The restaurant was located at 9 North Main Street,
between the Antler Hotel and Credit Thrift with Pugh Hardware
on the right. PO1.161 |
McKinley
Restaurant
The restaurant was located at 9 North Main Street,
between the Antler Hotel and Credit Thrift, and had seating for
70 people, not including those patrons seated at the bar. It was
owned and operated by Kemal and Julia Sisco Yakop
for more than 20 years. Kemal and Julia are behind the bar in
the picture below. Kemal is located on the left, with Julia located
in the middle with her hand on the bottle.
In the early fifties, Kemal had the huge muskie
he caught mounted and displayed over the bar as a conversation
piece. |
Interior of the McKinley Restaurant showing the
bar area. Kemal and Julia are behind the bar, Kemal is located
on the left, with Julia located in the middle with her hand on
a bottle. |
The McKinley
Restaurant was fondly known for its home-cooking and delicious
dinner specials. It was most famously remembered for Julia’s
home-made hot dog sauce, with many folks remembering the Lunch
Special of two chili dogs for twenty-five cents. With those low
prices, it was a common lunch time destination for high school
students who would walk over from the Niles McKinley High School
and later, Edison Jr. High.
In 1948, the McKinley Restaurant housed one of
the first television sets for public viewing in Niles, with an
18 by 20 inch screen. This attraction drew in large numbers of
customers, all leaving well-fed and well-served.
The McKinley Restaurant continues to be a fondly
remembered landmark in downtown Niles, and probably will be for
many years to come.
The downtown Niles area buildings were torn down
in 1976-77 during urban renewal, including the Antler Hotel, the
McKinley Restaurant and Pugh Hardware.
Story contributed by the Michael
Putkovich Family. |