The future of the Gemini Giant on Route 66 in Wilmington, Illinois, is a lot cloudier after it was announced it and its restaurant will be sold at auction in April. James Bednar of Bednar Auction Service told the Kankakee Daily Journal the unique, 30-foot-tall fiberglass giant and the long-closed Launching Pad restaurant will be sold in one … Continue reading Gemini Giant, Launching Pad restaurant to be auctioned
Category: Restaurants
Springfield may add TIF district to section of Route 66
Springfield, Illinois, may add a tax-increment financing district to declining Peoria Road, which is historic Route 66 in the town's north side. TIF districts are where taxes from rising property-tax values are used to pay a part of renovation costs or infrastructure improvements for businesses. Anecdotal evidence existed the Peoria Road district was in decline, but WRSP-TV had … Continue reading Springfield may add TIF district to section of Route 66
Suit settled in Whisler’s Drive Up case
A restaurant in Springfield, Missouri, that was sued last year for using essentially the same name as the Whisler's Drive Up restaurant in Carthage, Missouri, will change its name this weekend after a settlement was reached. The Whisler's restaurant in Springfield will change its name to Springfield Sliders on Saturday, reported the Springfield News-Leader. The … Continue reading Suit settled in Whisler’s Drive Up case
More 1990s videos on Route 66
Anthony Reichardt has posted more than a dozen videos he shot during Route 66 trips in a 1959 Cadillac from 1992 to 1995. The latest batch includes an interview with Aleene Kay Albro, who co-owned Buffalo Ranch in Afton, Oklahoma, from 1953 to 1997. She died less than two years after this video, and Buffalo Ranch … Continue reading More 1990s videos on Route 66
Holbrook Dairy Queen sign allowed to stay
Less than two weeks ago, it was learned Dairy Queen wanted a franchise along Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona, to replace its 50-year-old neon sign. Hundreds of preservationists launched a Change.org petition and called and emailed DQ headquarters in response, asking it to allow the sign to stay at its longtime home at 1004 Navajo Blvd. … Continue reading Holbrook Dairy Queen sign allowed to stay
A history of The Tropics restaurant
Tami Goodrich, whose family owned The Tropics in Lincoln, Illinois, for 40 years, recently gave a presentation that delved deep into the history of the Route 66 restaurant. The New Herald News published a long article about Goodrich's presentation at the Palms Cafe Grill in Atlanta, Illinois, including a slide show. Many people already know … Continue reading A history of The Tropics restaurant
Old Dairy Queen sign in Holbrook endangered
A 50-year-old neon sign at a Dairy Queen restaurant along Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona, is in danger from the chain's corporate headquarters that wants to replace it with a more modern sign. David Heward, a Route 66 booster in Holbrook, wrote on the Save the Holbrook Dairy Queen Sign page on Facebook: Howdy folks! I have just … Continue reading Old Dairy Queen sign in Holbrook endangered
Mahan gas station moved to restaurant
The historic Mahan gas station that sat at the now-closed Shea's Gas Station Museum in Springfield, Illinois, was moved Sunday about a quarter-mile north to its new owner, Fulgenzi's Pizza and Pasta, reported the State Journal-Register. Owner Jeff Fulgenzi told the newspaper he plans to restore it as much as possible to its original state. It was placed … Continue reading Mahan gas station moved to restaurant
Group formed to restore The Tropics sign
A group of local leaders has been formed to restore The Tropics sign that once stood along Route 66 in Lincoln, Illinois. The committee includes those from Logan County Economic Development Partnership, Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County, Logan County Alliance, Mount Pulaski Courthouse Foundation, the city of Lincoln and family members of the restaurant's former owners, reported the Lincoln … Continue reading Group formed to restore The Tropics sign
A profile of Bagdad Cafe’s owner
A lot of people -- especially Europeans -- know about the Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs, California, and its draw as the setting for the 1987 film "Bagdad Cafe." But not many know about Andree Pruett, owner of the Route 66 restaurant for about 20 years. The Victorville Daily Press published a profile of Pruett. … Continue reading A profile of Bagdad Cafe’s owner