The Oak'en Bucket has served its last Don Rickles burger.
The southwest Toledo fixture, where in its heyday in the 1970s ordinary Toledoans mixed with visiting celebrities and other colorful characters, quietly closed Sept. 30 after 36 years.
"I treated everybody like Frank Sinatra when they came in that joint," said manager Elaine Nicolaidis, sister of owner Gus Nicolaidis.
The property at 2841 North Reynolds Rd. has been sold to ProMedica Health System, which owns the nearby Wildwood Athletic Club and medical complex. Officials of ProMedica, which operates the Toledo Hospital and eight other medical centers in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, declined to discuss plans for the site they bought Sept. 29 for $900,000.
Business at the Oak'en Bucket had declined in recent years as the neighborhood, near Central Avenue, was overlooked by publicly-traded chains that now dominate the local restaurant scene and which have concentrated their site hunts further south along Airport Highway.
But through the 1980s, the Oak'en Bucket was among the city's most popular restaurants.
As a young man, Mr. Nicolaidis, 62, headed west to Los Angeles to pursue acting. But after returning to Toledo, he started thinking about opening a restaurant. He got experience working at a hot dog stand run by his father off Dorr Street at Smead Avenue.
When the former Country Inn became available, Mr. Nicolaidis, with the support of brother Nick, pounced. They incorporated under the name Hollywood Corp. in October, 1970, and decorated the place with posters of movie stars and popular films.
Menu choices included the Goldie Hawn omelette and items named for other celebrities of the era, including comedians Totie Fields and Don Rickles.
Opening in December, 1970, the restaurant specialized in ribs, steak, sandwiches, and specialties that reflected the brothers' Greek-Sicilian heritage. A prime rib dinner was $4.95; ribs, 3.75.
"Burt Reynolds, Tony Randall, Jack Klugman, and Mitzi Gaynor came through," recalled Gus Nicolaidis, who has operated other restaurants included the former Hungry I.
His sister also has fond memories of the place. "You saw all different walks of life," she said.
Ms. Nicolaidis, 57, doesn't plan to retire, but her plans are uncertain.
"I'm just relaxing for a while," added her brother. "But I'll probably do something."
Contact Gary Pakulski at:
gpakulski@theblade.com
or 419-724-6082.
First Published October 11, 2006, 8:56 a.m.
