A beloved restaurant in Illinois is closing after more than sixty years in business.
Petey’s Bungalow Restaurant & Lounge in Oak Lawn, less than an hour’s drive from Chicago, will close its doors for the final time on Oct. 15, the restaurant said in an emotional statement.
The supper club-style steakhouse and seafood restaurant was run by Petey Kattos and his wife Mary for 63 years.
The young couple opened the restaurant together in 1961, but sadly Mary passed away last year, bringing the couple’s business to an end.
Heartbroken Petey decided that things wouldn’t be the same without his beloved wife and announced that he has decided to close this chapter of his life.
Petey’s Bungalow Restaurant & Lounge was run by Petey and his wife Mary for 63 years
“Mary and I were living the American dream. Our journey began 63 years ago and we followed our passion for restaurant entrepreneurship by opening and running our own businesses – the Bungalow and Petey’s II,” said the 87-year-old Greek immigrant.
“As time goes by, you finally realize when it’s time to end a chapter.”
Petey said he will spend his last remaining days at the restaurant “in the kitchen doing what he loves most and greeting friends while honoring any outstanding gift cards.”
“From our humble beginnings to becoming a beloved local family-owned business, we have had the privilege of serving generations of families and our community,” the restaurant’s statement said.
The restaurant “has been a cornerstone of this community, a testament to hard work, dedication and unwavering commitment to excellence,” it said.
The couple’s other business, Petey’s II, which Mary managed, closed in January.
In 2019 Pete told the Chicago Tribune he was writing a book about his life.
Petey was born on the Greek island of Charos and trained as a chef as a teenager.
In 1958 he left Greece for America, aged just 21, and after working for several years in an Italian restaurant in Chicago, a loyal customer helped him start his own business.
He met his wife Mary on the train on the way to English classes in the city.
The couple married and had two daughters.
Many locals and loyal customers recalled their favorite memories of the couple’s restaurant after the closure announcement.
Among them was the city’s mayor, Terry Vorderer, who wrote, “This is a great loss, not only for Oak Lawn but for me.”
“I have enjoyed hundreds of delicious meals, perhaps even one of my first dinner cocktails as a young man. God bless Petey, the smallest man I know with the biggest heart and the hardest working man I know. You will be missed.’
“Petey’s is a huge childhood memory of mine. I go there with my family, especially my grandpa who knew Petey very well. I’m so sad to hear this news but wish Petey the best,” wrote another fan, Courtney Reardon.
“We loved Petey’s ever since my wife took me there when we first met in 1979!” Edward Kay remembered that fondly.
Petey felt he could not continue the business after losing his wife of more than 50 years
The restaurant serves authentic Greek dishes, seafood and aged steaks
This year, dozens of American restaurants, small ones like Petey’s and large chains, have come close, but most were the result of financial problems.
Major chains like Applebee’s, TGI Fridays and Boston Market all recently closed restaurants.
Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in May and closed nearly 100 restaurants. It has since emerged from bankruptcy.
BurgerFi filed for bankruptcy in September, sparking fears of mass closures of its 162 locations.
Earlier this year, Hooters closed about 40 “underperforming” restaurants at locations in Florida, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia in an effort to reduce costs.
Mom-and-pop operations across America have also closed.
Fargo’s Pit BBQ in Texas, for example, closed after more than two decades of serving brisket, ribs and other barbecue classics.