From the Windsor Star, September 25, 1979. Located at 7605 Tecumseh Road East, in the Pickwick Plaza. A look at the plaza today shows the Wendy’s as being at that address in Pickwick Plaza, just east of Lauzon Parkway. The restaurant couldn’t have been around very long. Does anyone remember the place? I grew up in the Walkerville area, and didn’t spend much time on the east side, I think it may have been gone by the time I came to Windsor in 1989…
And the already busy Smitty‘s, at 7605 Tecumseh Rd. E. – in the Pickwick Place shopping plaza – plans to stay a long time.
Maria Maziak, one of the owners of the business, is a warm and enthusiastic promoter for it.
“Starting a place like this has long been a dream of mine,” she said, “but it`s been busy setting it up, getting staff, training them and opening the restaurant. “
As any restaurant patron knows, staff can make a place –or break it.
“Our waitresses are attractively uniformed.” Maria said.
“We want them to be proud to be waitresses.
“When they were interviewed for the job, I told them that if they weren’t proud of being waitresses here, to leave then.
“l think pride is very important to staff,” she added. “We co-operate with our staff and want a good relationship to continue.”
Her partner, Lew Jones, also stressed choice of staff and training.
‘We’ve been very selective.” he said. I’m sure it will pay off by helping the restaurant develop and keep the business it should.”
Smitty’s is a member of a Canadian chain with headquarters in Calgary. Through the head office, it receives certain supplies, recipes for pancakes and standards for quality control, but the business itself is owned by Maria and Lew.
Pancakes occupy the star place on the colorful menus For (sic) statisticians – and for Windsor pancake-lovers – the menu offers I5 varieties, of which buttermilk, potato, banana and southern pecan are just four.
The menu also boasts a selection of waffles – 10 different types are listed – as well as eggs and omelettes, sandwiches, steaks, cutlets and other dinners.
“The restaurant will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” Maria said.
“We expect this to be a high volume outlet as we get better known and business develops.” Lew added.
The restaurant has a seating capacity of 138 and a staff of about 55 to meet its customers’ demands.
But it won’t be Windsor’s only pancake house for long. A competitor, the International House of Pancakes, is now building a restaurant in on Tecumseh Road just east of Lauzon Road.
“That’s beautiful,” said Maria. “ln business, you must have competition.
“But l don’t think they’ll be a match for us.” she challenged.
**As a side note, there have been errors in spelling via my OCR scanner lately, but in the article above, there were several quotes that were never closed. That poor grammar, is not an error and is courtesy of the 1979 Windsor Star. 🙂
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There is a Smitty's in Sarnia as well (Point Edward, actually) - in the Best Western on Venetian Blvd near the Blue Water Bridge.
http://www.smittys.ca
I lived in the apartments behind there. Went a number of times with my grand-dad. It's 'The Captain's Trading/Furniture store now.
I remember hanging around there back in the early 90's. I think it closed for good around 1991 or 92.
I had been there as a kid at my sisters wedding reception (just a small affair. Sometime around 1985? The building did close around 1991/92 but the name had changed by that time.
I loved Smitty's. I think they may still have this chain in the US? Thanks for the pic!
The restaurant was still there in the summer of 1992, I remember eating there and we had moved to Windsor that summer. I think it must have been torn down in '93 at the earliest. I was sad to see it go!
I remember got to Smitty's often when i was younger with my Dad, they had good food and i think a friend of the family was a waitress there. I miss the place.
I cooked at Smitty's on Tecumseh Rd East AND at Smitty's on the River in the late 80's (1987-89)for Lou and Maria. The broasted chicken was the best (Cramdons sells it now and I tried theirs and it is as good as I remember from back then) I want to say that it was closed in late 92 because Maria was very ill and they moved away and no one bought it as Smitty's and the landowner then leased it out to Wendy's (I could be wrong but I know Maria was ill and passed away a while after).
@JP
My name is Amber and I am Maria & Lew's granddaughter. I practically grew up at Smitty's and have such fond memories. It is so wonderful to hear everyone's fond memories and positive feedback.
It is true that my grandparents sold the restaurants because my Grandmother was very sick. They moved to Palm Springs, Ca to retire early. She went on to have a courageous battle with cancer for several years, but passed in 2000. I miss her so very much, she was my glamorous, fabulous, strong, determined real life Marilyn Monroe. My Grandfather recently passed in July 2008. He was an amazing man. He was a father & mentor to me, just two truly wonderful souls.
JP, I wonder if you remember me- the only granddaughter at the time...head full of curls :) My mom was Jamie- Aunts were Kim, Kelly, Lisa.