Vonachen's Old Place; Peoria Institution no more

Beginning tomorrow the building at the corner of Knoxville and Prospect that was formerly VOP's will be razed, making way for a new development. VOP's closed on August 31, 2008 after nearly 52 years in business. For a short time it was known as Bud's Aged Steaks before reverting back to Vonachen's Old Place once again. There are many theories as to why the restaurant failed after so many years of success. I think the simplest of those would be that the novelty of dining in an old rail car finally wore off. Not to say that VOP's didn't have good food and a great atmosphere, I just don't think it had a customer base large enough to support the facility.

I remember eating there many times as a kid and I always made my parents request a table in the train car. It was a truly unique experience and it saddens me that someday if (god forbid) I have kids I won't be able to take them there. The train cars will be donated to the Wheels 'O' Time museum on N. Knoxville, just south of the Lake of the Woods shopping center.

For a short time in the fall of 2007 I worked at VOP's busing tables. I can say that it was a good experience. The staff was like family and the regular customers were very polite. I'm glad to say that I spent some amount of time in what will now be a part of history.

The positive side of this story is that now, the owners of Junction City can pursue other opportunities and bring in a business (or businesses) that might draw more people to the area. With the recent renovations taking place in the shopping center, I don't think anyone is surprised at this news but it is sad nonetheless. Whatever business occupies the lot where Vonachen's once stood I hope is a success. The owners of Junction City, Alexis and Elizabeth Kazzaam have done a great job in restoring the shopping center and attracting new businesses and this is undoubtedly a step in that direction.

While the majority of my memories of VOP's are good ones there is one that is not. I was working there until close on the night of Saturday October 6, 2007. Not ringing any bells? This was the night that, after an 85 win season (and the first of Lou Piniella's tenure as manager), the Chicago Cubs were swept out of the playoffs by the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks. Thus, crushing any hopes that the Northsiders would not go 100 years without a World Series Championship. It was not to be. I'll never forget standing in the bar with the cook, who was also a huge Cubs fan watching Jose Valverde pitch to Alfonso Soriano who promptly hit a pop fly to right field on an 0-2 pitch. I was crushed. But as a Cub fan that's a feeling one becomes accustomed to. Now when someone asks me where I was on that fateful night, I can say "a place that no longer exists". Cheers to Vonachen's Old Place and cheers to believing that someday we'll go all the way.