Old-time Diners at the Loop

Loop businesses in late 1960's; Mayflower's Lunch is below Pepsi sign

I thought I'd start out the New Year with a few posts relating to feedback that I've received about this blog.

A few months ago, I received an email from a reader named Ed, who was interested in seeing a photograph of "shops and a diner that stood where the city hall is now."

It's kind of a large area that Ed was talking about. I did find a vintage photo of the Loop businesses at that corner for him (from the Images of America book)  and there was a restaurant – Mayflower's Lunch – visible in the photo. I realized, however, that more research was needed to determine which diner he might be talking about.

There were two West Erie addresses in that area that had restaurants or diners through the years: 116 W. Erie and 216 W. Erie. As you will see, the businesses at those addresses seemed to come and go.

Around 1929, William Pupenbroke operated a restaurant at 216 W. Erie. By 1933, it was referred to as the Welcome Inn Diner in the City Directory.

Meanwhile, it wasn't until 1939 that the first restaurant was listed at the 116 W. Erie address, namely the Dixieland Quick Lunch.

Around 1940, Helen's Diner took over the 216 W. Erie address. By 1945, the 116 address went vacant.

Same view around 1950; Blue Castle Sandwich Shop at left

By 1947, a new restaurant was at the 116 address: the Blue Castle Sandwich Shop. Its motto: "We never close."

You can see the Blue Castle in the photo (reproduced from CENTURY: 100 Years of Lorain and Lorain Business History) at right; the bus is stopped in front of it on West Erie, and its sign is visible above the awing.

Despite its motto, in 1952 the Blue Castle Sandwich Shop was gone, and the 24-hour Butterfry Restaurant was in its place.

By 1955, Helen's Diner was replaced at the 216 W. Erie address by the C & R Diner.

Despite its intriguing name, the Butterfry was replaced by the Waffle Shop around 1958. (Coincidentally, the national waffle-themed chain of restaurants – the Waffle House – was being established in Atlanta around the same time.)

By 1960, the C & R Diner was replaced by the Dew Drop Inn.

During the mid-Sixties, things began to wind down. By 1965, the Dew Drop Inn disappeared from the City Directory, and that was the end of eateries at the 216 W. Erie address.

Around 1965 the Waffle Shop disappeared from the City Directory. From about 1967 to 1969, Mayflower's Lunch took over the address. Then from 1970 to 1971, the address is vacant, disappearing entirely in the 1972 City Directory (the same time the new City Hall showed up in the listings as being under construction).

After reading about all the restaurants at those two locations, I feel only one thing when I look at Lorain City Hall today: regret, over what urban renewal accomplished.

Given the choice between the enormous and rather dated-looking Lorain City Hall, and a diner that serves waffles – I'll take the waffles every time!

****

If anyone has any knowledge or memories of these or any other long-gone restaurants in this area (especially if you worked at any of them), please leave a comment! For decades, the City Directory listed a city comfort station at 300 W. Erie, and looking at the photo at the top of this post, it's hard to figure out which building is the 216 W. Erie address. Help!