A beloved Illinois restaurant is closing down after more than six decades in business.
Petey’s Bungalow Restaurant & Lounge in Oak Lawn, less than an hour from Chicago, is set to close its doors for the last time on October, 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 drawing the couple’s venture to an end.
Heartbroken Petey decided things would not 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 lived the American dream. Our journey began 63 years ago and we followed our passion of restaurant entrepreneurship by opening and running our own businesses — the Bungalow and Petey’s II,’ the 87-year-old Greek immigrant said.
‘As time passes, you finally realize when it’s time to end a chapter.’
Petey said he will spend his last remaining days at the restaurant ‘doing what he loves most in the kitchen and greeting friends while honoring any outstanding gift certificates.’
‘From humble beginnings to becoming a cherished local, family run business, we have been privileged to serve generations of families and our community,’ the restaurant’ statement said.
The restaurant ‘has been a cornerstone of this community, a testament to hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to excellence,’ it read.
The couple’s other business, Petey’s II, which Mary managed, closed in January.
In 2019 Petey 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 some years working 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 take English classes downtown.
The couple married and went on to have two daughters.
Many locals and loyal patrons recalled their favorite memories of the couple’s restaurant following the closure announcement.
Among them was the town’s mayor, Terry Vorderer, who wrote: ‘This is a major loss not only for Oak Lawn but for me.’
‘I’ve enjoyed hundreds of fine meals, maybe even one of my first dinner cocktails as a young man. God bless Petey, the shortest man I know with the biggest heart and hardest working man I know. You will be missed.’
‘Petey’s is a huge childhood memory of mine. Going there with my family, in particular my grandpa who knew Petey very well.. I am so sad to hear this news, but wish Petey the best,’ another fan, Courtney Reardon, wrote.
‘We loved Petey’s ever since my wife took me there when we first met in 1979!’ Edward Kay fondly recalled.
Petey felt he could not go on with the venture after losing his wife of more than 50 years
The restaurant served authentic Greek dishes as well as seafood and aged steaks
This year has seen scores of US restaurants, small ones like Petey’s and big chains, close – but most have been as a result of them having financial problems.
Big name chains like Applebee’s, TGI Fridays and Boston Market have have all recently shuttered restaurants.
Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in May and closed almost 100 restaurants. It has since emerged from bankruptcy.
BurgerFi filed for bankruptcy in September – sparking sparks fears of mass closures of its 162 locations.
Earlier this year, Hooters closed about 40 ‘underperforming’ restaurants at locations om Florida, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia in a bid to cut costs.
Across America, mom-and-pop operations have also been shutting.
For example, Fargo’s Pit BBQ in Texas closed after more than two decades of serving brisket, ribs and other barbecue classics.