L&K and Leavitt Road Revisited - Part 1

Another reproduction of the architectural rendering of the new Marathon station and L&K Restaurant
(Courtesy Amherst News-Times) 

The reaction to my post last week about the L&K Restaurant in Amherst convinced me that it was a story worth revisiting in more detail.

What follows, then, is a general look not only at the various L&K properties (yes, there was more than one) along that stretch of Leavitt Road, but also of the other commercial development that took place from the early 1960s to the 1990s.

It’s a fascinating story, because so many of the businesses in that area came and went, leaving no visible trace of their existence, except for some fading memories of them among the locals.

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Back in the early 1960s, there was almost no commercial development on Leavitt Road from Spruce Lane (the entrance to Rock Creek Run) north to Cooper Foster Road. It was mostly residential, with the exception of Harman’s Nursery at 512 Leavitt.

Very slowly, things began to change.

Amherst Baptist Church appeared in the 1961 directory at 900 Leavitt Road. By the time of the 1962 directory, Westminster United Presbyterian Church was listed at 515 Leavitt.

But it wasn’t until the 1968 city directory that commercial development seemed to explode, with three new listings: Jack’s Sohio at 801 Leavitt, and J & J Sunoco at 1004 Leavitt; and a Convenient Food Mart at 707 Leavitt.

Note that the property at 920 Leavitt was listed as being ‘under construction.’ That apparently was the L&K Restaurant. It opened in the beginning of June 1969.

June 5, 1969 article from the Amherst News-Times

The restaurant made its first appearance in the 1970 city directory at 940 Leavitt Road (the 920 construction address simply disappeared.) The Marathon station next door wouldn’t appear in the listings until the 1971 edition.

But Consolidated Foods – the parent company at that time of L&K, wasn’t quite finished yet on that part of Leavitt Road. The company had several other projects in mind for the growing area.

As an article in the April 9, 1970 edition of the Amherst News-Times explained, “Three new commercial enterprises revealed plans for locating themselves on Rt. 58 near the intersection with Cooper Foster Park road at a Planning meeting Monday night.

“The three businesses include a bank branch, a restaurant and a motel, all of which would be located on the west side of Rt. 58 on land owned by the Baptist Church.

“The Lorain County Savings and Trust Bank has purchased the church building, which sits back from the road some 150 feet. The bank has devised plans for remodeling the church into a bank with drive-in window service.

“The motel and restaurant would be constructed by Consolidated Foods of Akron, the same company that owns Manners and L and K chain of restaurants. Representatives from the company told the Planning Commission that the restaurant would have no curb service and hoped to establish a reputation for fine foods.”

So what was the name of Consolidated Foods' new restaurant and motel? You might be as surprised as me when you find out in tomorrow’s post.