Restaurants And Specialty Shops Turning 100 In 2025

The year 1925 was quite a year with the births of Paul Newman, Johnny Carson, B.B. King, and Angela Lansbury, the discovery of the element rhenium, and the release of "The Great Gatsby.

" Folks . And, people got the first chance to pull up a chair at some new restaurants and buy goods from specialty stores that would last a century. In 2025, many such establishments are hitting that mark, and we are ready to pop the Champagne to celebrate each of these places' magical milestones.



Our journey will take us all across the U.S., including a classic soda fountain, an Alabama BBQ spot, and a New Haven, Connecticut pizza parlor that is one of the world's best.

None of this could be possible without the generations of families keeping the family traditions going and its customers who keep coming back — and hopefully for another 100 years. We salute you all. Al's Restaurant - St.

Louis, Missouri The banks of the Mississippi have long lured people to the riverfront of St. Louis, Missouri, and since 1925, the Barroni family began feeding the city's hungry with Italian food. It started with husband and wife immigrants Louise and Albert Barroni setting up shop in an old sugar house exchange building, in their cafeteria-style restaurant.

The couple's son Albert Jr. carried on his parents' legacy but put a more sophisticated, sit-down spin on the restaurant, including a riverboard-themed lounge. Now under the helm of the third and fourth generation of Barronis, Al's Restaurant is one of St.

Louis' oldest family-owned restaurants that have remained in its original location. The Beef Romano is the signature dish, and also popular are lobster dishes and for dessert. (314) 421-6399 1200 North First St, St.

Louis, MO 63102 The Barge - Perth Amboy, New Jersey Brownie's Barge was a floating restaurant near Perth Amboy, New Jersey serving the literal catch of the day. A fire destroyed Brownie's in 1950, and a year later it was reincarnated ashore as just The Barge. The restaurant is currently under the stewardship of Alex Vosinas, who has owned The Barge for over four decades.

Hurricane Sandy flooded The Barge in 2012, but nothing could stop the beloved neighborhood from barging on. In addition to serving up everything from the sea steamed, broiled, fried, and in soup form, The Barge has a "Cheers"-like bar scene where everyone knows your name, and revelers even break out to dancing in the streets. (732) 442-3000 201 Front St, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861 Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery - Santa Monica, California In 1925, Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery opened in Santa Monica, and has endured as a one-stop shop for Italian groceries, gifts, salads, cheeses, pastas, and most famously its sandwiches.

With beloved heroes like the five-meat stacked Godmother, it's no surprise the deli hangs a sign within its store that boasts it has the "Best Sandwiches In Town." While Bay Cities had plenty of plans in store for its 100th year of existence, it proved its worth as a local treasure by staying open and feeding first responders after the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. On an , it stated, "Together, we can make a difference and show the strength of our community.

" (310) 395-8279 1517 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401 Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q - Decatur, Alabama Big Bob Gibson weighed in at 300 pounds and measured 6 foot 4 inches tall, and with an outsized personality and deft skill at barbecuing, became quite the name in Decatur, Alabama. What started as a makeshift BBQ pit in his backyard turned into a dining establishment famous for its smoked pork and chicken covered in his signature . Gibson's children followed in his big footsteps, and rounded out the menu with an array of homemade pies.

Fans who don't live close to either of the two Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q locations can have meat shipped to them on Goldbelly, or buy its branded Bar-B-Q sauces and rubs. In a statement in reaching the 100 year mark, the restaurant noted on , "Big Bob Gibson created a legacy that began with a love of cooking barbecue for friends and family. That love has been transmitted through five generations.

We are grateful for those who contributed to the continuation of his dream." Multiple locations Cliff House - Tacoma, Washington While there are several restaurants in the U.S.

called Cliff House, there is only one on Brown Point with breathtaking views of the Puget Sound, downtown Tacoma, Washington, and Mount Rainier. It originally opened as a store and tavern in 1925, before becoming a restaurant. The original structure burned down in 1958, and a new one sprouted up in its place.

Cliff House saw several owners over the ensuing decades, and even closed for a few spells starting in 2009. A restoration of this local iconic place and reopened in 2012. Guests today enjoy steaks and seafood from the main dining room, or downstairs in the more casual Cliff Hanger Martini Bar.

(253) 927-0400 6300 Marine View Dr, Tacoma, WA 98422 The Crystal Restaurant - Watertown, New York Watertown, New York has seen its share of ups and downs, but one eatery has remained there to serve the community — The Crystal Restaurant. This establishment with a stand-up bar, survived prohibition and still sports a sign proclaiming it serves "All Legal Beverages." The Dephtereos family entered The Crystal's picture in 1928 when patriarch Otto became the head chef.

Otto and his brother bought the restaurant in 1943, and today the third generation, led by Peter Dephtereos,his wife Libby, and his brother Joe have pushed it to the century mark. Customers can still order up the classic Tom and Jerry cocktail, and be rung up on the same very register that serviced Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (315) 782-9938 87 Public Square, Watertown, NY 13601 Di Palo's - New York, New York Italian immigrant Savino Di Palo got his start selling his goods in a pushcart in New York's Little Italy, before setting up his own dairy shop in 1910.

Fifteen years later, he began anew on the corner of Grand and Mott Streets with Di Palo's, where he continued to make fresh mozzarella and ricotta, as well as sell imported meats, and other old world groceries. Fourth and fifth generation Di Palos continue to stock fine foods in the main store. They have also authored a book about the essential foods of Italy, with a forward by Martin Scorsese, and in 2019, opened the wine bar C.

Di Palo right next door. Di Palo's has counted among its customers Francis Ford Coppola, Anthony Bourdain, and Alex Guarnaschelli. (212) 226-1033 200 Grand St, New York, NY 10013 Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana - multiple locations While New York and Chicago hog the spotlight as pizza havens, do not sleep on .

One of its most beloved is Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana. It all started when the namesake pizzaiola sold tomato pies by foot and literally off the top of his head, and its growing popularity warranted a home on Wooster Street, starting in 1925. Pepe passed away in 1969, but his good name and great pizza continues thanks to his grandchildren.

Thanks to an expansion as a chain, eaters can now enjoy it in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, Maryland, and Florida. Multiple locations Goody Goody - Tampa, Florida Goody Goody opened as a sandwich shop in 1925 by Ralph Stephens, and four years later, the Strayers family bought it and turned it into one of the earliest drive-in establishments in the Tampa Bay area. Cars lined up to order up a P.

O.X. Burger, complete with pickles, onions, and secret sauce.

Goody Goody fizzled out in 2005, but was revived by restaurateur Richard Gonzmart in 2016. This second lease on life lasted eight years before saying Goody-goodbye all over again. A taste of the Goody Goody goodness can still be found at a location within Tampa International Airport, Airside C, gate 32.

The burgers and butterscotch pie can also be found at Gonzmart's Columbia Café at the Tampa Bay History Center, alongside such other local treasures as Cuban sandwiches. Tampa International Airport J. Trani's Ristorante - San Pedro, California Filippo Trani arrived in America from Italy in 1913, and a dozen years later opened the Majestic Billiard Hall.

By the '40s, it started serving sandwiches and drinks, and in 1964, Trani and his five sons opened a larger Trani's Majestic Café in a prime waterfront location, focusing on southern Italian cuisines. The sporty family's café became a draw for locals, as well as famous athletes and movie stars like Joe Namath, Broderick Crawford, and Burt Reynolds. The family tradition was carried on by Filippo Trani's grandchildren when they opened a new restaurant in 1990 — J.

Trani's Ristorante. The fourth generation shows no slowing down on the food family name, even opening another restaurant in 2023: Trani's Dockside Station. (310) 832-1220 San Pedro, CA 90731 James Hook & Co.

- Boston, Massachusetts James Hook, along with his three sons, Edward, James, and Alfred caught some of the finest lobsters of Maine and Canada, which they sold in Boston's waterfront at their namesake store. Today, the Hook family is still a part of James Hook & Co., with four siblings of the third generation carrying on the crustacean sensation.

The company's clientele includes local restaurants, wholesale markets, and James Hook & Co. ship 50,000 pounds of lobster each day. Customers can also come to the restaurant to enjoy whole cooked lobsters, lobster rolls, and of course cups of New England Clam Chowder.

(617) 423-5501 440 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110 Janowski's Hamburgers - Rockville Centre, New York Teofil Janowski opened a Long Island meat market and grocery store in 1925, which long went by the name T. Janowski & Sons. When his son Emil took over the business in the 1950s, he focused on one of its signature products — hamburgers.

Janowski's Hamburgers expanded its reach beyond its Rockville Centre roots to include buyers throughout the tri-state area. Today, Janowski's Hamburgers is now under the ownership of William Vogelsberg. While hamburger meat remains a main draw on the menu, there's plenty of other barbecue meat goods to order up like sausages, ribs, and various cuts of steak.

While you can't walk out of Janowski's with a cooked meal, many of its fine meats can be found served up at local restaurants like The Pantry. (516) 764-9591 15 S Long Beach Rd, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 Lexington Candy Shop - New York, New York In the heart of Manhattan's Upper East Side there is still one soda fountain luncheonette still serving up smiles and nostalgia — Lexington Candy Shop. Located on the corner of East 83rd Street and its titular Avenue, the Lexington Candy Shop was opened in 1925 by Greek immigrant Soterios Philis as an all day breakfast and lunch spot.

Today, Soterios' grandson John Philis is a co-owner, serving up endless omelets, pancakes, melts, and clubs, while being washed down with signature or Coca-Cola floats. Its swivel chair counter seats and booths have seated the likes of Michael Stipe and stood in as a dining destination in such films and shows as "Three Days of The Condor," "The Nanny Diaries," and "And Just Like That." (212) 288-0057 1226 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10028 Martin's Place - Bryan, Texas Martin Kapchinskie was a butcher who moved from Marlin to Bryan, Texas and set up a little grocery store in 1925 that sold gas, and had a big outdoor pit for barbecuing.

In 1939, the old building for Martin's Place was replaced with its current one, which served as a cafe and a meat market. In 1971, Martin's son Albin took over and refocused Martin's Place as more of a barbecue joint, complete with a horseshoe shaped bar. Today, Martin's grandson Steven Kapchinskie is running Martin's Place, where smoked brisket, pork, and sausages come lathered in a homemade sauce.

Longtime customer Mike Sutherland told , "It's not many businesses that last past five, much less 100 years, so it's a wonderful thing for them and the community because it's one of the original businesses here in town." (979) 822-2031 3404 S College Ave, Bryan, TX 77801 Mike Linnig's Restaurant - Louisville, Kentucky What started out as roadside farm stand along the Ohio River, turned into a Louisville, Kentucky institution thanks to Mike Linnig and his wife, Carrie Wessel, and its famed fish frys. Mike Linnig's Restaurant closes briefly for the winter, and reopens for a new season at the end of each January.

The restaurant today is run by Mike's grandchildren, Bill Linnig, Teresa Cissell, and Nancy Wuerthmnow, and can feed 1,000 guests at a time thanks to its 22 different fryers. Linning told in 2022, "Probably 70% of our business is just fried fish, and 20% is onion rings, and the last bit is everything else." (502) 937-9888 9308 Cane Run Rd, Louisville, KY 40258 Miles Inn - Sioux City, Iowa Charles Miles opened the Miles Inn in Sioux City, Iowa, as a place to buy standard household necessities, and by the 1950s, it had been converted to the beloved bar it is better known for today.

Miles concocted a loose meat sandwich named for his son, "Charlie Boy," which is topped with cheese, ketchup, mustard, onions and pickles. It's best enjoyed with a large, and super-cold beer served in a schooner. The recipe of the sandwich is such a secret that it was shared orally to Julie and Denny Lias when they assumed ownership around in 2005.

Their son Brett is keeping Miles Inn going today, and the loose-meat Charlie Boy can now be enjoyed in a plethora of ways, including atop nachos or a bowl of chili. (712) 276-9825 2622 Leech Ave, Sioux City, IA 51106 Palm Market and Deli - Orange, California The Chapmans turned their home in Orange, California into a retail shop for produce in 1925. When they retired 36 years later, their shop was taken over and given a new lease on life as the Palm Market and Deli.

While many changes have happened to the business ever since, it has remained a longstanding one-stop shop for the community, and one of the oldest in Orange. Customers commonly order up subs named The Society and The Super Bird, or stop in for coffee, gelato, and everyday grocery staples. Current owner Andy Ceder told , "It's an amazing community.

Everyone is so welcoming, kind, supportive." (657) 221-0091 608 E Palm Ave, Orange, CA 92866 Pete's Place - Krebs, Oklahoma A mining accident turned Italian immigrant Pietro Piegari searching for a new vocation in his new hometown of Krebs, Oklahoma. Pietro changed his name to Pete Prichard, and made a name for himself crafting a beer called "choc," inspired by the recipe from the Choctaw tribe.

Prichard started serving Italian food to go along with it, and in 1925, opened Pete's Pace as the place to enjoy it all. Pete to start bootlegging his brews, but it actually landed him in jail a couple of times. Miraculously, the beer remained technically illegal until 1995.

Pete's Place remains in the Prichard family's hand, as Joe and Kathy serve up classics like lasagna, chicken Alfredo, and expanded the beer offerings under the "choc" label. (918) 423-2042 120 SW 8th St, Krebs, OK 74554 Salumeria Biellese - multiple locations Ugo Buzzio worked in a butcher shop in Biella, in the Piedmont region of Italy that borders France, and imported those culinary traditions into a deli that opened in Manhattan. Salumeria Biellese was a go-to deli for its sandwiches and Italian and French sausages, made by hand.

Salumeria Biellese not only services hungry New Yorkers, but ships its sausages, salumi, and hams nationwide, and has found its meats in the kitchens of renowned chefs such as Thomas Keller, , Mario Batali, and Daniel Boulud. It opened an offshoot restaurant, Biricchino, in 1987, which features many of its fine products in a sit-down setting. Multiple locations Schmidt's Candy - Woodhaven, New York German immigrant Frank Schmidt began a sweeter life in America when he opened a namesake candy shop in Woodhaven, Queens, just below an elevated subway line.

Schmidt's Candy lured in customers from the diverse blue-collar neighborhood, and after his son ran it, it continued to craft candies in the same old fashioned ways by granddaughter Margie Schmidt. Schmidt had been helping out since at least the age of 9, and carries on the confectionary tradition, hand crafting and dipping candies in her grandfather's original copper kettle with the help of the chocolate of Mercken's. While Schmidt's Candy is always there to service all the main holidays, it closes for parts of the summer as the chocolate can't stand the heat.

(718) 846-9326 94-15 Jamaica Ave, Woodhaven, NY 11421 The Ship Lantern Inn - Milton, New York John Foglia Sr. purchased a Revolutionary War-era building in Milton, New York, and with the accompanying farmland opened a boarding house. This Hudson Valley spot eventually turned into The Ship Lantern Inn restaurant, which still welcomes patrons a century later with a familiar neon sign featuring its name, as well as Folgia's.

The Ship Lantern continues to be run by the Foglia family, which offers a wide array of seafood, pasta, and meaty options, many which incorporate produce and herbs sourced from its own gardens. The romantic restaurants allow diners to enjoy outdoors a warm-weather outdoor meal by a cascading waterfall, and in colder times, indoor cozy ones by fireside. (845) 795-5400 1725 Route 9W, Milton, NY 12547 Skeeter's World Famous Hot Dogs - Wytheville, Virginia A long building that stretches on Main Street in Wytheville, Virginia is home to two places of significance — Woodson Wilson's wife Edith Bolling Wilson's birthplace, and below it, Skeeter's World Famous Hot Dogs.

The latter's origin began when E.N. Umberger ran a grocery store and sold hot dogs for a nickel.

It moved to its present location under Wilson's birthplace in the 1940s, and after Umberger's son Junior assumed grilling duties, the bunned beauties shared his nickname — Skeeter-dogs. Reportedly 9 million red hots, many topped with onions, mustard, chili, and its signature slaw, have been served at Skeeter's World Famous Hot Dogs since 1925. Sadly, it all almost came to halt in 2024.

After closing shop for a bit, Skeeter's reopened thanks to new owners Matthew Crooks and Robert Reed, carrying on the traditions in Skeeter's good name. (276) 228-2611 165 E Main St, Wytheville, VA 24382 The Venetian - Torrington, Connecticut 52 East Main Street in Torrington, Connecticut has served many purposes since 1844, including the first attempt at an Italian restaurant by Charles and Antoinette Finello Giampaolo. The Giampaolo's second attempt, The Venetian, has been a neighborhood staple ever since it opened on February 18, 1925.

The restaurant has only changed ownership three times, and since 2022, Tracy Perez has been at the helm of The Venetian. Perez has carried on the tradition of previous owner Michele DiLullo's salad served table-side. Other menu highlights include mussels in a white wine garlic sauce, homemade pastas like three cheese manicotti, and .

(860) 489-8592 52 E Main St, Torrington, CT 06790 Recommended.