Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Kewtie Sandwich Shop

If you drive down Seventh Street from Broadway nowadays, in the middle of the first block you might notice two parking lots opposite each other on both sides of the street.

The parking lot on the south side of the street is where the Lorain Journal used to be located before it moved to its present location on Broadway. But the parking lot on the north side of the street is where the Kewtie Sandwich Shop was located at 204 Seventh Street.

The 204 Seventh Street location first showed up in the Lorain City Directory in the 1924 edition, as the home of the cabinet business of Frederick J. Hicks. Subsequent directories continued to list the Hicks cabinet business right into the early 1930s.

Finally, around 1933, the address became the home of the Kewtie Sandwich Shop, run by Arthur and Alf Damm.

1936 Lorain Phone Book Restaurant Listing
Alf Damm continued to be associated with the Kewtie right into the early 1940s.

It appears that a change in ownership occurred sometime around 1941. That's when a gentleman named Dave Adler became the proprieter.

Here's the ad announcing the change, which ran in the Lorain Journal on July 22, 1941 – 74 years ago this month.
It appears that the new owner really tried to make it a nice place with a more ambitious menu. He also promoted his local suppliers in the ad, including Bazley Meat Market, Baetz-Barber Dairy, Franklin Beverage, Arvay Potato Chips and Continental Coffee.

I'm not sure if it all worked out, because the Kewtie had a new person in charge by the time of the 1942 directory. Mrs. Rosa Creveling was the newest person listed. Strangely enough, by 1945 Alf J. Damm's name was associated with the restaurant again.

It was in the 1947 edition that Robert Lane took over the restaurant, remodeled it and renamed it Lane's Grill. Here's the ad announcing the changes, which ran in the Lorain Journal on July 14, 1947.
Robert Lane's name was associated with the restaurant until the early 1950s, when Ethel M. Dounds was listed as managing it.

I guess you can't keep a good name down, because by the time of the 1954 directory, the restaurant was listed as the Kewtie again.

Near the end of the 1950s, its listing in the directory changed to Szabo's Restaurant. And by the early 1960s, it was listed as the Ralmar Restaurant.

The Ralmar name continued to be listed in the directories until around the time of the 1973 directory, when the name changed to Frye's Lunch Counter. Two years later, the restaurant became the Montezuma Restaurant.

The 204 Seventh Street address was listed as vacant in the 1978 directory; the address disappeared entirely in the 1982 book.

12 comments:

  1. Any pics of the building ,or of the old journal?

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  2. Unfortunately not of the Kewtie that I'm aware of. I've seen some photos showing part of the Journal building at the library. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

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  3. The best steak I ever had in Lorain I bought at the Montezuma, back about '77, IIRC.

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  4. My grandfather was Al Damm and my grandma Marguerite spoke often of working at the Kewtie...

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  5. I've got some vintage ads from the Chronicle of the Kewtie in Elyria as well... that one was located at 250 Temple Court, described as the Masonic Temple Building across from the courthouse... pretty sure that is the location of the county admin building now and Temple Ct doesn't exist between Middle and East Avenues any more.

    If you have an e-mail address, I'd be glad to scan and send the old ads to you.

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  6. Hi William!
    Thanks for your comment! I’ll bet a lot of people remember your grandfather’s restaurant. And it would be great to see the ads. My email address is:
    danielebrady@hotmail.com

    Thanks, William!

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  7. My dad was Bob Lane who is mentioned in your article. I believe Damms always owned the building but I could be wrong. What wonderful memories you and Bill Damm have brought today. Thank you.

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  8. I don't have any pictures of the actual building, unfortunately... I thought it was sold to the insurance agency next door and then demolished for parking? I know my grandma never wanted to go past the site after it was demolished. Pretty sure they lived upstairs for many years.

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  9. Google "nut berger".
    Most real men wouldn't eat it.
    It's vegetarian.

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  10. Why on Earth would anyone eat at a place called "Montezuma"?
    Most people get that in Mexico!

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  11. William, Temple Court is still there. There is one old building left also, 229 Temple Court. My grandfather's tire shop was right across the way from the Kewtie at 248 Temple Court in the 1940s. I bet he ate at your grandfather's place! The Kewtie will probably show on the Sanborn fire insurance maps, I know grandfather's shop does. There are vintage aerial photo postcards that show that part of Elyria, but they don't seem to show the Kewtie.

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