Oct 7, 2008 6:04 pm US/Central
Decades-Old Restaurant Closes In Burbank
Old Barn Was Speakeasy Hangout During Prohibition, But Business Lately Has Dried Up
BURBANK, Ill. (CBS) ―
Another sign of the times: An old fixture is closing its doors in southwest suburban Burbank.
Owners say the Old Barn Restaurant is a victim of the tough economy, and, as CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports, it's seen a lot of history.
Cooks at the old Barn have prepared hundreds of thousands of meals, but recently fewer diners were coming in. Owners say costs are way up, and business is way down – by about 50 percent from just a year ago.
"It's just a formula for failure," Roy Zoppa said.
Zoppa, his partner Tony Cirulla and their wives had to make a tough decision. They're closing the place Wednesday after an almost nine-decade run.
It opened back in 1921. Customer Ruthie Messmer remembers the old days.
"It was small and it was one of the few restaurants that had a restaurant feel, not a sandwich shop," Messmer said.
"W.C.Fields came here a lot… there used to be an airport around here… a lot of people flew in here just to eat here," Zoppa said.
Zoppa says the old Barn was also a speakeasy hangout for Chicago gangsters, including Al Capone.
In prohibition days you actually had to ring a doorbell and someone buzzed you in. That buzzer is original to the building
in more recent times though the food, service and atmosphere were the big draws.
"United Airlines took me around the world three times but of all the places I ate, the Barn was still the best," said customer Virginia Hilkenn.
She stopped by Tuesday for a final meal.
"We have had a lot of good, steady customers that have become like family," Zoppa said.
At this point the owners don't know what's going to happen to the building but they are taking reservations until Tuesday night and Wednesday.
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