Chris Cafe Grand Opening – September 20, 1946

To kick off September, here’s an ad for the Grand Opening of Chris Cafe at 3680 Pearl Avenue in Lorain. The ad ran in the Lorain Journal on September 20, 1946.

I mentioned Chris Cafe back here on this post, as one of a trio of restaurants in Lorain with ‘Chris’ in the name.

I see that a group called the Top Hatters was performing there that weekend. I did find another mention of them online in a 1939 newspaper, performing for a chapter of the Slovenian Union of American.

Anyway, the building is still there on Pearl Avenue at West 37th Street. It’s changed hands a few times in the last few years, and is currently home to Dale’s Sports Bar.

Getting my “now” shot was a challenge, and I ended up feeling kind of guilty. Let me explain.

I took one shot early Sunday when it was cloudy and gloomy, and the perfectionist in me (at least when it comes to my blog) caused me to go back a few hours later to get this sunny shot. Right after I shot it, though, a gentleman exited a car that was parked on the side of the building. I could see him standing by the side entrance to the building, staring at me, and wondering why I was taking a photo from across the street.

I could see he was visibly concerned, so I pulled my car across the road and stopped a few yards away from him. I explained what I was doing, and showed him the vintage flyer. “I thought I had done something wrong,” he said.

He probably wondered if one of Lorain’s demolition crews would soon be chugging down Pearl to take aim at his business! My apologies to the business owner.