Hungry for some history? Here are 4 of Springfield's oldest restaurants
There's something special about sliding into a leather booth — maybe a little sticky — that's been sat in by customers for over 50 years or taking a bite out of a homemade recipe that's been passed down for generations.
Springfield is home to several restaurants that have celebrated their 50th, 75th and even 100th anniversaries over the years, gifting the community with one-of-a-kind cuisine and customer service. Some ownerships have been passed down to children and grandchildren while others have been purchased by outsiders, who still hope to carry the establishments' legacies.
The News-Leader connected with the owners of Gailey's Breakfast Cafe, College Street Cafe, Village Inn and Pineapple Whip to discuss the restaurants' histories.
Gailey's Breakfast Cafe
The oldest restaurant in downtown Springfield, Gailey's Breakfast Cafe has been in operation since 1938. Husband and wife Joe and Beulah Gailey opened the greasy spoon as Gailey's Drug Store, which functioned as a pharmacy and soda fountain on McDaniel Street before moving to the restaurant's current location on Walnut Street in 1942, below the Seville Hotel.
Perhaps Joe and Beulah were destined to open Gailey's Drug Store, as the two met at a drugstore and soda fountain in 1937 when Joe was working as a soda jerk at age 15, according to previous News-Leader coverage.
For 52 years the Gaileys ran the drug store and soda fountain together, Joe filling prescriptions and Beulah manning the grill, serving up hamburgers, chili and her famous pimento grilled cheese. Today, Gailey's Breakfast Cafe is made up of three rooms but during Joe and Beulah's operation, it was just one — the far left room — which still features the pharmacy counter, grill and many photographs of the business over the years.
"When they set up shop here, downtown was thriving because of Route 66 going through town, but then they also witnessed the downturn in downtown," Gailey's Breakfast Cafe co-owner Ethan Edwards told the News-Leader. During the 1980s, much of the Seville Hotel — located just above Gailey's — became low-income residence.
"When that was going on, Beulah would always give people an opportunity to work ... to earn a meal," Edwards added.
During this time, Gailey's Drug Store operated on a pay-what-you-can basis. Customers were asked to come up to the counter after eating to tell Beulah what they had to order and paid what they saw fit.
In 1990, Joe died of a heart attack at age 80. Beulah closed the pharmacy and continued to operate the food counter until she retired in 2000 at age 83. In May 1999, the mayor of Springfield honored Beulah with a proclamation of her 60 years of service to the community.
"Beulah Gailey daily practices her compassion for mankind by helping others regardless of their circumstances nourishing and providing an at-home atmosphere for her patrons," the proclamation read, according to previous News-Leader coverage. Beulah died in March 2004 at age 87.
Gailey's Drug Store changed to Gailey's Breakfast Cafe, serving up English-style breakfast items, in 2003 under new ownership and Edwards took over in 2011. Today, Gailey's serves a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu.
Today, the restaurant features three dining rooms, including the original drug store and soda fountain and the Seville Hotel lobby, which occupied the middle room. This room still features the Seville Hotel check-in counter, mail boxes and original chandeliers. The third room, which now features the bar, formerly was Ophelia's, a wine and tapas bar. Edwards said he hopes to eventually transform this third room into a nighttime lounge with later hours.
Gailey's Breakfast Cafe is located at 220 E. Walnut St. and open Sunday through Tuesday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
College Street Cafe
Located on the original Route 66, College Street Cafe has been slinging country-fried steaks and house-cooked breakfasts since 1953.
Jamie Bebout opened the small restaurant 70 years ago and several owners have managed it since, putting their own spin on the menu. Today, Marylou Meierotto operates College Street Cafe with her vehicle-themed burger menu with items like the Hot Rod (pepper jack cheese and jalapenos), Rolls Royce (triple bacon) and GTO (barbeque sauce and onion rings).
Meierotto took over ownership of the restaurant in August 2015 after working in the restaurant for a few years and purchasing it from then-owner Beverly Bebout, wife of Jamie.
"I loved the old atmosphere, just everything about it," Meierotto said about purchasing the restaurant.
The restaurant's counter and red, leather barstools are original to the restaurant. Meierotto said the only thing she replaced in the dining room were the booth tabletops.
Seating a cozy 40, locals make up the majority of College Street Cafe's clientele, but Meierotto said about 10% of her customers are European tourists traveling Route 66. No matter where they're from, Meierotto encourages her customers to sign a part of the restaurant's walls.
"It started with one little girl," Meierotto said. "She was traveling and I said, 'Does your momma let you write on the wall?' and she said, 'No.' So I said, 'Come here and write on my wall.' And then it just started."
As for fan favorites, Meierotto said the country-fried steak and classic cheeseburger are the most popular items on the menu.
College Street Cafe is located at 1622 W. College St. and open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Village Inn
One of Springfield's oldest restaurants — popularly known for its large selection of pies, has been managed by the same family for 58 years. The Village Inn on South Glenstone Avenue was opened by Jack and Jane Greene on Aug. 12, 1965 and today, grandchildren Billy and Chip Greene manage the four Southwest Missouri locations.
After selling insurance for several years, Jack began managing a Village Inn in Denver before he got the idea to open his own in Springfield. The Village Inn on South Glenstone was the 16th franchised store in the country.
For the first five years, the Greenes hardly made any money, as they owned the restaurant 49% to the Village Inn company's 51%, until they were able to buy it completely, Billy said.
Billy and Chip's fathers — Bill and Bob Greene were 10 and 16, respectively, when their parents opened the first location.
"I used to get to steal free, little cartons of chocolate milk off the back of the milk truck in the morning," Bill said with a laugh. Both boys worked in the restaurant as busboys and cooks until they took over the restaurant from their parents around 1986.
In 1986, Bill and Bob also got company vehicles with matching license plates that read "VIPHSO" (Village Inn south) and "VIPHNO" (Village Inn north). Bill described the cars as a "marketing miracle."
"They were Trans Ams, because that's practical for running around restaurants," Billy said, laughing. "Let's just say there hasn't been another company car bought since."
While Village Inn guests are greeted by the iconic counter of pies today, pies weren't always a part of the dining experience. Pies weren't added to the Village Inn menu until 1980.
The classic Village Inn breakfast, a build-your-own breakfast model, remains the most popular item on the menu, Billy said. The handmade pancakes, which have been made in the same kitchen mixer for 58 years, are also a go-to option.
Over the years, the Greenes have expanded their footprint, with the opening of the South Campbell Avenue location in 1991, Ozark location in 1998 and Republic location in 2012. They've also been active in the community, donating money, pies and pancakes to various events.
The original Springfield Village Inn restaurant is located at 2036 S. Glenstone Ave. and open Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Pineapple Whip
The hips of the mechanical Hula girl atop Pineapple Whip trailers can be seen swinging from miles away. Like Village Inn, the Springfield-based soft serve company has been operated by the same family since 1974.
Dan Fortner worked for A&W Restaurants before dipping his toe into the concession stand industry at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds.
"I guess over time he got in his head that he should try something different and came up with the recipe that we're still using right this second, all these years later," Zach Fortner, Dan's grandson and current owner, said.
Dan operated a concession stand at the fairgrounds, serving Pineapple Whip, until 1989 before expanding the business with his two sons, one being Zach's father. The three custom built the first Pineapple Whip trailer, which sat in the Westlake Hardware parking lot at 2350 S. Campbell Ave. Within two years, three more trailers were added to the local franchise.
Today, Pineapple Whip customers can choose between two flavors at each trailer (or twist the two), but up until the 1990s, only the pineapple flavor was offered. In the 1990s, grape was added and in the early 2000s, strawberry-kiwi, mango-peach, lemon-berry and banana-pomegranate made the list.
For decades, the Pineapple Whip brand has been associated with the bright yellow trailers the Fortners built, but according to previous News-Leader coverage, Pineapple Whip products were sold at the Ozark Empire Fair years before, by a woman named Shelia Flatness.
In 1983, Flatness of Strafford told the News-Leader that she had been selling "Pineapple Whips" for six years at the fair and that another man had been selling them 20 years before her.
"People told us about an old man who used to have a trailer here every year selling pineapple cones," Flatness told the News-Leader in 1985. "We decided we'd try to come up with something similar, because everybody said they used to be popular."
When asked about Flatness, Zach said he was unfamiliar with any relation between her and his grandfather.
The four Pineapple Whip trailers are located at 1147 S. Glenstone Ave. (periodically away for events), 2902 E. Sunshine St., 1517 W. Battlefield Road and 3850 S. Campbell Ave. The trailers are open Monday through Thursday from noon to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday noon to 10:30 p.m. The Glenstone Avenue location will be parked at the Ozark Empire Fair until Saturday, Aug. 5.
Other restaurants with notable histories
Lindberg's Tavern at 318 W. Commercial St., opened in 1870s
Casper's, now at 937 S. Glenstone Ave., opened in 1909
Taylor's Drive In at 139 Memorial Plaza, opened in 1947
Mexican Villa at 1408 S. National Ave., opened in 1951
Pizza House at 312 E. Commercial St., opened in 1958
Steak 'n Shake at 1158 E. St. Louis St., opened in 1962
Crosstown Barbecue at 1331 E. Division St., opened in 1970
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 4 of Springfield's oldest restaurants date back to 1938
