Frank’s Luncheonette — Italian American Stories

Frank’s Luncheonette

Shortly before the NY World’s Fair opened in 1964, my Uncle Frank and Aunt Dolly opened Frank’s Luncheonette on 108th Street in Corona Queens. At the time I was 13 and very excited as they hired me to work there on weekends and the summers while the World’s Fair was open. The Fair ( as we called it ) was only a few blocks away and we would often have tourists and bus drivers come in to eat. In fact, after the fair closed, bus drivers would drive 50 to 60 miles out of their way to dine at Frank’s Luncheonette and kibitz with Aunt Dolly. Uncle Frank drove trucks when he was young, and later worked as a baker at Leonard’s up the station, and ran a fish store in the Bronx for several years.

Frank’s was a small place with only 8 or 10 stools, and no tables. But we did good business and a lot of take out. At the front there was a candy and cigarette counter and a place to hold the Daily Papers. Then the lunch counter and soda fountain with a back room with the stove and griddle. We also had the soda cooler that keep the bottles in cold water.

The Perks

My duties included stocking the candy and cigarette’s, putting together the Sunday papers, making fountain sodas and malts ( yeah real malts ) egg creams ( yum ) and ice cream sundaes. As time went on, I would make the rice and chocolate pudding. I would also deliver orders to some of the local businesses. However, the very best thing about working at Frank’s Luncheonette was the perks. Aunt Dolly was a great cook, as was uncle Frank. So I had my pick of menu items. My favorite was the eggplant parm or a meatball hero. Uncle Frank would male onions on the grill with a load of butter and paprika that would smother your cheeseburger, always a great choice. On cold days, a nice bowl of chicken soup. Breakfast was a Pechter’s corn muffin buttered and grilled or one of their cheese danishes. And of course anything from the fountain, whenever I liked!

Uncle Frank

I can go on and on about what wonderful people my aunt and uncle were and it was just so great to hang out with them. In the morning, it would just be me and Uncle Frank and we would talk about the races or sports, make the coffee, put out the danish stock the shelves etc.

Now I mentioned that bus drivers would come miles out of the way to eat and hang out. A lot of it had to do with Aunt Dolly… here are just a few stories…

Aunt Dolly

There used to be a Spanish speaking gentleman that would come in and order bacon and eggs or hamburger every other day. One day Aunt Dolly asked him “How come you only order two things”? His answer was “que”? When Aunt Dolly realized that he did not speak any English, she told him him ” I will give you a different meal everyday, and if you like it, I will tell you how to say it in English” Hence, she taught him English.

Aunt Dolly would make some food at home, like frying the chicken, making the eggplant and meatballs for example. They lived only about 3 blocks from Frank’s Luncheonette, so it was a short walk with the shopping cart. One day Aunt Dolly came in and dropped the cart in the back for Uncle Frank. He opened it up and yelled out “Dolly, this is garbage”! She shot back, “it’s the stuff I made”. He said, “no it’s the garbage”! and it was, in her haste she threw the food away and brought the garbage to the store.

The Patrons

Believe me we had some great characters. My aunt and uncle rented the place from “Butch”, also happened to be my Aunt Ann’s cousin. Butch was a taxi driver and his home was behind Frank’s Luncheonette, with alley, where Butch would park his car. About once a week, we would hear a loud scraping sound as Butch would get a little to close to the wall of the store.

Rocky the Barber ( Pal Rocky ) would come in for a chat and his Gini Stinkers ( di Nobili cigars ) quite aptly named.

My cousin’s husband Al, would deliver the bread from Leonard’s bakery everyday and order a cup of coffee ( 10 cents ) and leave me a 90 cent tip!

My cousin Lou Mina ( Mina Fuel Oil ) would come in and say to me “I’ll have a soda….. JERK, and laugh. I later worked for Lou and boy have I got some stories for another post!

My dad, who worked for the NY Daily News at the time, would come in sometimes and if he ordered a tea, it had to be filled right to the very top of the cup.

After my tenure, my cousin Cathy ( Frank and Dolly’s daughter ) worked there, and my sister Lori too. Eventually Frank’s son Lou took over for a while.