As Ballowe once said, "Trains go fast, and that's how we wanted our customers to be served." The diner quickly became a source of popularity among adults and children alike. The idea for the Choo-Choo restaurant style was conceived while Roy served as a soldier in the Philippines. The rations served were less than ideal, and Ballowe dreamed of the kinds of food he'd like to have. After a fellow soldier complained about the "gravy train," the idea began to take shape in Roy Ballowe's mind. "Gravy train," thought the young Private. "Why not serve hamburgers on a model train? Kids love both of 'em." The Choo-Choo Limited Restaurant was featured on the Camel Caravan TV program. It was closed in 1956.
Roy Ballowe opened A second Choo-Choo in April of 1951 at 1114 Central Ave in Wilmette.
James Ballowe, Roy's brother, an Attorney by trade, opened the new Choo-Choo Diner at 600 Lee Street (at Miner Street) in Des Plaines opened in May of 1951, then followed by a Choo-Choo at 3352 West Foster Avenue in Chicago.
In 1956, a new, larger, freestanding building was built and is still in business.
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In 1956, the restaurant was popular enough that a new, larger, freestanding building was built, the Choo-Choo we all know today. This photo from 2008 is the owner's attempt to save the restaurant from a Condo developer who wanted the property. The Choo Choo won! |
Roy Ballowe later recalled that while Ray Kroc was preparing to open his first McDonald's, he stopped at the Choo-Choo in the Masonic Temple building in Wilmette to check out the other hamburger place in town. Kroc thought the Choo-Choo was a novel operation. Kroc assured him that he didn't think his hamburger restaurant would be competition since he didn't have seats or a train. After Kroc left, Ballowe remarked to his employees that McDonald's was a fly-by-night operation with no chance of survival and would never move as many burgers as the Choo-Choo. Many of Kroc's employees defected to the Choo-Choo because it could pay in cash instead of stock (several employees who stayed with McDonald's became very wealthy as a result). Ballowe never saw Kroc again. While cars took the place of trains, and McDonald's took the place of diners, the Choo-Choo has endured as home to the kid in all of us.
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The new neon sign was identical to its 1950s appearance, except that the dash in Choo-Choo disappeared. |
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The interior of the choo-choo is virtually identical to its 1956 appearance, with Formica surfaces, stainless steel equipment, terrazzo floors, wood paneling, and Naugahyde stools (though they were once light green); even the bathrooms and air conditioner are original.
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And according to Marilyn, Ray Kroc didn't think his restaurant would surpass the business the Ballowes were getting. He even paid the Ballowes a visit and reassured them that his restaurant would be no competition. He told them, "I don't have a place for people to sit down."
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In 1974, the Ballowes sold the business to George and Sue Doris, who ran the restaurant with the Mandas family as a partner. A few years later, George and Sure Doris bought and ran the Choo-Choo Diner entirely on their own until 2000, when Sue Doris died.
The Choo Choo serving train in action.
The current operator, Jean Paxton, has done a great job with the restaurant. The place is busier than ever, the food is delicious, and it's consistently sparkling clean. Equally importantly, she has shown a lot of respect for keeping it authentic, the same place we all remember going to as children.
The Choo-Choo Diner is still going strong today.
Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.
My aunt used to take to the original at 4923 Oakton. We lived 1 block north at 4956 Warren. I thought it was the neatest thing on earth!
ReplyDeleteMy dad was a regular there john angel was looking to see if any pictures of him lingering I'm his daughter he passed in 86 . He has taken me there many times
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