My Father's Restaurant

While sorting through old photos I came across a picture of my Dad's restaurant (the Imperial Coffee Shop). The photo dates back to 1959. I was glad I found the picture, because I actually have very few pictures of the restaurant that I literally grew up in. I had a bi-polar childhood upbringing, so to speak. The Westend neighborhood near Shawnee Park, and the downtown restaurant located at seventh and Jefferson, across the street from the Police Headquarters, were two very different areas of town.

My cousin (Jerry), who was almost like a brother to me, and my mother, my aunt and my uncle are also in the picture. There were things I liked and disliked about the restaurant. However, one of the advantages to this dual lifestyle was the great food, and the fact that I could eat pretty much anything I wanted - including lots of ice cream and candy. Not too bad a deal! The picture can be viewed at the bottom of the blog page.