Restaurant Review
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“Retro-tainment” with an Attitude |
by Janet Heller
Those fortunate enough to have passed through Talooca, Illinois during the 1950s and 60s probably remember Lill’s Homesick Diner on Highway 50. The Homesick knew how to feed you: real hamburger, large portions, fresh-baked bread and pies. The Homesick is where Ed Debevic learned the short-order business before he opened his first diner in Phoenix, Arizona in 1984. That led to Ed’s Restaurant Corp., which was established as an Illinois corporation on July 17, 1992. And, even though Ed could never run a diner the way Lill did, he has tried to make his restaurant concept, Ed Debevic’s, something she would be proud of. So, he kind of promotes what Lill always said: “If you like what you’re eatin’, order more. If you don’t, there’s the door.”
An eatery that has been described as a “cross between a bowling alley and a neon-lit drive-in,” Debevic’s locations sport a 50s-style retro decor of aqua and red leatherette upholstery and chrome. The restaurants serve up real home cookin’ like “Ed’s Mom’s” meatloaf, mashed potatoes, chili, chicken pot pie, burgers, fries, homemade pies and bread pudding. In the true style of soda shops gone by, Ed’s has a complete soda fountain serving Black Cows (root beer floats), malts, shakes and the “worlds smallest sundae” served in a glass you can keep.
Completing the “retro-tainment” concept, Ed Debevic’s offers a costumed and entertaining wait staff wearing peddle-pushers (that your Mom threw away years ago), beehive hairdos done up with at least a can of lacquer, poodle skirts, and bobby sox. Nerds, jocks, greasers, and coeds... just about any kind of 50s prototype can be met at Ed’s. They all offer service with an attitude, which is a big part of the restaurant’s charm, along with hourly song and dance routines.
Ed Debevic’s takes this part of the concept very seriously. The wait staff goes through rigorous training sessions to develop characters and personas. The company designed a program that not only cultivates a sassy service style, but also bans swearing, racial comments or jokes pertaining to appearances. All employees must have their characters approved before they begin to wait tables. Then, they are encouraged to hula hoop, dance on counters, sing along with blaring music, and interact with customers.
Gum-cracking, smart-mouthed waitresses serve cups of joe and slop down the grub, sarcastically asking if there will be anything else, while a group of bobby soxers might hop up on the counter and start dancing to the twist. Attitude is taken to a new and fun level by hearing the wait staff bellow social niceties like “Hey, outta my way, I am trying to work here!” or “Hey, fuzz-face, whaddya wanta order?” or “It’s meatloaf, you got a problem with that?” Customer interaction is encouraged. The wait staff is always “on,” and the result is fast, efficient service that sells a lot of food while the customers have a lot of fun.
The food and the mix of “Andrew Dice Clay meets the Beav” is a combination that seems to offer great customer appeal, especially to kids. The restaurants serve up abuse, comedy, spills, dancing, songs, and a jump back in time. It seems to be a concept that is working; some of the restaurants have been known to have two-hour waits for tables. So if you have been missing “Gidget,” “Goober,” “Lumpy,” or the “Fonz,” chances are they are now waiting tables at Ed Debevic’s.
Ed Debevic’s is a wholly owned subsidiary of Debevic’s Diners Ltd. The restaurants are managed by Chicago-based Bravo Restaurants, Inc., which also owns and operates Edwardo’s Natural Pizza Restaurant and The Original Gino’s East of Chicago. There are currently six Ed Debevic’s locations in Chicago, Illinois; Deerfield, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Phoenix, Arizona; Beverly Hills, California; and Denver, Colorado.
The company uses 10,000 sq.ft. to 15,000 sq.ft. in downtown/urban or entertainment-based locations in major metropolitan areas nationwide and looks for heavy daytime and nighttime traffic. Typical leases are a minimum of 10 years.
For more information contact Bill Bronner, Bravo Restaurant’s Inc., 205 West Wacker Drive, Suite 1800, Chicago, IL 60606; 312-346-5455, Fax 312-346-2115.