This is kind of an antidote to my “You can never go home” thread from a couple of days ago. Are there any businesses in you area that have have been open for decades, mostly unchanged, to the point where they feel like a time capsule back to the era when they opened? Places that have been there so long they’ve basically become local institutions?
There are a few I can think of in the area where I grew up – I’m going to count businesses in both Davidson and Mooresville, NC, since we lived about halfway between the two towns:
[ul]
[li]The Soda Shop, Davidson, NC. Opened in 1951 as the M&M Soda Shop (Nothing to do with the candy; those were the first initials of the original owners). The place still looks pretty much like it did in the 1950s. The only real change apart from the name is that their menu has been somewhat modernized – I highly doubt they served wine back in the 1950s, or wraps, or salmon burgers, but Davidson is a somewhat wealthy college town and they’ve got to cater to their current clientele to stay relevant. They do keep the old classics on the menu – patty melts, and BLTs, and of course a wide array of milkshakes. And true their name they still have an old timey soda fountain and even serve phosphates. [/li][li]Turner Hardware, Mooresville, NC. Opened in 1899 – in business for a whopping 120 years! Classic late 19th/early 20th century hardware store. If you need some random fastener, or a new power cord for some appliance, they’ve got it.[/li][li]What-A-Burger, Mooresville, NC. NOT to be confused with the similarly named Texas chain! This is part of a small NC based chain of drive-ins dating from the early 1960s. There are at least two still operating. I’m not sure if they still have car hops; the last time I was there they had signs saying to order inside. But that was admittedly over a decade ago. Some of the Tripadvisor reviews mention car hops, so maybe they have them at certain times. It’s apparently the town’slongest operating restaurant (That countdown covers the whole county and numbers 1 and 2 on that list are in a different town). IIRC the burgers were pretty good but nothing really to write home about, but it remains popular with the locals. [/li][/ul]
And in the area where I live now – I can’t think of any in Folsom itself, I can think of several in Sacramento:
[ul]
[li]The Tower Theater: Opened in 1938, still an operating movie theater. Now they show mainly indie and classic movies. And as a bit of trivia it was the namesake for Tower Records – the record store’s founder started out selling records in his dad’s drug store, Tower Drugs, which was in the same building. The former drug store location now houses the Tower Cafe.[/li][li]Pancake Circus: The building has been a restaurant since the early 1960s, and has been Pancake Circus since 1970. The building is classic 1960s diner architecture with an upswept roof and a big neon sign, albeit a bit more understated than some mid century “Googie” coffee shops. Stepping inside it obviously hasn’t changed a bit at least since becoming Pancake Circus. It’s a time capsule of a coffee shop from that era, with red vinyl booths and a long counter lined with stools. And waitresses who call you “hon” and constantly come by to refill your coffee. And of course huge stacks of pancakes, although they do serve lunch as well. But you obviously go there for the pancakes – they serve breakfast all day. [/li][li]Jim-Denny’s Diner: Opened in 1934 and has been in it’s current location since the 1940s IIRC. I haven’t actually been there yet so I can’t comment that much, but check out the vintage neon sign in the photos. [/li][/ul]
I missed the edit window, but I forgot to add that it’s quite obvious that many of the patrons and Pancake Circus are regulars, based on their rapport with the waitstaff.
I lived a couple blocks from a movie theater. I just checked and it looked like it opened in 1941. They usually played family friendly (Disney type) movies. Last month I went by and it doesn’t look any different than it did in the 70s.
There’s quite a few up and down the road from where I am, including where I work. Some have changed a little, some more than a little, none to the point that someone who hadn’t been there in 20 or 30 years wouldn’t recognize the place.
For those in my area (Milwaukee, airport area), I’m thinking of Nite Owl, Packing House, Final Approach, Amelia’s, Pulaski Inn, Serb Hall (maybe, I’ve only been there once or twice). That’s all I got off the top of my head within a few miles of where I’m sitting, but I’m sure there’s plenty of others.
There’s a tavern in my city that’s been there since the 1940’s. There’s a unform shop that has always been open since I can remember, and I’m almost sixty-five. When I was in junior high there was, and still is, a Dairy Queen at the same location. I’ll have to think of some others.
Another one I thought of, Wolski’s Tavern. It’s been around for over a hundred years. Even people that don’t live anywhere near here (or in other states altogether) have run across “I closed Wolski’s” bumper stickers.
I suspect that once the Brits start posting in this thread they’ll probably tell us about how their favorite pub has been there since the 1700s or some such thing.
Just up the road about a mile or so is a funeral home owned by one of the founding families of the town (founded in 1853.) At least around here, funeral homes tend to embrace not changing much over the years, so it’s a stuffy, serious castle from another time.
Another block down there’s an animal hospital that’s been here for at least 35 years, in a building that’s at least 75 years old.
The Lobero Theater opened in Santa Barbara in 1873 although it was rebuilt in its current building in 1924. It’s the oldest continuously operating music venue in California.
Pretty much everything else has changed in Nashville – especially in the West End/Vanderbilt area – but Emma’s Flowers and Rotier’s Restaurant have been on neighboring lots since Rotier’s opened in 1945. (Other Nashville institutions, like Prince’s Hot Chicken and the Grand Ole Opry, have moved around a bit.)
Are pubs cheating? Because there’s a few pubs in my town which have been trading since the 17th century. The Hatchett Inn (1606) claims to be the oldest, though it’s not uncontested.
Cafe Revival has been a coffee shop since the early 18th century (exact date disputed)
If we can count theatres as businesses, then we also have the oldest continually-operating theatre in the English speaking world, the Bristol Old Vic (1766).
Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center in Wheaton. If you’re a musician in the DC metro area, especially on the DC/Maryland side, you know Chuck’s. Paul Reed Smith worked there in the 70s. Danny Gatton was a frequent customer. Stevie Wonder visits the store annually.
Beeker’s General Store in Pemberville, Ohio has been around for about 140 years. The type of items has probably changed over the years. Going from everyday groceries and necessities to penny candy and handmade/ local made items. I remember going there as a kid and Miss Beeker would be working behind the counter. She was probably in her 80s or 90s. She seemed to just fit right in with the store.
Tony Packo’s (in Toledo, Ohio) is a restaurant that has been open since the 1930s. If you ever watched M.A.S.H., you may have heard Klinger (played by Jamie Farr) mention Packo’s on the show a few times. Jamie Farr is from Toledo.
The Yakkity-Yak Diner in Apollo is an old stereotypical diner that has been around forever. I see that they’ve rebranded asThe Yak.
I was last in there maybe 20 years ago with my kids. The food was good, but everyone smoked. Seriously, the cooks always had cigs dangling, and the waitresses would all smoke at the register, setting their cigarettes down in an ashtray each time they serviced their customers. It was awful.
