By Liz Witbeck
Lake George will welcome a bit of nostalgia
when the Howard Johnson’s restaurant
reopens in the village this month.
Howard Johnson’s was the largest restaurant
chain in the United States in the 1960s
and 1970s, but now currently operates two
locations: Lake Placid and Bangor, Maine.
The Lake George location, at 2143 Route 9,
will be the third.
“At one point Howard Johnson’s served
more meals than the United States military,”
said Joe DeSantis, owner of DeSantis Enterprises
who last owned the establishment.
DeSantis is a longtime restaurant owner.
His father owned six Howard Johnson’s
restaurants. The Lake George location was
opened in 1953. More recently, DeSantis has
been the owner of Carl R’s in Glens Falls and
the Hampton Inn in Lake George.
He said he became busy with all of his businesses
and needed to scale back. He closed
the Lake George Howard Johnson’s in 2012.
It was unclear what would happen to the
location. Some people talked about opening
it into a Howard Johnson’s museum.
John Larock, a former cook for DeSantis,
decided he wanted to see this piece of history
brought back to life. Larock will be leasing
the building and reopening Howard Johnson’s
in August.
“I wanted to see it reopen,” said Larock.
The building will feature its trademark
bright orange roof and weathervane. The interior
has four large dining rooms to hold 228
customers. The inside will be furnished with
vintage tables and chairs and dining booths,
to make guests feel like they are eating in the
Howard Johnson’s restaurants of the 1950s,
said Larock.
He hopes to hold birthday parties, banquets,
and take reservations for major
holidays.
Howard Johnson’s will feature a variety of
specials for diners. There will be a breakfast
buffet, featuring items such as pancakes, eggs,
and sausage, the business owner said. A soup
and salad bar will be featured every night during
dinner and included with the meal price.
The restaurant will have their famous
prime rib, and Friday night fried fish and clam
special. Customers will also be able to enjoy a
selection of 24 flavors of ice cream.
Larock said the food at Howard Johnson’s
will be made fresh on a daily basis, while
still offering diners a value on their dining
experience.
While many businesses in Lake George
close after Labor Day, Larock plans to keep
Howard Johnson’s open during the entire year.
“There are a lot of people that remember
this place and are excited that it’s reopening,”
said DeSantis.
Howard Johnson’s will be open 6 a.m. to 10
p.m. Monday through Sunday.
Photo by Tyler LaPan