several weeks to long lines to test its food offerings. Holly Barker and Tully Garrett purchased the long-closed restaurant in the fall of 2017. According to The Herald-News in nearby Joliet: Barker said they … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington holds its grand reopening
Restored Ariston Cafe sign reinstalled; relighting ceremony is Saturday
Historic neon signs that hung above the entrance of the Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, Illinois, for decades were reinstalled Monday after their restoration, days before a relighting ceremony this Saturday. Jim Thole passed along some details about the reinstallation by a St. Louis sign company: The "Ariston Cafe" sign had been repainted sometime during its … Continue reading Restored Ariston Cafe sign reinstalled; relighting ceremony is Saturday
Rebuilt Parkview Inn in Bloomington to reopen Wednesday
The Parkview Inn, which was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 2016, will reopen Wednesday morning at its old Route 66 location in Bloomington, Illinois. The reopening date, set last week, will occur in spite of a vandal who smashed a plate-glass window at the venerable restaurant over the weekend. The restaurant is insured for … Continue reading Rebuilt Parkview Inn in Bloomington to reopen Wednesday
Volunteers replace broken blade at The Mill in Lincoln
A group of volunteers on Friday repaired the blade at The Mill Museum in Lincoln, Illinois, that broke off during high winds a few months ago. High winds in December snapped off one of the faux blades of the windmill structure of the former Route 66 restaurant. According to the National Weather Service, gusts of … Continue reading Volunteers replace broken blade at The Mill in Lincoln
The tenuous Route 66 link to the century-old Casper’s diner in Springfield
Though I've written on this website for a long time (next year will be 15 years), I still occasionally discover things that I apparently have overlooked. Casper's diner in Springfield, Missouri, is one of those I've overlooked. And there may be a good reason for that. According to a recent article in The Standard, Casper's … Continue reading The tenuous Route 66 link to the century-old Casper’s diner in Springfield