1521 Yout Street (Racine, Wisconsin)
| 1521 Yout Street | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Restaurant |
| Location | 1521 Yout Street Racine, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 42°44′44″N 87°48′00″W / 42.74543°N 87.8°WCoordinates: 42°44′44″N 87°48′00″W / 42.74543°N 87.8°W |
| Construction started | 1973 |
| Owner | Jaime and Laura Ruiz[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Developer | Mr. Quick |
1521 Yout Street is the address of a restaurant building on the southeastern corner of Yout Street and North Memorial Drive in Racine, Wisconsin. Originally constructed for a location in the Mr. Quick fast-food chain in 1973, the building has since been occupied by Big Star and Rooster's restaurants.
History[edit | edit source]
The site where the building was constructed was previously part of a parking lot for the nearby Hamilton Beach 
factory. In 1973, the Wisconsin Industrial Lease & Development Company sold the land to Mr. Quick, a fast-food restaurant chain based in Moline, Illinois, which planned to open its first Wisconsin location on the site.[2] The restaurant held its grand opening on February 22, 1974.[3] On the evening of February 18, 1976, Mr. Quick was the site of an attempted robbery, in which a 16-year-old employee was shot.[4] The restaurant closed in December 1977, with the president of Mr. Quick citing intense competition and the shooting as factors that made the location unprofitable.[5]
On June 10, 1978, the Big Star restaurant opened in the building.[6] The restaurant was the second location of the Big Star drive-in, the first being located at 1500 Washington Road in Kenosha. The Racine Big Star was owned and operated by Charles LaFerney, the son-in-law of Big Star founders Roy and Marion Boehner.[7]
Big Star operated in Racine until 1997,[8] when it was replaced by Rooster's Family Restaurant, operated by Greg and Rhonda LaFerney.[9][10] The LaFerneys sold Rooster's to new owners in 2017, while the Kenosha Big Star remains in the family.[11]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1521 Yout St, Racine County Ascent Land Records Suite, retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ↑ "Chain Plans Racine Restaurant", Racine Journal Times, April 19, 1973, page 5D.
- ↑ Advertisement, Racine Journal Times, February 21, 1974, page 6C.
- ↑ Boultinghouse, Chris. "Cafe worker, 16, shot in holdup", Racine Journal Times, February 19, 1976, front page.
- ↑ "Mr. Quick closes", Racine Journal Times, December 20, 1977, page 1D.
- ↑ Advertisement, Racine Journal Times, June 9, 1978, page 5B.
- ↑ "Restaurant to open in May", Racine Journal Times, April 10, 1978, page 6A.
- ↑ "Friday Fish Fry", Racine Journal Times, February 20, 1997, page 2C.
- ↑ Laehr Tenuta, Marci. "Scouting out senior discounts", Racine Journal Times Lifestyles, June 2004 (issue dated May 26, 2004), page 2.
- ↑ Advertisement, Racine Journal Times, April 29, 1997, page A2.
- ↑ Zampanti, Jeffrey. "Snapshot: Chuck Laferney, owner of Big Star drive-in", Kenosha News, April 23, 2018.