Whether remembered as the Red Crown Café, Mouse House, Harold’s Hideaway, or Benny’s Grill, plenty of delicious, comforting meals were served in the building that sat at 110 E. Santa Fe Trail Blvd. in Lakin. The property was demolished in November 2017 to make room for the Casey’s General Store. The Teeter Irrigation building to the west, originally a Standard Service Station, was also torn down.
The Standard Service Station was built in 1952 by F. W. Stewart. In 1956, Stewart added on to the east side of the building to house the Red Crown Café. That café was first leased by Mrs. B.A. Jefferson, followed by Datha Bushek, then Mrs. George Homm. In October of 1958, Bertha Johnson took over management of the Red Crown. Bertha and her sister, Emma Musgrove, were well known for their good food and friendly service as they had been successfully running the “66” Café. Em continued to manage the “66” Café, but it wasn’t long before the duo were working under the same roof again. In 1961, Bert and Em moved out of the Standard station and into the new Red Crown Café building which sat just to the east and was also built by Stewart. Over 100 happy customers could be seated at a time, and a party room on the east side of the building could accommodate 35 diners in a private dining area. The new café gave Lakin a large modern restaurant to take care of locals and tourists.
Stewart eventually sold the building to Clair and Golda West and Lee and Betty West who took over in October of 1964. Although the name stayed the same, the café would change managers many times. Besides Lee and Betty, some of the other managers were Ruby Rexroat, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Williams, and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Reynolds. When Larry Crane bought out the Wests in October 1975, he also kept the Red Crown name.
Lester and Janelle Mouse then purchased the business in 1977, and the Mouse House was born. One of the popular specials in 1978 was a rib eye steak dinner which sold for just $3.50. Not only were the Mouses known for having excellent food, but they also had some of the prettiest help in town … their four daughters: Melissa, Steph, Stacey and Heather. The venture was highly successful but hard work. According to their daughter Stacey Geubelle, Lester was concerned with the toll that the workload was taking on his wife so he sold the business to Harold and Rita Waechter in December 1980.
The Waechters continued to run the restaurant under the same name but would remodel and add on to the building. In June of 1983, they asked the public to help them name their new supper club located in the back of the building. The name, Harold’s Hideaway, was submitted by Jo Vanatta. Live dance bands, such as Johnny Mason and The Night Stealers, played on weekends at the club. Eventually the Mouse House name was dropped, and the entire building became known as Harold’s Hideaway.
The next business there was Annie B’s Country Kitchen, moving from its original location in the old Dairy King at 303 W. Santa Fe Trail Blvd. Operated by Dennis and Jo Branine, Annie B’s opened in January 1993. That December, Annie B’s announced the opening of The Club for fine meals and drinks. Next came The Finish Line which was opened in February 1995 by Kenny and Gwen Waechter. That spring they moved their other business, The Locker Room, from the Nash Building into the club. Guests could enjoy pizza and a cold one while watching football or playing pool.
In February 2001, Bob and Edith Majors bought the building from Harold and Rita Waechter. Bob had been given the nickname “Frank” by his golfing buddies for being so forthright; thus, the restaurant was named Frank’s Supper Club. It was managed by Deanna Hunter, Majors’ daughter. In 2009, Andres Lozano purchased the property on contract, and Benny’s was opened. Benny’s Mexican fare was a favorite among locals, but the restaurant also served American food. Benny’s was the last eatery in the building.
When the restaurant was torn down, many former employees and customers shared their memories on Facebook, and some expressed sincere sadness over the building’s demise. There were a lot of good memories made there from families eating out, church goers enjoying doughnuts after a Sunday service, employees who bonded like family, couples taking a spin around the dance floor, and good friends sharing conversation over a cup of joe.
SOURCES: Museum and Lakin Independent archives with special thanks to Sandy Lane, Bob Majors, Stacey Geubelle and Missy Gerritzen, Kearny Co. Register of Deeds.