Oscar Combs and Country Kitchen
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Oscar Combs and Country Kitchen
- 1. PHOTO HISTORY OF OSCAR COMBS, COUNTRY KITCHEN & COMBS INC.
- 2. His 1st job after leaving Kentucky took him to the Jacksonville, FL shipyards (about 1950) Oscar was born & raised in East Kentucky Oscar’s first job in foodservice was at Sugar ‘n Spice restaurant in Cincinnati His daughter was born in a coal camp
- 4. After extensive training at Frisch’s, Oscar had a meteoric rise with Jerry’s Drive-Ins. In 1965, with just a handshake, he opened his first Country Kitchen location. In 1968, Bill Johnson rewarded his quick growth with an exclusive contract for six states and twenty seven counties in Ohio. Over the next fifteen years, Oscar opened and operated 18 locations and licensed 26 others. Needing an efficient way to cover such a large territory, he learned to fly and was a very talented pilot. He reached his pinnacle when he built an estate with his own private runway in Kentucky. Oscar Combs 1927 - 1984 Ted Kissel 1923 - 1978
- 5. Country Boy I - 28’ Owens Craft w/ 120 hp I/O MerCrusier. (Photo is of a similar style and configuration) (Inset photo relates to a story about ‘Riding Out the Storm’)
- 7. Country Boy II 40’ River Queen w/ twin 225 hp Chrysler Engines. (Photo is of a similar style and configuration)
- 8. Ky. 80 By n the 0
- 9. Oscar’s estate, built in 1972, consisted of three homes, a hanger, and a runway on a 127 acre farm that was mostly pasture. The other homes, except one, were built after he passed away.
- 11. Bill Johnson, founder of Country Kitchen, is pictured at the right in front of the Vine St. location in the early 1940s. Above is a photo of the Middletown location’s Grand Opening in 1959. Top left corner is Bill in the early 1960s, after franchising began to spread Country Kitchens throughout the Midwest. By the late 1960s expansion was widespread and Bill soon sold his interest in the trademark and franchising rights to Country Kitchen. He passed away in 1975.
- 12. Paddock & Vine Middletown or Kettering?
- 13. Dayton, Ohio (1956) Keowee St. Dayton, OH
- 16. Winona, MN Madison, WI La Crosse, WI La Crosse, WI - (Sparta?) Janesville, WI
- 17. Wisconsin Dells
- 18. La Crosse. WI St. Cloud, MN Grand Rapids, MI
- 19. Faribault, MN Hillsboro, ND Sheridan, WY Kenosha, WI Spearfish, SD Prairie du Chien, MN
- 20. Franklin, OH Onalaska, WI Marshalltown, IA W. Des Moines, IA
- 21. COUNTRY KITCHEN Woodlawn, OH Butch Kidd was Oscar’s first location, across Chester Road from the Roadway Trucking terminal and across Glendale- Milford Road from Western Electric. Bob Caron was Oscar’s first General Manager that later transferred to KY. Pictured in the parking lot is Jack Clark, the first General Manager at Chester Road. The inset photo with Jack is Philip (Butch) Kidd, the last General Manager at Woodlawn.
- 23. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Bedford, Indiana converted from a Jerry’s for one year Example of the Drive-In parking lot (Bowling Green, KY, flipped)
- 25. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Lexington, KY the building is gone, replaced by a bank -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wick Mann (above) was the1st GM at Lexington and the1st Area Supervisor (inset is Burl Wilson, 2nd GM of Lexington) 1934-1997
- 26. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Paoli, Indiana (Tasty House was the previous tenant) Kenny & Bonnie were Oscar & Emmett’s siblings1943-2000 1949-2012
- 28. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Richmond, KY I-75 at exit #95 (Boonesborough). Gerald Matheny was the 1st Gen. Mgr. & Wallace Stepp was a night asst. mgr. Jerry Matheny Wallace Stepp 1951 - 1972
- 30. Richmond, KY Tresler Comet Truck Plaza with COUNTRY KITCHEN restaurant
- 31. Cave City, KY construction, spring 1969 Dick Amann (left), owner of General Fixture and Supply Co. Inc., and two of his employees, Gene Yosick & Tom Sawyer (right). The guys are busy reviewing plans for an upcoming installation. They worked on many of Oscar’s locations, including all of the newly constructed.
- 33. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Cave City, KY Owens E. Hayden a/k/a Cool Breeze Assistant Manger Glen Cromer, 2nd GM Cave City, 2nd Area Supervisor 1948-2008 Tom C. Priddy, 3rd GM Cave City, Eventual Franchisee
- 35. COUNTRY KITCHEN Cave City, KY opened on July 3rd, 1968 and was part of the Quality Inn property. Mammoth Cave National Park was the major attraction of many in the area and quickly propelled this location to be Combs Inc.’s first million dollar unit.
- 36. Melvin N. Korelitz, Landlord & Partner 1919-2012 1979 Yearbook Ad COUNTRY KITCHEN - Chester Road Jack Clark, 1st GM 3rd Area Supervisor 1923-2008
- 37. Windjammer Themed Restaurant (across & down the street 150 ft) Marriott Hotel Conference Complex (with Windjammer on the north end) COUNTRY KITCHEN - Chester Road
- 39. was Oscar’s second truck stop. Both were with TC, Tresler Comet, the other being in Richmond at the Boonesborough exit. However, at least five other locations provided varying amounts of truck parking. Bob Caron was the first General Manager here, after transferring from Woodlawn, Ohio Clarence Goble, GM at Richmond, KY 4th Area Supervisor and later a franchisee here in London, KY COUNTRY KITCHEN London, KY
- 40. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Tampa Darren Stromquist B A R
- 41. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Lebanon, OH Walter Murray managed Lexington & Tampa before coming to Lebanon in 1976. He celebrated it’s 40th Anniversary in 2012.
- 42. 40th Anniversary – Past Menus 10 Cakes served during the celebration
- 44. At the Lebanon COUNTRY KITCHEN, Some Drop In for a Bite to Eat, While others Roll In for a Meet, And the Movie, a Christmas Treat!
- 46. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Berea, KY Doug Combs is Oscar’s oldest son and the third GM of Berea. He worked here for 6 years, and at 12 other locations. Inset photo on the right is the Lebanon, Ohio location. They were identical in design and almost in size too.
- 48. Berea, KY COUNTRY KITCHEN restaurant and Mountain View motel
- 50. Vernon Abney trained in Berea, his hometown, and was the second General Manager of London after Buddy Hancock transferred to Horse Cave. The entrance sign was one of a kind. COUNTRY KITCHEN - London, OH
- 51. Bob Caron was Oscar’s 1st General Manager, in Woodlawn. Five years later he transferred to London, KY., and three years after that he came to Somerset. He was trying to work his way back to be close to his family in Casey County. Bob Caron 1941-2007 Pete Rose Signing Autographs (‘74) COUNTRY KITCHEN - Somerset, KY Bob Caron 1941-2007
- 53. 1976Ron Harper 1941-1989 COUNTRY KITCHEN - Florence, KY
- 56. Yearbook ad 1976 Emmett Combs was the first manager of Lawrenceburg. He also managed the Paoli, Indiana location and was one of Oscar’s younger brothers. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Lawrenceburg, KY
- 58. Lawrenceburg, KY
- 60. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Goodlettsville, TN Buddy Hancock 1942-2011 1942-2011
- 61. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Horse Cave, KY Gary Middleton 1946-2007 1946-2007 C o u n t r y K i t c h e n
- 62. Originally a Rodeway Inn and COUNTRY KITCHEN restaurant
- 64. COUNTRY KITCHEN - Beckley, W. VA
- 66. Charleston, W. VA. (sub-licensed)
- 68. Elyria, Ohio; a sub-licensed location in the Cleveland area. Yearbook Ad
- 70. Pigeon Forge, Tennessee Dyersburg, Tennessee Pulaski, Tennessee (above) Covington, Tennessee (below) CKI sub-licensed locations
- 71. Curt Carlson Rich Hohman Frank Steed Chuck MyersJeff Raymond Dennis LaVenture Curtis C. Nelson Paul J. Huffman, III William F. Reimer Richard L. Ozment Robert O. Massie Owen R. Massie Bruce H. Olson Charles Mocco Charles Foster
- 72. Country Kitchen & Combs Inc. Associates Bill H. Johnson (Founder) Oscar Combs (SE USA) Combs Gen. Mgr.s William F. Reimer (CKI) Richard C. Weiss (CLEVE) Robert L. Caron (1) Richard L. Ozment (CKI) Rich Hutter (CLEVE) Emmett Combs (4) Robert O. Massie (CKI) Dale L. Schwan (CLEVE) Gerald C. Matheny (5) Owen R. Massie (WI-IL-VA) William L. Polatsek (CLEVE) Sherrill Daugherty* (6) John McDonald (CKI Atty-TN) Christopher N. Polatsek(Cleve) G. Burl Wilson (9) Bruce H. Olson(IA/MO) Scott Simms (Wooster-Lodi) Philip (Butch) Kidd (11) Gary L. Wakefield (IA/MO) Kelsey H. Harding (W.VA) George R. Weddle (13) John C. Olness (CKWA-KY) John E. Renner Sr/Jr(Florence) Chuck Cattell (14) Jeff Raymond (WI-IL-VA) Thomas W. Farris* (15) Curtis L. Carlson (CKI) Combs Supervisors Tom C. Priddy (16) Richard B. Hohman (CKI) Wickliffe Y. Mann (3) Gary L. Middleton (17) Frank Steed*(CKI) Glen E. Cromer (7) Buddy J. Hancock (19) Curtis C. Nelson-(CKI) Jack M. Clark (8) W. Dale Hurley (22) Charles Foster(CKI) Clarence W. Goble (12) Vernon Abney (26) Charles M. Myers- (WI-IL-CKI) Walter L. Murray (10) Danny G. Newman (27) Dennis LaVenture(CKI) Douglas O. Combs (24) Mary Dick (29) Paul J. Huffman, III (CKI) Curtis R. Dick (30) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Attorneys - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- Banker -- Sidney C. Brant John G. Prather, Jr. Richard Siegel C. T. Huffines
- 73. Sid BrantDavid Frisch Dick Amann Tom Sawyer Gene Yosick Warren Rosenthal Johnny Johnson Paul Misali Rich Hutter Bill Polatsek Dale SchwanChris Polatsek Rich Weiss Si Polasky Jay Wittenbaum
- 74. Combs Inc. Locations Combs Inc. Sub-licensees Woodlawn, OH Cleveland (Weiss/Hutter/Schwan) Bedford, IN Akron, OH Lexington, KY Akron, OH (Waterloo) Paoli, IN Akron, OH (Cuyahoga Falls) Richmond, KY (New?) Alliance, OH Cave City, KY (New) Austintown, OH Chester Road, OH (New) Boardman, OH London, KY (New?) Brimfield, OH Tampa, FL (New) Broadview, OH Lebanon, OH (New) Canton, OH Berea, KY (New) Cleveland, OH London, OH (New) Elyria, OH Somerset, KY (New) Combs II Hubbard, OH Lawrenceburg, KY Sub - CKI Kent, OH Florence, KY (New) Pigeon Forge Lodi, OH Goodlettsville, TN (New) Pulaski, TN Medina, OH Horse Cave, KY (New) Covington, TN Parma, OH Beckley, W. VA (New) Seville, OH Richfield, OH Consulted at Harrison, OH Tuscaloosa, AL Sandusky, OH Consulted at Salem, IN Dyersburg, TN Strongsville, OH Warrensville, OH Combs Inc. Sub-license Queen City Willard, OH W. VA. (Kelsey Foods) Sub - CKI Wooster, OH Barboursville, W. VA Wytheville, VA W. 150th St. (Cleveland) Charleston, W. VA Youngstown, OH
Editor's Notes
- History of Country Kitchen In 1939, with a background in odd jobs and hamburger frying at a White Castle® Restaurant, B. H. Johnson pooled his money with a friend, put a down payment on some restaurant equipment, rented an empty store and opened for business. Hamburgers were a nickel (6 for 25¢), Steak sandwiches were a dime, and average income was $32. Within three years he had built the business up enough to move to a new and better location (probably the same block), Paddock Road and Vine Street in Cincinnati, Ohio, where it still stands today. And soon began opening other COUNTRY KITCHEN® Restaurants. In 1958, B. H. Johnson was approached by Robert O. Massie, then a small restaurant owner, with intentions of opening a COUNTRY KITCHEN® Restaurant franchise in Winona, Minnesota. Robert Massie’s venture was approved and he opened for business that same year. Business was so good, Robert O. Massie expanded to La Crosse, Wisconsin. With help from his brother, he obtained the rights to develop COUNTRY KITCHEN® Restaurants in ten other Midwestern states. One franchise in particular was sold to William F. Reimer and Richard L. Ozment, who subsequently bought all of Robert Massie’s franchise rights. Then in 1968, COUNTRY KITCHEN® Restaurants, Inc., owned by Robert Massie, consolidated with Northwestern Franchised Restaurants, Inc., owned by Richard L. Ozment and William F. Reimer, and COUNTRY KITCHEN® International was born. Now there are over 280 COUNTRY KITCHEN® Restaurants located throughout the United States and Canada. And to think it all started with a 5¢ hamburger stand in Cincinnati, Ohio. Addendum: 1977 – Carlson Companies acquires CKI. 1983 – The new president, Richard Hohman, begins efforts to revitalize the chain. 1997 – Top franchisee, Charles Myers, buys the company from Carlson. 2003 – Co-branding with Breadeaux Pizza brings new delivery and takeout options. 2005 – The company begins developing the Peppermill Grill casual dining concept. 2010 – Charles Myers’ Kitchen Investments, Inc. is foreclosed and the bank sells CKI to Commodore Advisory Partners, LLC in 2011 (Paul J. Huffman – Nashville).
- Oscar was the oldest of 13 (surviving) children and enlisted in the US Army, several times, before he was old enough to legally do so. Afterwards, his only real opportunity to earn a living in his hometown area was with one of the coal companies. He worked for the Blue Diamond coal company and his oldest child was born in the company camp in which they lived. His first venture in his quest for a career took him to the shipyards in Jacksonville, FL. All of the inset photos are Oscar during the time of the corresponding photo except the one at Sugar ‘n Spice is from after he opened Woodlawn. (He may have also worked at Howard Johnson’s in Ft. Wright, KY with Cliff Robertson and Dick Schilling). The oldest of 15 (13 surviving) children, Oscar was born in Manuel, Kentucky and grew up during the great depression. The area was known as Grapevine, the name of the creek that ran along the local road, and is located in Perry County, 12 miles northwest of Hazard. Before the age of nine, he was taking on the responsibility of watching four of his younger siblings while his mother did extensive chores outside, as his father was a miner and had little time for the work needed around the homestead. As a result, he did not finish elementary school and early in 1941, after the addition of two more siblings, the death of his grandfather and before his 14th birthday, he and his mother lied about his age and he joined the Army. He was on his way to Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941, prompting his mother to confess the lie, removing him from harm's way. On February 18, 1946, he married Ethel June Davidson who was also from Perry County. To this union, Phyllis Combs was born on June 8, 1947 in a Blue Diamond Coal camp and 7 years later a son was born in Cincinnati. Oscar also had two more sons from later marriages. Wanting a better life for his family, Oscar decided to leave his hometown in search of other opportunities. This led him and his family to the shipyards in Jacksonville, Florida where his wife's sister and brother-in-law were located. Afterwards, they relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio where he tried his hand in the food service industry. There he found what would end up being his life's work. He started out with a local drive-in restaurant that was later emulated in other parts of the country, Sugar n' Spice, and later worked for Frisch's Drive-Ins where he trained with Dave Frisch. Looking for a company that may afford him the opportunity for advancement, he went to work for Jerry's Drive-Ins. There he attained the position of Top Operations Manager in charge of all new store openings and supervision of all management personnel, reporting directly to Warren W. Rosenthal. In 1965, he left Jerry's Drive-Ins, and joined Bill Johnson at Country Kitchen®, opening his first restaurant in Woodlawn, a suburb of Cincinnati. In 1968, after opening his fifth location in 3 years, he secured an exclusive license for the Country Kitchen® trademarks in 6 states, and 27 counties in Ohio. Over the years, Oscar opened 18 locations, operating at least 14 simultaneously, and consulted with the management of several others. He also sub-licensed 26 locations in the Cleveland, Ohio area and West Virginia. During this time, Oscar relied heavily on the expertise of Dick Amann and the services of General Fixture and Supply Company to equip all of his newly constructed and uniquely designed restaurants, as they equipped many other Country Kitchen® locations too. Needing an efficient way to travel between the restaurants, he learned how to fly with instructions from Ted Kissel, and proved to be a very talented pilot by achieving an IFR and multi-engine rating. Ted's personality quickly made him a very close and valued friend. In 1971, Oscar moved to Somerset, KY and in 1972 he built a home on a 127-acre farm with a private runway and homes for his parents and in-laws. He would live on this estate for the rest of his life. For relaxation, he always enjoyed spending time with his family and friends on the Ohio River or Lake Cumberland, where he kept a cabin cruiser or houseboat.
- Lower left photo is Frisch’s Mainliner restaurant where Oscar trained. The lower right photo is Jerry’s Drive-In, between Springdale & Woodlawn and was Oscar’s base when he wasn’t on the road opening new locations or troubleshooting problems. From this location, Oscar left Jerry’s and opened his first Country Kitchen in Woodlawn, which was just around the corner and down the road. The rest, as they say, is history! Oscar’s first instructor at Lunken let him get into tail spin taking off for his 4th lesson. Scaring them both, Oscar wasn’t sure he wanted to continue, but eventually decided to continue with another instructor. I’m not sure if he was referred to Ted Kissel, but Ted's personality quickly made him a very close and valued friend. As a result of Dad’s confidence in Ted, my father insisted I begin my lessons under his direction too. Although I finished with another instructor, and soloed in May of 1972, my first 4 hours were with Ted and his influence lasted a lifetime. Oscar Combs, Private Pilot (#1876055) 1st flying lesson – November 17, 1967 Private Pilot License – August 27, 1968 IRA test for IFR – April 25, 1970 (#11) Multi-engine checkride – May 28, 1971 2269Y 177 Cessna 1968 17700069 08/28/68 Traded Cancelled 1981, Crashed 1974 71538 182 Cessna 1969 18259656 09/29/69 Traded Valid, expires 6/30/2017 13956 PA 23-250 unknown 274571 05/24/71 Traded Cancelled 1990, Destroyed 14362 PA 23-250 1972 27-7304949 10/26/73 09/19/75 Last action, 7/11/2002 (De-Icing/radar/extended range fuel) After several (7?) onboard fires, Oscar decided to give up flying. Someone was pouring paint thinner into his fuel tank and it was eating up the o-rings in his fuel injectors, causing fuel to leak onto the hot engine, catching fire. He became an expert in dealing with the problem, shutting off the fuel, opening the cowling and putting the plane into a dive, blowing out the flames. However, he felt if someone was sabotaging the plane, they might eventually succeed in killing him. At the time only two places in the country were certified to rebuild the injectors and they never heard of that happening so frequently. So, he had the old injectors analyzed and they found traces of paint thinner. Once he had the current governor, Julian Carroll’s administrative assistant, Don McCormick on board during one of the fires. The governor’s office were the ones that convinced him to have the injectors analyzed. Eight years after learning to fly, he quit and sold his plane. The first time I ever flew was with Warren Rosenthal and Jerry’s pilot, Nick Sanders, VP Jerrico, Inc. They picked me up in Gainesville, where Jerry’s had a couple of locations, and was going to fly to Lexington for Christmas. However, we hit a snowstorm and had to land in Tennessee, Cleveland I think, and rent a car to finish the trip.
- Photo of Dad and I was taken right after he ‘goosed’ me during the summer of 1968, the same summer we rode out a severe thunderstorm on the Ohio River up at the Capt. Anthony Meldahl Dam. The Dam reported the next day that they had measured Gale force winds during that storm. We were anchored towards the south side of the river, out of the channel and away from the lanes coming through the lock. However, Norma couldn’t swim very well and the storm had her worried, which didn’t help with Mike aboard too. It was just before Mike’s 7th birthday and Dad wasn’t sure if staying anchored in the river was the right thing to do, as some smaller boats were beached, but they were camping. Finally, he decided to beach the boat, but couldn’t get the anchor free. After a few minutes of trying, Norma started to cry a little and Mike was getting scared too. After convincing Dad that I could get in the river and free the anchor if he would start the motor and take pressure off the rope, that’s what we did. Diving into the river at 1 am, Dad started the motor and I used the rope to dive down and with slack in the rope I pulled away from the direction of the boat and when the anchor came loose, I held the rope and surfaced to yell ‘GO!’ and when Dad turned and took off the swivel anchor acted like a ski and came up. I let the rope pull the anchor to me and held on while he beached the boat a couple of a hundred feet away. When the boat stopped, I pulled the rope close to the boat and Dad used a grappling hook to grab the rope and run it through a cleat at the back of the boat. I then secured the anchor as far out as I could and Dad tightened the rope and I climbed in the boat and dried off. An hour later we were all asleep, but when we woke up in the morning we found that 28’ cabin cruiser about three feet completely out of the water. Not knowing what to do we started digging out behind the boat with some help from others. A larger boat was trying to figure out how they could help and were getting ropes tied to us without much confidence, when the dam started releasing water. After a few minutes the water level came up enough that two boats were able to drag us back into the river. Dad didn’t like to talk about it, as he felt guilty letting me get into the water like that, but it’s one of those memories that I’ll never forget. After that we always went south to the Markland Dam, near Warsaw, and stayed in the cove at Dan’s Marina. The boat was always docked at the marina across from Lunken airport.
- Winter 1971/1972
- Dad bought his houseboat from Sam Hern in Cincinnati, the same place he bought the Cabin Cruiser, and kept it moored at Lee’s Ford Dock for the 6 or 7 years he had it. He gave the 1st Country Boy to Phyllis, because he thought the resale value was too low, and she had Tom take it to Jacksonville. He pulled it with his ‘67 Ford pickup.
- Spring 1972. Norma was Oscar’s third wife and step-mother to his three children. The numbers and dates don’t add up, but Bill Mardis was known more for style than details.
- Inset photo is similar to the view of a landing approach.
- Late Spring/Early Summer 1972
- C.K. of Middletown was Bill’s Franchising corporation. Bill’s son, Johnny, was critically injured in an automobile accident that claimed the life of Johnny’s fiancée. Johnny never fully recuperated, however, after several years of therapy, he finally was able to return to work at his father’s first location at Paddock & Vine. I believe this traumatic event had a lot to do with Bill’s decision to sell his interests in the company he founded. Bill Johnson was born in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains near Manchester, Kentucky, and was truly a "Country Boy". Armed with only an eighth grade education, a pocket full of change, and a desire to succeed, he found his way to Cincinnati. Bill's legacy dates back to 1939 when he and a friend, Bill Goodman pooled $400 in savings, made a down payment on some equipment and opened a storefront restaurant on Vine Street. They called it 'Country Kitchen'®. Bill had learned the restaurant business as a teenager while working at a White Castle® hamburger stand during the depression. He served hamburgers for a nickel (six for a quarter), their steak sandwiches for a dime and the average daily income was $32. The good food they served and his philosophy of "Treat Folks Special" quickly made them a popular destination for hungry customers. Within three years he had built up enough business to move to a new and better location nearby at Paddock Road and Vine Street. Business boomed during World War II as the restaurants fed a steady stream of war plant workers. Open 24 hours a day and serving more than hamburgers, many more Country Kitchen® restaurants opened in the Cincinnati area during the remainder of the 1940s, setting Bill on the road to success. When the "Eat in your Car" phenomenon began to gain wide popularity, Bill adapted his business accordingly. He quickly initiated curb service and designed his restaurants with modern "Drive-In" equipment. That included parking canopies and an electronic telecom ordering system, continuing that philosophy of "Treat Folks Special". In 1958, Bill decided to start franchising his Country Kitchen® concept, and in the next few years his restaurants began to open around the United States, mainly in the mid-west. Some franchisees were local entrepreneurs that later secured large territories, becoming sub-franchisors, and the concept grew rapidly. Although Bill sold his trademark interests in 1968, to a newly formed company (CKI) where he served as a V.P., the fact that Country Kitchen® still exists today is a testament to his ingenuity and entrepreneurial abilities. In his personal life, Bill married his wife (Ruth) who was raised in the next county (Laurel) and started a family. His two oldest children (daughters) were also born in Kentucky and his youngest (son) was born in Ohio after he had opened his first restaurant. Unfortunately, a tragic auto accident severely injured his son in 1964, and he never completely recovered, prompting Bill to sell his trademark rights. In 1970 he was given the "Outstanding Kentuckian Award" by the O'Tucks. He also served as vice-president and director of the O'Tucks, and was a permanent member of the Scholarship Committee. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and a Kentucky Colonel.
- The 39 states did not include Wisconsin & Illinois that was licensed to Owen R. (Rocky) Massie, or Iowa & Missouri that was licensed to Bruce Olson & Gary Wakefield, or AL, GA, KY, TN, VA, W.VA, and Ohio. Oscar Combs had these 6 states & 27 Ohio counties. Top photo is the counter area inside the Paddock & Vine location. Notice the coffee urn, supplied by Continental Coffee Company, with dual reservoirs under a single dome brewed through a swivel canister and cloth filter. The lower right photo is Bill’s first location which I believe was between Paddock & Vine that was part of the same block. Then replaced by a new location in the point of Paddock Rd. & Vine St. This may have become his office and was added on to as the beginning of his commissary and was expanded more and became solely the commissary when he moved to a bigger office a few blocks south on Vine. The middle, right photo is the final Paddock & Vine location in the 1950s. Lower left photo is thought to be Middletown. However, there were other successful Drive-ins in the area, especially Kettering, which was very popular. Kettering was mentioned in an article of Life magazine during the early to mid 1960s as one of the top ten places in the country to pick up a drag race. Urban legend has it there was a drop dead gorgeous blonde that drove a very strong ‘Vette with a bumper sticker that read - “If you can beat me, you can #@t me!” Known locations in (or near) SW Ohio associated with Bill Johnson – Paddock & Vine Harrison Franklin Dayton (Keowee) Norwood Salem, IN Hamilton Dayton (Michigan) Cheviot Middletown Dayton (Poplar) Fairfield Chillicothe (?) Springfield Kettering Bill Johnson associates – Augusta (Tess) Testa, bookkeeper and office manager Gerald C. Grubbs, manager and son-in-law Carl F. Kash, Middletown Ralph Wilson, Norwood
- The top photo is the Country Kitchen at 1614 Keowee St. Dayton, OH (1957). The bottom photo is only identified as Dayton, but believe it is Keowee St. too! The people in the lower photo may be members of Bill Johnson’s family.
- Location of top photo is unknown. It may be Middletown or another Dayton location, but it is too early for Kettering. The inset photo is cropped from the same photo and is an early version of Country Kitchen signage. Carhop and cook in lower photo may be related to Bill Johnson, at a Dayton location, most likely Keowee St.
- Standardization of the signage and buildings began to evolve after franchising began in 1958. Winona was the first franchise that Bill Johnson issued and was Bob Massie’s 1st franchise of a Country Kitchen. The La Crosse, WI locations operated over the years by, or under license of the Massies. After Bob Massie acquired his license for ten Midwestern states, his brother, Owen R. (Rocky) Massie acquired the license for WI & IL. Bob Massie later joined forces with Bill Reimer and Dick Ozment to form Country Kitchen International.
- Earliest location in Wisconsin Dells (@ 1960) that proved to be very popular and a high sales location due to the popularity of the concept and the high tourist traffic in the area. I believe the lower photo is after the drive-in canopy was enclosed to enlarge the dining room. It was later replaced by a new building.
- I’m not sure if this La Crosse location replaced an earlier one or was in addition to them.
- Bill H. Johnson, Founder of Country Kitchen – First franchise was to Robert Massie in Winona, Wisconsin. CKI was formed when William F. Reimer (Pres.), Bob Massie (EVP) & Dick Ozment (Sec/Treas.) merged their companies and bought out Bill Johnson who served as a VP of the newly formed company. Curtis L. Carlson, CKI – Bought CKI from Bill Reimer, Bob Massie & Dick Ozment Charles M. Myers, CKI – Largest Franchisee bought CKI from Carlson. (Myers bought out Jeff Raymond, who bought out Rocky Massie who developed Wisconsin & Ill.) Paul J. Huffman, III, CKI – Commodore Advisory Partners bought CKI assets from bank that foreclosed on Myers. Legacy Franchise Group, LLC is (was) the holding company for Country Kitchen International - Brent Ray ? Bruce Olsen & Gary Wakefield developed Iowa (& MO) and sold to their largest franchisee, Herbert S. Loops John MacDonald was an attorney for CKI and his sister Marianne had a few restaurants in WI & MI Oscar Combs, Combs, Inc. – Sub-licensor and operator in KY, TN, VA, WV, AL, GA & 27 counties in OH. Sub-licensed Cleveland area to Rich Weiss, who sold to Rich Hutter @ 1982, who sold to Dale Schwan @ 1998. Beck, Inc (Rich Weiss & Chris Polatsek – 1976) DATAR, Inc. (Rich Hutter & Dale Schwan 1978) Other Cleveland Cos. – Alexakos (Williard/Sandusky), Hurvan (Akron – Waterloo), Polly Bros. (Medina) W. W. & W. C.K., Inc. (Boardman) Franchisees, Bill & Chris Polatsek’s attorney is Elliot Kaufman at Buckley, King & Bluso (216) 685 - 4739 Bill Polatsek 3420 State Rd Medina, OH 44256-9277 (330) 239 – 1012 Bill’s son, Casey (1976-1996) died in a fraternity house fire at Ohio Wesleyan University Chris Polatsek 3037 State Rd. Medina, OH 44256 (330) 239 - 2598 Scott Simms was the franchisee in Lodi and Wooster, OH Kelsey H. Harding - Kelsey Foods, Inc. sub-licensed WV with locations in Barboursville (Huntington) & Charleston. Owen R. (Rocky) Massie, CK of WI & IL – sublicensed VA and sold to Jeff Raymond, but neither opened any units. John McDonald (CKI Atty) & sister, Marianne (CK franchisee) sub-licensed TN, but never developed any locations. John C. Olness & Bernie E. Askelson, CK of Western America (ND) sub-licensed KY without any development. Robert Lee (Bob) Caron @ Woodlawn (‘65) 1 Jerry’s Drive-In location (Bedford, IN) John Dowling (Downing) @ Bedford (‘65) 2 Cincinnati locations (Woodlawn/Chester Rd) Wickliffe Y. (Wick) Mann @ Lexington (‘66) 2 TC Truck Plazas (Richmond & London, KY) Emmett Combs @ Paoli (‘67) 2 Quality Inns (w/ Earl Cravens in KY & FL) Gerald Matheny @ Richmond (‘67) 3 Other Motels (Berea, Horse Cave, Beckley) Sherrill Daugherty @ Cave City (’68?) 3 Others (Lexington, Paoli, Lawrenceburg) Glen Cromer @ C. City (when Sherrill left) 5 Built to Suit (Sid’s Group in OH, KY & TN) Jack Clark @ Chester Road (’69?) Burl Wilson @ Richmond (Burl was named as Wick’s replacement in Lexington, but Matheny left when Wick Mann was promoted) Walter Murray @ Lexington (when Wick was promoted) Philip ‘Butch’ Kidd @ Woodlawn (after Bob Caron transferred to London, KY – ‘70) Clarence Goble @ Richmond (when Burl Wilson fired) George Weddle @ Tampa (‘71) Chuck Cattell @ Lebanon (‘72) Tom Farris @ Berea (‘72) Tom Priddy @ Cave City (when Glen Cromer was promoted) Gary Middleton @ Berea (when Tom Farris left) George C. Bush @ Tampa (when George was Weddle fired) Buddy Hancock @ London, OH (‘73) Unknown @ London, KY (when Bob Caron transferred to Somerset – ‘73) Ron Harper (?) @ Florence (’74?) (Emmett @ Lawrenceburg) Dale Hurley @ Richmond (when Clarence Goble Promoted after Glen Cromer left) Unknown @ Chester Road (when Jack Clark promoted) Doug Combs @ Berea (when Gary Middleton transferred to Goodlettsville – ‘75) Unknown @ Lebanon (when Chuck Cattell left) Vernon Abney @ London, OH (when Buddy Hancock transferred to Horse Cave – ‘75) Danny Newman @ Somerset (when Bob Caron left) Tommy Buttry @ Lawrenceburg (when Emmett left) At least 3 former Marines worked for Oscar – Bob Caron, Jack Clark & Wick Mann. Not aware of any others that may have served in the Military, but there may be some I don’t know about yet. Sid Brant was Bill Johnson’s last lawyer, a very successful and well respected attorney with offices in the top floors of the Carew Tower. He was born, raised, and educated in Cincinnati and very well connected in the business community. Naturally, Oscar used the connections that Bill offered to share and let Sid handle the small amount of legal services he needed. However, after Bill passed away, Oscar was disappointed in the manner for which Bill’s widow and family were provided for and even assumed some responsibilities of Bill’s estate in an effort to repay Bill for the opportunities he felt Bill afforded him. Oscar had already assisted Bill by assuming the Kettering operation that had been very successful over the years, however, as the Drive-In fad was falling out of favor, this location had become difficult to handle. After Bill’s death, Oscar also assumed responsibility of the Commissary and Office operations. Unfortunately, Sid had put together an investment group that built and leased locations to Oscar and having changed his relationship from attorney to landlord, when Oscar hit some hard times in an economic downturn, Sid’s commitment to Oscar from a legal standpoint came into question. When Carlson bought CKI, Sid expected Oscar to sell to Carlson for what they were offering to cover his lease obligations. At that time, Oscar changed attorneys and found a very astute ‘country’ lawyer in John G. Prather, Jr. John was in practice with his father in Somerset and they had a very reputable practice going on, however, John had made an excellent reputation of his own with some record settlements for his clients. John advised Oscar for several years, up to and including how to navigate a chapter 11 reorganization. After Oscar’s death and the estate obligations were satisfied, there was some difficulty in dividing his assets. That is when CKI made an effort to terminate Combs’ rights to the Country Kitchen trademarks. At this time, John referred us to Rick Siegel who successful defended our rights through a countersuit and devised an amicable settlement among Oscar’s heirs that allowed John to finally settle Oscar’s estate. Although Rick Siegel has continued as our corporate attorney, John has always proven to be ready to advise any of us who might call upon him. C. T. Huffines, Jr. worked his way up to V. P. of 5th/3rd Bank of Northern Kentucky. He left there to head up several other banks, including the Bank of Mt. Vernon, the H.Y. Davis State Bank, and the First National Bank of Falmouth. When I knew CT he was the President of the Bank of Mt. Vernon, however, Oscar had known and done business with him for years prior to that. The order of location closings were Bedford (66), Paoli (71), Woodlawn (76), Lexington (76), Florence (77), Goodlettsville (77), Tampa (77), Lawrenceburg, Somerset, Horse Cave, London (78), Chester Road, Cave City, Berea, Beckley, Richmond, London (OH). Windmill Pancake & Steak House subleased Somerset, Lawrenceburg, Horse Cave & Goodlettsville. Florence was assumed by John E. Renner, Sr. & Jr. with Nick Funaro as the managing partner London, KY was assumed by Clarence Goble Berea & Cave City assumed by Glen Cromer and Tom Priddy Beckley assumed by Polatsek Richmond assumed by Dale Hurley
- Oscar also assumed the Kettering, OH location from Bill Johnson (@1970 or ’71?) & then the Commissary & Office from Ruth Johnson after Bill passed away. Still searching for photos of Woodlawn, OH & Lexington, KY. We would also like to find better photos of all locations, especially while they were operating as Country Kitchens. The Country Kitchen offices were across the street (72nd St) from John Boehner’s Dad’s Bar, and restaurant (Andy’s Café), founded by Boehner’s Grandfather. Other notable Managers and Employees Dave Barnes (& Travis) - Murray’s & London, OH George Bush - Cave City, Tampa, & Lexington Tommy Buttry (1951-1997) - Berea, Lawrenceburg & London, KY (1951-1997) Bonnie Combs (1949-2011) - Woodlawn & Lebanon, OH & Berea, KY Joe Combs - Berea Kenny Combs (1943-2000) - Paoli Phyllis Combs Murray (1947-1999)- Tampa, Berea, Lebanon & Beckley & CFO! Mark Crockett - Berea Dorothy (?) - Richmond Tommy Dorsey (1949-1970) - Woodlawn * John Dowling – Bedford, IN (GM) Johnny Goodrich (1968-1988) - London, OH * Ron Harper - Cave City, Chester Road Gary Allen Hood (Bowling Green) - Cave City, Chester Road Tony Kimbler - London, OH Jim King - Lebanon Carson Murray (1945-2010) - Lexington Don Murray (1947-2014) - Lexington, Richmond, Chester Road, Lebanon & Murray’s Frederick S. Rushing - Chester Road Winston Schmidt - Bedford & Woodlawn Smitty ? - Lebanon Johnny Stringfield - Berea Darren Stromquist - Tampa & London, OH Augusta (Tess) Testa (1918-1997) - Vine St. Office (* Suicide while employed) Bessie - Richmond Bruce & James – Commissary Linda Ambrose Doug Botkins Sue Brewer Daniel Buttry (1956-2011) - Berea Jeff Coffey - Berea Larry ? - Chester Road Joe Combs Polly Combs - Lexington & Paoli Jeff Coffey Mark Crockett Doris Durham (1929-1992) - Berea Wanda L. Gullett Hurley Gooch Dawn Hembree Sherry Mayne Anthony Riley - Berea Elaine Riley - Berea Maureen Riley - Berea Joanie Robinson Bertha Shelton (1917-1991) - Berea Johnny Stringfield Goldie Hazelwood (1918-1985) - Berea Victor ? - Woodlawn
- Oscar’s 1st location 1140 Glendale Milford Rd. Woodlawn, OH 45215-1209 Robert L. (Bob) Caron, 1st GM Oscar went into to business for himself as a result of the death of the founder of Jerrico, Inc. and the partner’s right to buy out his share of the business. Mr. Rosenthal eliminated all expenditures not related to direct business operations, including the annual (Christmas) bonuses. As a result, Oscar decided to open his own restaurant even though he had no money to invest. He found a location with a motivated landlord that agreed to let him open without any money down and time to get his rent in front of the lease with no deposit. With a good reputation, he was able to stock his shelves on credit and borrow $500 from each of two prospective vendors, Continental Coffee and Stern Vending to turn on his utilities. With a handshake from Bill H. Johnson, he branded his new venture as a ‘Country Kitchen’ and with his newly hired crew, he opened the doors and paid his bills out of the immediate profits he managed from the revenue his new location generated. The Woodlawn ‘Country Kitchen’ opened in April of 1965, north of Cincinnati. The restaurant was on the northeast corner of Glendale-Milford Rd. & Chester Road. It was across Chester Road from the Roadway Truck terminal and across Glendale Milford from the Western Electric Plant. About a mile east, across I-75 were the GE and Ford Plants. Pete Rose’s Dad worked for the 5th/3rd Bank that had a location on the southwest quadrant of Glendale Milford and I-75, across from the St. Rita school for the Deaf. After the Country Kitchen in Woodlawn closed, managers re-opened it as the ‘Burger Factory’, which didn’t last long. Tommy Dorsey, a local fellow; Winston Schmidt, from Bedford, Indiana; and Bonnie Combs-Borradaile, Oscar’s next to youngest sister who was born and raised near Milltown, Indiana; all worked at Woodlawn, Ohio. Bonnie also worked at several other locations, especially Berea, KY & Lebanon, OH. Philip (Butch) Kidd’s photo is inset with Jack Clark’s photo was the last GM of the Woodlawn Country Kitchen. Parcel ID-598-0090-0175-00 Judith Winstel 1997. Now a Chester Rd. address 10400 (?) Chester Rd.
- Oscar’s 2nd location was in Bedford, IN 2833 W. 16th Street (US 50) Bedford, IN 47421 Originally a Jerry's Drive-In, and still standing and recognizable by the sign. Oscar converted this location to a Country Kitchen from late ‘65 to 1966. After a lot of work, Bedford was only a break even operation. Oscar sold it back to Jerry’s, for a profit and replaced it with the Paoli restaurant after he opened the Lexington location. He wanted to provide work for any family that needed and wanted it. John Dowling was the manager who also managed when it was a Jerry’s. Winston Schmidt transferred from Bedford to Woodlawn a few months after it was sold and he was old enough to leave home with his parents approval. This photo is from the 1975 Bedford/North Lawrence High School yearbook. The bottom photo is the Bowling Green, KY location as an example of the drive-in layout.
- Oscar’s 3rd location was in Lexington, KY D.O.C., Inc., opened in 1966 649 E. New Circle Road Lexington, KY Formerly the Mustang, an automated restaurant built by AMF, it had a drive-in canopy on the north side of the parking lot. Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmXLqImT1wE) Wickliffe Y. Mann was hired as the GM after Oscar opened Lexington. Burl Wilson (inset photo) was promoted to GM of Lexington when Wick was promoted to Area Supervisor. When Jerry Matheny left as GM of Richmond, Burl was transferred to Richmond and Walter Murray was then promoted to GM of Lexington.
- Top Row (L-R): Hot Brown Skillet, Saucer, Coffee Cup, Special Plate 2nd Row (L-R): 11” Oval Platter, 9” Plate, Liner & Monkey Dish, Salad Bowl (Also used a 9” oval platter) 3rd Row (L-R): Soup Bowl, Footed Coffee Cup, Creamer, Tea Pot (China Creamer/Syrup pitcher only used at Tampa opening) (SS hinged Container were the norm for Tea Pot & Hot Syrup) 4th Row (L-R): Breakfast Skillet, Dessert Dish, 12 oz Tumbler, 10 oz Tumbler (also used 8 & 5 oz. glass tumbler or 5 oz plastic tumbler)
- Oscar’s 5th location was in the Tresler Comet Truck Plaza on I-75, north of Richmond, KY at the Boonesboro Exit #95 (SE Quadrant) 1294 (1207) Boonesborough Road (I-75 & SR 627) 3799 Colonel Rd (Current Address) opened in 1967 Richmond, KY 40475 Jacob (Jake) Asher, Operator * Ft. Boonesboro is about 5 miles east Jerry Matheny was the 1st GM of Richmond and left when Wick Mann was appointed as the 1st area supervisor. He was replaced by Burl Wilson, who was replaced by Clarence Goble. Clarence ran Richmond until he was promoted to supervisor. Wallace Stepp was the night shift manager for Clarence and was killed in an auto accident. Wallace was a very well liked and respected employee and likely the next to be promoted to GM. Ashland Oil bought Tresler Oil in 1982 and the truck stops were re-branded. Oscar sold the Richmond location to the manager, Dale Hurley in 1982 and Dale ran it for nearly 10 years before letting it go and buying Berea. Unfortunately, his untimely death in 1992 occurred shortly thereafter. He was only 41 years old. I’m still looking for a photo of Dale Hurley.
- "Cave Country Chair Lift, Cave City, KY. A splendid view of the Interstate 65 and Kentucky 70 Interchange; from the observation veranda, at the top of the Cave Country Lift. Beautiful Cave Country farm lands, and Historic Pruitts Knob are in the background." Published by L.C. Scott, Cave City, KY. Postcard photo of the construction of the Cave City location taken from the Chair Lift. From the looks of this photo, the Quality Inn and Country Kitchen were the third to build on that corner, as the Kentucky Inn and the service station in front of it were already open. I’m not sure how many Country Kitchens that Dick Amann’s company, General Fixtures & Supply Company equipped, but I would venture that it was a hundred or more. Between Bill and Oscar, including conversions, he probably equipped fifty or more out of his Dayton, Ohio location. Several people that started out with and worked for Dick over the years are still at it with their own company based in Columbus, Ohio. Jim Hansen and Gene Yosick are partners with at least one other fellow at Best Restaurant Equipment & Design, Inc. They were kind enough to share some brochures and other marketing materials containing the two lower photos. When Tom Sawyer left General Fixture and Supply, all contact was lost and I do not know where he is or what became of him. Herman H. Deitering (1932-2003) was an important part of General Fixture and Supply, serving as secretary of the corporation. He attended the University of Cincinnati and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business accounting. According to Dick Ozment, General Fixtures equipped approximately 90% of all Country Kitchens!
- Opened July 3, 1968 Incorporated as A.R.C., Inc. 01/07/69 1006 Doyle Ave. Cave City, Kentucky I-65, exit 53 Southeast quadrant Quality Inn – R. E. (Earl) Cravens & Dennis Cravens Incorporated as Dea-Mar Enterprises, Inc. 01/31/68 Motel sold to the manager, Don Robey Restaurant Sub-Franchised to management Incorporated as C. K. Of Cave City, Inc. Cave City Country Kitchen closed December 1999 Cave City was Combs Inc.’s 1st new location, which Oscar designed, 6th overall, & his 1st million dollar volume store. The kitchen was set up similar to Woodlawn. Island walk-in cooler & freezer with built-in reach-ins and dual, L-shaped cook line. Approximate square footage was around 3990 sq. The high rise sign was one of a kind and very expensive, nearly as expensive as the restaurant’s equipment (?). As unique as the sign was, the rest were designed smaller due to initial cost and maintenance. The 1st GM, Sherrill Daugherty [?], quit after Labor Day due to the drop in sales. I’m not sure what he thought, but the drop in sales was indicative of the seasonal draw of the local attractions. Obviously, Cave City proved to be a very lucrative operation and Sherrill was replaced by Glen E. Cromer who had worked for Oscar for a couple of weeks in Lexington and was referred to Minneapolis where he worked for a year or two. Glen had returned to work for Oscar right before Cave City opened and when he became an area supervisor, he was replaced by Thomas (Tom) C. Priddy. Tom’s uncle owned the Kentucky Inn, across the street, and Tom worked for him at the front desk. They would later become partners in the Cave City & Berea locations and after Oscar terminated the sub-license with John C. Olness and Bernie E. Askelson for the rights to the state of Kentucky, he sub-licensed Eastern Kentucky to Glen and Tom. Cool Breeze was instrumental in keeping Cave City running smoothly, as he was renowned throughout the company as the best ‘Wheel Man’ in the company, keeping the orders organized and food coming out of the kitchen in a fresh, hot, and timely manner! He later became an assistant manager too. Managers that got their start in Cave City – Buddy Hancock, Gary Middleton, George Bush, Ron Harper (BCSO), Gary Hood (CPD)
- One of two postcard photos of the Cave City location. Sign at the entrance of Mammoth Cave, the main local attraction.
- 11421 Chester Rd. Sharonville, OH Opened in 1969, it was Oscar’s 7th location. It was closed and converted to a real estate office @ 1980. Melvin Korelitz and Elmer Warnken were the landlords Building pictured here in 2011 (3990 sf) Chester Rd was the second new location designed by Oscar and was surprisingly similar to Woodlawn with the difference mainly in the dining room set up. The kitchen was modeled after the Woodlawn location with the island walk-ins & built-in reach-ins and the dual L-shaped cook line. They also had large seating capacities, @ 180 each. Mel Korelitz was a cousin of Sid Brant and a partner of Oscar’s in the Chester Road location. Melvin N. Korelitz co-developed the first heat shield ever used to return an American astronaut to Earth. Along with a partner, Elmer Warnken, Korelitz started a small research lab called the Cincinnati Testing Laboratories in 1946. By 1958, the lab found itself working with NASA in the space race. To test new material, Korelitz and his colleagues needed to simulate the harsh, 3000-degree re-entry environment. They commandeered several huge, unused electric generators originally built for Cincinnati's old trolley system. Using 13,000-volt arcs, they created an "arc plasma generator" powerful enough to mimic the intense heat a spacecraft would encounter. The culmination of their efforts was the lightweight heat shield used during the Mercury missions and most famously on the Friendship 7 capsule, which safely carried the first American astronaut John Glenn into — and back from — space in 1962. (Excerpted from an article by Josh Bohling printed in the North Lake College News Register Feb. 27, 2003.) Cincinnati Testing Laboratories was sold along with their patent on the heat shield to Studebaker/Packard in 1960, as they were not in the business of manufacturing. The original partners and other prominent employees retained positions for several varying years and CTL, as a subsidiary of Studebaker/Packard worked on the Gemini and Apollo programs as well. After CTL, Melvin ventured into other investments, some of which were properties where he and Elmer leased built to suit projects and Melvin occasionally entered partnerships with some of those businesses, such as the Country Kitchen on Chester Road.
- With all of the motels and night life in the area, Chester Road’s breakfast and midnight shifts were extremely busy. Combined with a lot of residential and professional services nearby to boost the lunchtime and dinner business, Chester Road was a very successful location. The Marriott complex was across and down the street about 150 feet with the Windjammer Restaurant adjoined on the north side and the Red Dog Saloon in a detached addition on the south side with a few other businesses. The Windjammer restaurant at the Marriott Hotel complex was opened as an upscale supper club in 1966 by developer Robert Harpenau and closed in 1997. It was said to have been modeled after an 18th-century Spanish galleon that sank off the Florida keys in a hurricane in 1773, El Enfante, and was decorated with a collection of artifacts salvaged from the Enfante, including her 20-foot-tall, three-ton anchor. The 352-room Marriott Inn is located in Sharonville, Ohio, 22 miles north of Cincinnati on Interstate 75. Its fun, food and excitement includes the Reef Restaurant, the Red Dog Saloon and Cristy's night club. Swimming, racquetball and tennis are available along with a health club in the hotel. A property of Harpenau Hotels. The Red Dog Saloon was also a popular watering hole with top notch comedy entertainment. During my time, Kevin Orr was the comedian that packed the seats for several sets 6 nights a week for years. Another popular comedian was Ron Stewart, although I didn’t know him or attend any of his shows.
- London, KY I-75, exit 41, SW quadrant Oscar’s 8th location, opened 1970 Bob Caron was the first GM of London, KY transferring from Woodlawn. He was originally from Casey County and wanted to get closer to his hometown. When Somerset opened, he transferred as the first GM there, too. Oscar sold this location to Clarence Goble as part of the second round of downsizing. Clarence worked at the Kettering, OH Country Kitchen for many years. When he came to work for Oscar, he was the GM at Richmond. When Glen Cromer left, he became supervisor. Richmond and London, KY were new operations, however they were designed and built by Tresler Comet (or the operators, Jake Asher and Earl Hodge, respectively) and lacked several features of Combs Inc.’s newer locations. Woodlawn, Lebanon, London, Ohio; Berea, KY and Beckley, WV also provided additional parking for trucks, too.
- Various Vendors and Products used by Combs Inc. NIFDA – National Institutional Food Distributors Association Klosterman & Trauth were located in Ohio Chappell’s & Kern’s were located in Kentucky Mountain Dew with a Bootlegger!
- 210 East Fowler Ave. Tampa, Florida 33612 (1971-77) I-75, exit 265, NW quadrant (Now I-275, exit 51) This was Oscar’s 9th location. Quality Inn - Earl Craven, developer (Robert Vaughan, Mgr) According to newspaper articles, the motel was scheduled to open in March of 1972, but did not open until July. However, the commercial end of the complex was ready sooner and the restaurant opened in the fall of 1971. George Weddle was the 1st GM in Tampa, and may have been from Somerset, KY. He was an ex Jerry’s man that may have also run a night club in NKY at one time. Darrin Stromquist transferred from Tampa to London, OH as an Assistant Manager. USF was located a few miles east on Fowler Ave., and Busch Gardens was at the next exit south. Tampa was originally a Quality Inn location (Earl Cravens) and the restaurant was set up the same as other Combs Inc. locations, except Tampa had a separate back dining room between the restaurant and hotel. Plus there were banquet facilities at the rear of the restaurant that we served a lot of the time. This restaurant delivered room service too, which was a first and only for Combs Inc. It was also the only location with an automatic conveyor dishwasher.
- 3150 St. Rt. 350 Lebanon, Ohio 45036 I-71, exit 76, northeast quadrant Oscar’s 10th location, opened Feb. 2, 1972 1st location leased from Sid Brant’s group Albert J. Lerner (attorney), Ellis C. Thompson and Richard S. (Dick) Rosell (Realtors) They also built Somerset & Florence, KY; London, OH; and Goodlettsville, TN I believe these were all Combs Inc. locations Second exit north of King’s Island Amusement Park The first exit having an odd & difficult ramp configuration Walter hired on at the age of 16 in Lexington as a dishwasher. He worked his way up to GM by 1970 at the age of 18, the youngest by far. He transferred to Tampa in January 1973 and Lebanon in 1976. Became franchisee in 1992. Walter started in Ohio as an area supervisor and after Combs Inc. entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, he was solely responsible for managing the remaining two locations. Between those two locations and the royalties from the sub-franchisees, Combs Inc. was able to retire it’s debts and defend it’s rights in a termination attempt. Lebanon, OH and Berea, KY were almost identical with 12 ½ perimeter booths, 4 island booths, a square U-Shaped counter with a total seating capacity of 76 and the island walk-ins with built-in reach-ins. Lebanon (2672 sf) had a narrower prep area with the stove on the cook line and a huge water storage tank, maybe a 12,500 capacity, added to the rear of the restaurant in an addition to enclose the water tank. They had to have their water hauled in by tanker for over 20 years. Lebanon had it’s own sewage treatment plant for over 40 years and still counting.
- Lebanon Menu (2009)
- These helicopters have stopped before, but this particular day they happened to show up near the same time. The bikers have started their charity run here several times. The movie was at least the second made in and around Lebanon. This one was a Hallmark movie with Olympia Dukakis and Nicollette Sheridan, called ‘The Christmas Spirit’, and shot scenes at the Country Kitchen.
- C. K. of Berea, Inc. 227 Paint Lick Rd. (SR 21) Berea, KY (Foreground). I-75, exit 76, southwest quadrant (2856 sf) Oscar’s 11th location, C. K. of Berea, Inc., opened June 1972 Gilbert Bryant, Landlord & Independent Motel Operator I worked this location the longest, over 6 years. I started as an assistant manager with Tom Farris as the GM. A storm (tornado?) hit the motel next door during my shift in August and lifted the entire roof off, laying most of it on the entrance ramp to southbound I-75, with some reaching the travel lanes. Business dropped off dramatically and Tom decided to leave the company. Gary Middleton was chosen as his replacement, as the other managers ready to take on that responsibility had restaurants under construction or development. Almost ten tears later Oscar sold Berea to Glen E. Cromer and Doug took Glen’s place as the last area supervisor. Glen later sold Berea to Dale Hurley who gave up Richmond that closed shortly thereafter. Dale died shortly after that at the age of 41 Local attractions include Berea College, Boone Tavern, Indian Fort Theatre and the annual Arts & Crafts Festival Just one exit north of the Renfro Valley Barn music complex Berea, KY and Lebanon, OH were almost identical with 12 ½ perimeter booths, 4 island booths, a square U-Shaped counter with a seating capacity of 76 and the island walk-ins with built-in reach-ins. Berea (@ 2900 sf) had a wider prep area with the stove located there. The wider space allowed for a Garbage room instead of a utility closet and no dumpster outside due to the close proximity of the motel pool. Doug’s list of locations worked Traveled with Dad some when he was working with Jerry’s, bussing tables, sweeping, greeting at broken tele-trays Woodlawn, summer of ‘67, toasting buns, bussing tables & sweeping Woodlawn, summer of 1970, washing dishes and training to cook Richmond, started fulltime after graduation, trained before Berea opened Berea, assistant manager for Tom Farris and Gary Middleton Tampa, assistant manager (night shift) for George Bush West Columbus (London, OH) 1973, assistant manager (night shift) for Buddy Hancock Somerset 1974, assistant manager for Bob Caron Berea 1975, General Manager, replaced Gary Middleton when he transferred to Goodlettsville Cincinnati 1976, Chester Road, Florence, London, etc. and relieved at commissary for Bruce & James vacations Relief for vacations, L-burg, London, Horse Cave, Berea, Somerset, and closures of Florence & Goodlettsville Berea, 1977-1980 Supervisor, Jan. 1981 – Jan. 1982 Richmond, Lebanon, London, OH & Beckley Murray’s & repossessed office ‘84 & ‘85 Worked FDOC Feb. ’86 – May ’88 Lebanon & London June ‘88 – May ’91
- 1365 SR 42 NE London, OH 43140 I-70, Exit 79, northeast quadrant Oscar’s 12th location, opened Jan. 1973 Buddy Hancock trained in Cave City and was the first GM in London. He was replaced by Vernon Abney when he transferred to Horse Cave as the 1st GM there. London, OH & Somerset, KY were almost identical (reversed floor plans) and the same as Lebanon & Berea except with an added back Dining Room. Seating capacity was 120. London & Lebanon also had a sewage treatment plant.
- Country Kitchen memorabilia. Doug & Phyllis in Lebanon, Danny at Chris’ 18th birthday in Lebanon (Chris worked on her birthday), and the Norwood Country Kitchen with similar decor.
- 551 Clifty Street (& KY 80 By-Pass) Somerset, KY 42503 NE of Lake Cumberland Oscar’s 13th location, opened April 1973 Leased to Windmill Pancake & Steak House Later, Wanetta and her family leased it, Ma’s Pantry. Then the ‘Dixie Kitchen’ and now US Rep. Hal Rogers office. Somerset, KY & London, OH were almost identical (reversed floor plans) and the same as Lebanon & Berea except for an added back Dining Room with a seating capacity of 120. (3600 sf) Bob Caron was born and raised in Casey County and joined the Marines after school. Afterwards he settled in the Cincinnati area and went to work for Oscar in Woodlawn, later becoming Oscar’s 1st GM. Five years later, he transferred to London, Kentucky and three years after that he transferred to Somerset, becoming the first GM at those locations too. Oscar met Pete Rose’s Dad in Woodlawn. Pete Sr. (Harry Francis) worked for the 5th/3rd bank which had a location down the street and we were big fans of Red’s baseball. Oscar had season tickets for about 10 years, all through the ‘Big Red Machine’ years and those World Series wins. In the fall of 1974, Pete came to several restaurants and signed autographs for customers. The inset photo is Pete with Doug in the back Dining Room of the Somerset location when Doug worked there as an assistant manager.
- Location Map, dated May 1976, did not properly reflect all of the locations. However, that date may be wrong as there was another placemat with a 1776 – 1976 theme called ‘Our Flag’.
- 8055 US 42 Hwy Florence, KY I-75, exit 180, SW quadrant Oscar’s 14th location, opened in 1974 It was sold in 1976 to Nick Funaro, a former Country Kitchen franchisee from the Midwest. (3990 sf, built 1974) Florence was identical to Goodlettsville, TN with a seating capacity of about 140. The only difference is a metal roof versus a shingled mansford roof in Goodlettsville. The dining room had two square U-shaped counters and a dual, L-shaped cook line. The Highrise sign was identical to Lebanon & London, OH; Somerset, KY & Goodlettsville, TN The floodlights were not on the Lebanon & London, OH locations. Ron Harper may have been the GM when Florence opened. He was a prominent assistant that hired on and trained in Cave City and transferred to Chester Road prior to Florence being built. We lost two promising assistant managers that choose to persue law enforcement careers, Ron Harper and Gary Hood. I was reminded of a story that I had forgotten. Not sure if it was here or the manager in Berea, Tom Farris, he would load baking trays (sheet pans) with whole pies onto a dish cart and go from table to table asking the customers if they would like a piece of ’FRESH, HOMEMADE’ pie. He was selling 35 pies a day!
- Location list, dated May 1976, did not reflect an accurate accounting of all locations open or closed. However, that date may be wrong, too, as there was another placemat with a 1776 – 1976 theme called ‘Our Flag’. The Country Boy & Gal images were not on this placemat, I added them here on this slide.
- Town & Country Bank & Trust Formerly Country Kitchen 1102 US 127 South Lawrenceburg, KY 40342 Oscar’s 15th location, opened @ 1974 Leased to Windmill Pancake & Steak House Arthur J. Green, Sr. – Green Realty (landlord) Emmett lived on or off of Djeddah Dr.
- Combs Inc. Menu from late 1976
- 449 Moss Trail Goodlettsville, TN I-65, exit 96, SW Quadrant Oscar’s 16th location Opened January 1975 and closed in the fall of 1977 Leased to Windmill Pancake & Steak House Buddy Hancock trained at Cave City and was the 1st GM of London, OH. When Horse Cave was opened, he transferred closer to home and later transferred to the Goodlettsville, TN location. (3990 sf, built 1975) Goodlettsville was identical to Florence, KY with a seating capacity of about 140. The only difference is a shingled roof versus a metal mansford roof in Florence. The dining room had two square, U-shaped counters and a dual, L-shaped cook line.
- Combs Inc. Menu from late 1976
- 425A (515) Flint Ridge Rd Horse Cave, KY I-65, exit 58, SW Quadrant (4000 sf) Oscar’s 17th Country Kitchen location Opened in 1975 and closed in 1977 Leased to Windmill Pancake & Steak House Gary Middleton trained at Cave City and transferred to Lexington as an assistant mgr. The first GM of Berea left two months after it opened when a storm hit the adjacent motel, and Gary was promoted to GM. He transferred to Goodlettsville, TN when it opened and was later transferred to Horse Cave, KY. (4120 sf, built 1976) Horse Cave was part of a Rodeway Inn location. Horse Cave and Beckley, WV (?) also had the L-shaped dual cook-lines and island walk-ins with built-in reach-ins.
- 224 Harper Park Dr. Beckley, WV 25801 I-77, exit 44 SW quadrant Beckley was the last location Combs, Inc. opened, 1981, and was managed by Walter Murray. Beckley (?) and Horse Cave, KY also had the L-shaped dual cook-lines the island walk-ins with built-in reach-ins. Assumed by Polatsek, Bill (?) – see 1982 yearbook ad in Shady Spring, WV
- Two different versions of menu covers used in the 1980s
- Kelsey Foods (Kelsey H. Harding) opened the Country Kitchen at 2772 Pennsylvania Avenue Charleston, WV and least one other location, Barboursville, WV.
- Elyria was one of the 24 locations licensed in the Cleveland, Ohio area and consistently led in sales volume. Cleveland was sub-licensed to Rich Weiss in 1973 who sold to Rich Hutter in the early 1980s. Hutter sold his interests in the late 80s to the largest franchisee, Steve, and CKI later terminated the contract around 2002. Yearbook ad is inserted into photo under the street sign.
- There are many more articles about Carlson Companies, however, the most disturbing are the ones concerning the downfall of Curtis Carlson’s grandson, Curtis Nelson – http://www.startribune.com/business/138676564.html http://nrn.com/mergers-acquistions/carlson-sell-tgi-fridays https://www.google.com/search?q=Curtis+Nelson&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb#channel=sb&q=curtis+carlson+nelson&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official
- The four CKI locations opened in Tennessee after the settlement agreement. CKI also opened locations in Tuscaloosa, AL & Seville, OH - both Pilot Travel Centers. The only location CKI opened in Queen City’s territory was in Wytheville, VA (Hotel).
- William F. (Bill) Reimer, Richard L. (Dick) Ozment, Robert O. (Bob) Massie, Owen R. (Rocky) Massie, Bruce H. Olson (Hopefully, Dick Ozment will provide photos for those that are currently missing) Curtis L. Carlson (1914-1999), Richard B. Hohman (1932-1989), Frank Steed, Curtis C. Nelson, Charles Foster Jeff Raymond, Charles M. (Chuck) Myers, Dennis LaVenture, Charles Mocco, Paul J. Huffman, III Reimer, Ozment, and Bob Massie bought their rights from Bill H. Johnson, the founder of Country Kitchen Curt Carlson bought CKI from Reimer, Ozment, and Bob Massie Rocky Massie sold his license to Jeff Raymond, who in turn sold to Charles M Myers (largest Franchisee) Carlson sold to Myers who drove the company into the ground causing his bank to foreclose and selling the remaining assets to Paul J. Huffman, III’s capital investment company
- Rich Hutter, Bill Polatsek, Chris Polatsek, Dale Schwan (1956-2008), Rich Weiss ? (Richard C. Weiss, 73, passed away March 8, 2013. Father of Landon and Richard Weiss.) Dick Amann (1928-2010), Tom Sawyer, Gene Yosick, Simon A. Polasky (1910-1973), Jay Wittenbaum Dave Frisch (1902-1970), Warren Rosenthal, Sid Brant (1913-1986), Johnny Johnson, Paul Misali (1928-1973)
- Table top juke boxes were popular and profitable, however, at some locations they bacame distractions and were removed in the 70s (replaced by Musak). Later, standard juke boxes returned at some locations w/ mixed results. The pot-bellied Coffee urns were replaced by dual, paper filter urns that were easier to maintain. NCR class 24 electric cash register had a removable hand crank in the event there was a loss of power.
- T Farris (1943-2012) B Hancock (1942-2011) G Middleton (1946-2007) F Rushing (1946-2011) B Wilson (1934-97) Berea: Daniel Buttry (1956-2011), Brenda Calico, Jeanie Cox, Dawn Hembree, London, OH: Joe Costell (Brenda married Gary Middleton & Jeanie was our neighbor) Steve (Cookie) Gilkerson, Tony Kimbler, Bobby Stroup, Woodlawn: Tommy Dorsey (1949-1970), Winston Schmidt
- Oscar Combs, front & center, at a Jerrico ‘Round Table’ function (early 1960s) Warren Rosenthal, seated 5th from the left.