ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 28, 1996 TAG: 9603280029
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
The 1950s are making a comeback in downtown Pulaski at the Courthouse Square Cafe.
Pulaski's newest eatery at 20 W. Main St. already features portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and other '50s icons on its walls, along with dozens of 45 rpm records and pictures of cars and other images of that decade.
At least three entrepreneurs have opened restaurants at the same location in the past two years, and all of them ended up closing. That does not discourage French Miller, the newest owner to make the attempt.
"What it takes is you've got to be able to market yourself, and you've got to have something people want," he said. "You've got to have a gimmick."
Miller has that with his '50s icons. He has something else going for him that none of the previous owners had, which is that his is currently the only restaurant along the Main Street block in central Pulaski. The Renaissance Restaurant, across the street, has closed at least temporarily and all the other competition is farther removed from downtown.
Miller also hopes to tap into the school crowd, many of whom have complained for years that downtown Pulaski offers them little to do. "They have no place to hang out, no place to go," he said.
Besides eating, they can entertain themselves playing one of the four video games in a room in back of the restaurant. "I've actually had them come in here, sit down, eat ice cream and do their homework," he said.
In the coming weeks, Miller will be adding stars like those on Hollywood's Walk of Fame featuring the names of popular '50s figures, and putting '50s records on his jukebox to add to the atmosphere.
So far, he said, even without an official announcement that central Pulaski has a restaurant near the Pulaski County Courthouse once more, customer response has been good. "I think they're going to keep on coming back," he said.
Miller is a 1980 graduate of Pulaski County High School. He and his wife, Anzata, have four children ranging in age from 13 years to 2 months. He started out as a cook in a pizza restaurant, and got his first restaurant manager job at the Radford Pizza Inn. He went on to manage other restaurants from Lynchburg to Roanoke.
"If I can manage them for everybody else, I can do it myself," he said.
Courthouse Square Cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Its menu includes burgers, subs, sandwiches, plate lunches and spaghetti and lasagna among the dinner offerings. The restaurant also offers free delivery of meals from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. by calling 980-8901.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: PAUL DELLINGER/Staff. Courthouse Square owner Frenchby CNBMiller hopes to tap into the school crowd, many of whom have
complained for years that downtown Pulaski offers them little to
do.