Keeping up with past and present happenings in a remarkable small town.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Butler's Howard Johnson's ~
This plush restaurant was at the corner of North Main and Fulton Streets.
26 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I grew up in Butler, but have not been back in over 20 years, so I really enjoy all the pictures posted here. HoJo's brought back lots of memories, I used to have coffee there in the early 70s with a person I never should have let get away. Ah youth.......
My Sister worked for Nationwide next door for several years, We ate at HoJo's with their wood paneling and Orange decor, the ice cream sundaes were great !
I used to bus tables, do (hundreds of) dishes and mop the floors long after closing at this "HoJo" restaurant. Must have been about 1956 or so. Then I'd walk all the way home to 503 Saxonburg road at one AM or so. How many miles is that? This was a new "upscale" restaurant for Butler back then. It was not fun work but it provided me a solid base for hard work ethic for the rest of my life. Dick Gamble, San Diego
The image brings back a lot of memories. My girl and I had lots and lots of coffee and conversation and good times here. I also regret letting her get away.
This brings back memories for me. First real job. Waitressing in 1974. Really enjoyed the clientele. Remember first day when someone ordered "A HOJO cola" and I had to ask what that was. It was just a cola from the machine instead of from the bottle. Was shocked when I returned to visit family and it was just a parking lot (I think for a car dealership).
My brother and I used to go to "the Howard Johnson" with my grandparents who lived just up the street. One time when I was maybe 7, I was spinning one of the counter stools to see how fast I could make it go. I did it so long the seat actually fell off with a terrible clatter! I was shocked and mortified! I don't remember what happened after that, but I'm guessing there was no ice cream that night.
my first job as a busboy, the owners tom and teese and their head waitress doris really knew how to treat people that worked for them like crap.One thing i learned from there was now 30+years later is that when i employ people, i treat them with respect and the results are so much more positive
This was my first job in 1975 when I was 16. The Donahue's (Teese, Tom and their daughter) were horrible to work for. My first day on the job (4-12 shift) they made me take my 15 minute break and my lunch as soon as I arrived at 4:00 p.m. and then during this time they made me make coffee for the restaurant. Teese made me clean the windows with pure amonia even though I had gotten very sick the first time she had me do this. They eventually got in trouble with the Bureau of Labor and Industry for paying below minimum wage to their employees. This was a great place to eat and I always had loved Ho Jo' until I worked for the Donahue's. What nasty people
I worked for this place in 1968-69. Toms mother gave me a hard time. Always making sure I had my nylons on with no runners and cleaning the corner s with a tooth pick. I liked the old man Dubby. He was a sweet old man but Toms mother was really mean and hard to work for. Tom told me she made him clean the table legs when he was small. I loved the clam rolls and all the fish you could eat special. My dad would come in on those nights and teased a waitress, I don't remember her name but he called her fish napper cause she tried to take his fish when he wasn't finished lol.
This was the turn around spot for all the uphill drag racing on the Main St. Hill in the 60's.We would pull out on to the road from the parking lot and drag race up Main to the top of the hill.
I worked there also as a bus boy and dish washer during high school, late 50's. I knew Tom's mother as Mrs. D. A real BITCH. Only thing that pleases me, I know she went to hell.
I ate there three times in my life on earth, once each summer in 1963, 1965 and 1966. Every time I ordered the same thing: pancakes, bacon and coffee. It was consistently good and exactly the same meal every single time I consumed it there. No horrible tales of bad management from me as I was only a kid then and did not have to work for the fabled evil people who ran this establishment. Too bad that today the entire HJ restaurant chain is mostly a memory. It offered edible foodstuffs and a variety of ice cream in its time.
Before HoJos was there a Herolds Dairy ice cream store that occupied that spot. They also had an ice cream store on E. Jefferson Street behind the bank. My mom was a Herold and worked there for a time.
I worked at Howard Johnson's as a waitress in the mid60's (for a short period of time.) I don/t remember the management, but I do remember we were NOT allowed to eat the clams. They were strictly off limits. But of course, they were the best food there! A real delicacy!!! I would snatch a couple every time I walked by the steam tray!!
My older brother worked there in about 1964. He's told me many times about the horrible lady that ran the place. We never ate there as a family, my dad hated all Ho Jo's.
I worked as a waitress the summer of 1971 and the owners were absolutely the worst and meanest and nastiest people I ever worked for. From the comments here, I can see that was true for everyone who worked there.
This was my first job in 1972. I was a waitress and had just turned 14 years old and wanted to work. My parents would drive me down Main Street Hill from Bon Aire. I was probably too traumatized (joke, I don't remember anything bad happening there) and only remember cleaning that big coffee machine and scooping a lot of ice cream. Waitressing was difficult but it taught me enough to get me into other waitressing jobs in my teens and before and during college. I am now a retired Librarian living in Florida since 1991.
26 comments:
I grew up in Butler, but have not been back in over 20 years, so I really enjoy all the pictures posted here. HoJo's brought back lots of memories, I used to have coffee there in the early 70s with a person I never should have let get away. Ah youth.......
My Sister worked for Nationwide next door for several years, We ate at HoJo's with their wood paneling and Orange decor, the ice cream sundaes were great !
One of my first jobs was a bus boy here. I have to tell you it was much better to eat here than work here!
In the early 70's we used to go there for "all you could eat clam strips for 1.99"
HoJo's was great when we were doing a show at Butler Little Theatre. We'd walk down the alley to get some great food and wondeful ice cream.
I used to bus tables, do (hundreds of) dishes and mop the floors long after closing at this "HoJo" restaurant. Must have been about 1956 or so. Then I'd walk all the way home to 503 Saxonburg road at one AM or so. How many miles is that?
This was a new "upscale" restaurant for Butler back then.
It was not fun work but it provided me a solid base for hard work ethic for the rest of my life.
Dick Gamble, San Diego
I had forgotten about this familiar Main Street spot...often seen, but never visited. I think it was too "upscale" for our family limited budget.
The image brings back a lot of memories. My girl and I had lots and lots of coffee and conversation and good times here. I also regret letting her get away.
We used to drive from Pittsburgh to Uncle Joe's camp at Sandy Lake and we would stop at Howard Johnson's for a nice lunch during our LONG journey!
This brings back memories for me. First real job. Waitressing in 1974. Really enjoyed the clientele. Remember first day when someone ordered "A HOJO cola" and I had to ask what that was. It was just a cola from the machine instead of from the bottle. Was shocked when I returned to visit family and it was just a parking lot (I think for a car dealership).
My brother and I used to go to "the Howard Johnson" with my grandparents who lived just up the street. One time when I was maybe 7, I was spinning one of the counter stools to see how fast I could make it go. I did it so long the seat actually fell off with a terrible clatter! I was shocked and mortified! I don't remember what happened after that, but I'm guessing there was no ice cream that night.
my first job as a busboy, the owners tom and teese and their head waitress doris really knew how to treat people that worked for them like crap.One thing i learned from there was now 30+years later is that when i employ people, i treat them with respect and the results are so much more positive
What year did the HoJo shut down?
This was my first job in 1975 when I was 16. The Donahue's (Teese, Tom and their daughter) were horrible to work for. My first day on the job (4-12 shift) they made me take my 15 minute break and my lunch as soon as I arrived at 4:00 p.m. and then during this time they made me make coffee for the restaurant. Teese made me clean the windows with pure amonia even though I had gotten very sick the first time she had me do this. They eventually got in trouble with the Bureau of Labor and Industry for paying below minimum wage to their employees. This was a great place to eat and I always had loved Ho Jo' until I worked for the Donahue's. What nasty people
This was my first job also. I was 16.I lasted about a week and that was it for me.Have to say ...I did like their clam roll.
I worked for this place in 1968-69. Toms mother gave me a hard time. Always making sure I had my nylons on with no runners and cleaning the corner s with a tooth pick. I liked the old man Dubby. He was a sweet old man but Toms mother was really mean and hard to work for. Tom told me she made him clean the table legs when he was small. I loved the clam rolls and all the fish you could eat special. My dad would come in on those nights and teased a waitress, I don't remember her name but he called her fish napper cause she tried to take his fish when he wasn't finished lol.
This was the turn around spot for all the uphill drag racing on the Main St. Hill in the 60's.We would pull out on to the road from the parking lot and drag race up Main to the top of the hill.
I worked there also as a bus boy and dish washer during high school, late 50's. I knew Tom's mother as Mrs. D. A real BITCH. Only thing that pleases me, I know she went to hell.
I ate there three times in my life on earth, once each summer in 1963, 1965 and 1966. Every time I ordered the same thing: pancakes, bacon and coffee. It was consistently good and exactly the same meal every single time I consumed it there. No horrible tales of bad management from me as I was only a kid then and did not have to work for the fabled evil people who ran this establishment. Too bad that today the entire HJ restaurant chain is mostly a memory. It offered edible foodstuffs and a variety of ice cream in its time.
Before HoJos was there a Herolds Dairy ice cream store that occupied that spot. They also had an ice cream store on E. Jefferson Street behind the bank. My mom was a Herold and worked there for a time.
I worked at Howard Johnson's as a waitress in the mid60's (for a short period of time.) I don/t remember the management, but I do remember we were NOT allowed to eat the clams. They were strictly off limits. But of course, they were the best food there! A real delicacy!!! I would snatch a couple every time I walked by the steam tray!!
Wow. I forgot all about this. Just a parking lot now. Sad
Our tenant and family friend, Doris Smith, worked there for many years until it closed.
My older brother worked there in about 1964. He's told me many times about the horrible lady that ran the place. We never ate there as a family, my dad hated all Ho Jo's.
I worked as a waitress the summer of 1971 and the owners were absolutely the worst and meanest and nastiest people I ever worked for. From the comments here, I can see that was true for everyone who worked there.
This was my first job in 1972. I was a waitress and had just turned 14 years old and wanted to work. My parents would drive me down Main Street Hill from Bon Aire. I was probably too traumatized (joke, I don't remember anything bad happening there) and only remember cleaning that big coffee machine and scooping a lot of ice cream. Waitressing was difficult but it taught me enough to get me into other waitressing jobs in my teens and before and during college. I am now a retired Librarian living in Florida since 1991.
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