There has been some work going on down at 755 Ouellette Ave. lately, at the former Bentley’s Roadhouse. I noticed a dumpster outside a few weeks back, and the building is going to be converted to retail, with apartments above. The owners are the same people who own the Walkerville Business Lofts on Chilver, just south of Wyandotte.
The building was built in 1948, by local architect Garnet Andrew McElroy. G.A. McElroy was born in Sandwich in 1897, and was active as an architect from 1921 until 1969. One of the interesting facts about McElroy was that in 1923, he joined the S.S. Kresge Co. in Detroit as a staff architect, a position he held through about 1950.
His designs for Kresge stores were built in Victoria, BC, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and many other Canadian cities.
Interesting to note the residential houses still on Ouellette just north of Mario’s in this postcard. Also there used to be a Royal Bank branch on the main floor of the building, visible in this shot. The postcard dates to the late 1950’s.
The back of the postcard reads:
Windsor’s most beautiful dining lounge. Catering to banquets, weddings,
social affairs, club meetings, birthday parties, etc. The best prime rib of
red brand beef this side of the Canadian Rockies. Steaks & Chops, Sea Food
and Chicken. 30 years in the food business, in Windsor, Ontario.
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Hey - great feel to the layout by the way. Site is looking real good these days !
Mario's was classy! I dated a banker for awhile in the late sixties who lived in the Windsor Arms (I think it's called) across the street from Mario's and we ate there frequently. It was still going in the seventies when I recall dining there at least once before the theatre.
The building on the southwest corner of Ouellette and Tecumseh (now an x ray clinic) was also a "Mario's"for decades but I never knew for sure if there was a connection. It was a less formal "family style" establishment. I remember going to that one with my parents in the fifties and it may have been the first place in Windsor to sell pizza. Several restaurants have been unsuccessful there since.
Did TBQ (number two) take over the Tecumseh/Ouellette location? I think one of the first to sell "pizza pies" was a restaurant south side of Ouellette, just west of Pelissier...and that was in 1955. (I used to sell Liberty magazine in that area, for 5c in those days, as a kid... anyone remember that slick little mag?)
But, my memory is getting fuzzy!
I remember when the Bentley Roadhouse was called Pit Martin's back in the early 1980's. I think, but I'm not certain because my memory is a bit fuzzy, that Pit Martin's was forced to close sometime in 1984 or 1985 when a racially motivated stabbing took place outside. Then city Councilor Howard McCurdy had accused the management and staff of the old Pit Martin's of discriminating against black patrons and the stabbing was the final blow.
I was a "cocktail" waitress at Mario`s summer of 1970 . I was attending the U of W at the time...Keys Lauren (???) was the owner/operator at the time.
I was a cocktail waitress at Mario`s in the summer of 1970. (Keys Lauren ??? was the name of the owner/operator>>>I think )
Kees Roozen
Man, I thought those houses were still there.....
I'd better take a closer look next time I'm in town.
WIE - nope, i think the "ouellette towers" sit there now. however, immediatly north of that apt building there's still ONE larger home sandwiched in there facing tuscarora street.
when my dad was sick back in '97, there was a HUGE benifit concert for him held here by a bunch of old windsor blues and jazz bands. people were coming and going constantly but the place was constantly at capacity.
Andrew, do they plan on extending that small portion of 2nd floor to accomidate apts?
Aaron, I'm not sure what the plan entails...