A beloved Illinois restaurant is closing after more than six decades in business.
Petey’s Bungalow Restaurant & Lounge in Oak Lawn, less than an hour from Chicago, will close its doors for the final time on Oct. 15, the restaurant said in an emotional statement.
The Supper Club-style seafood and steakhouse 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, ending the couple’s adventure.
Heartbroken Petey decided that things wouldn’t be the same without his beloved wife and announced that he 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 live the American dream. “Our journey began 63 years ago and we followed our passion for restaurant entrepreneurship by opening and running our own businesses: the Bungalow and Petey’s II,” said the 87-year-old Greek immigrant.
“As time goes by, you finally realize when it’s time to finish 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 outstanding gift certificates.”
“From humble beginnings to becoming a beloved local family business, we have had the privilege of serving generations of families and our community,” the restaurant’s statement reads.
The restaurant “has been a cornerstone of this community, a testament to hard work, dedication and unwavering commitment to excellence,” it said.
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 to go to the United States, when he was only 21 years old, and after a few 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 had two daughters.
Many locals and loyal customers recalled their favorite memories of the couple’s restaurant following the closure announcement.
Among them was the city’s mayor, Terry Vorderer, who wrote: “This is a significant loss not only for Oak Lawn but for me as well.”
‘I’ve enjoyed hundreds of great meals, maybe even one of my first cocktails when I was young. God bless Petey, the shortest man I know, with the biggest heart and the hardest working man I know. We will miss you.”
‘Petey’s is a great childhood memory of mine. Going there with my family, particularly my grandfather who knew Petey very well. “I’m so sad to hear this news, but I wish Petey the best,” wrote another fan, Courtney Reardon.
‘We’ve loved Petey’s since my wife took me there when we met in 1979!’ Edward Kay remembered fondly.
Petey felt he couldn’t continue the business after losing his wife of over 50 years.
The restaurant serves authentic Greek dishes, as well as seafood and aged steaks.
Dozens of American restaurants, small like Petey’s and large chains, have closed this year, but most have been as a result of financial problems.
Big-name chains like Applebee’s, TGI Fridays and Boston Market have recently closed restaurants.
Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy in May and closed nearly 100 restaurants. It has since emerged from bankruptcy.
BurgerFi filed for bankruptcy in September, raising fears of mass closures of its 162 locations.
Earlier this year, Hooters closed about 40 “underperforming” restaurants in locations in Florida, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia in an attempt to cut costs.
Across the United States, mom-and-pop operations have also been closing.
For example, Fargo’s Pit BBQ in Texas closed after more than two decades of serving brisket, ribs and other barbecue classics.