{"id":16772,"date":"2026-08-27T17:21:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T21:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bportlibrary.org\/hc\/?p=16772"},"modified":"2026-08-27T17:21:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T21:21:32","slug":"juniors-drive-in-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bportlibrary.org\/hc\/downtown\/juniors-drive-in-restaurant\/","title":{"rendered":"Junior\u2019s Drive-In Restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Andy Piascik<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the second half of the 20th century, a change took place in the landscape of American dining as the places where we went out for a casual meal changed to \u201cfast food\u201d establishments. Like many industries, food service became increasingly monopolized. In a matter of a few decades, McDonald\u2019s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Domino\u2019s Pizza and other national chains proliferated at such a rate that they seem to be everywhere, with no end in sight. Displaced were the familiar diners, hot dog stands and pizza parlors people had come to love. Even older, folksy chains like Howard Johnson\u2019s that emphasized leisurely meals rather than cold utility were unable to withstand the rise of the fast-food giants.<\/p>\n

Bridgeporters who had grown up going to places like Conti\u2019s, the Flyer Diner, the Ritz Luncheonette and Beechmont Dairy gradually saw many such establishments disappear. Some remain: Tomlinson\u2019s and the Merritt Canteen, to name two.<\/p>\n

Junior\u2019s Drive-In Restaurant was established in 1960 by three Bridgeport business men: Harold Applebaum, Morris Applebaum and Abraham Strauss. A Bridgeport Post article at the time Junior\u2019s opened noted that \u201cStrauss was formerly in the wholesale hardware business for 17 years\u201d and that \u201cMorris Applebaum is in the real estate business and Harold Applebaum is associated with Fairfield Stationery.\u201d (1) Junior\u2019s was located on Fairfield Avenue where the avenue converges with State Street, Railroad Avenue, what is now Commerce Drive (formerly State Street Extension) immediately adjacent to the Metro North railroad tracks.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Senior Portions at Junior Prices<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There were ads in the Bridgeport papers announcing the coming of Junior\u2019s in the days leading up to the opening. A larger ad on the big day announced the GRAND OPENING and that JUNIORS IS HERE!!! in bold capital letters and exclamation points, with promises of SENIOR<\/p>\n

PORTIONS AT JUNIOR PRICES and a special offer of FREE DRINKS WITH EVERY PURCHASE. (2)<\/p>\n

The menu was straightforward, with hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries and onion rings the most popular items. There was always a pot of hot, spicy chili on hand to put on the hot dogs as well as cheese slices for making cheeseburgers. Also featured were steak sandwiches, fried fish sandwiches and fried shrimp baskets. Junior\u2019s didn\u2019t offer ice cream but did sell chocolate, strawberry and vanilla milkshakes as well as soda, coffee and tea. The staples \u2013 hot dogs and hamburgers \u2013 sold for 20 cents each in 1960.<\/p>\n

A Local Boy Finds a Favorite Eatery<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rich Hencsei was living close by on Howard Avenue and attending Maplewood Grammar School when Junior\u2019s opened. Always up for a good burger, he made a point of going there for something to eat on the very first day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember going by there and seeing a big banner that said COMING SOON \u2013 JUNIOR\u2019S RESTAURANT,\u201d Hencsei recalled. \u201cI don\u2019t remember what was on that site before Junior\u2019s but I was excited about having a place nearby with good, cheap food. I went on the day it opened.\u201d Hencsei went back many more times over the next three decades including, as it turned out, on the last day Junior\u2019s was in business.<\/p>\n

Junior\u2019s was located near a number of the factories that were thriving on Bridgeport\u2019s West Side during the city\u2019s industrial heyday. Located close by were Hubbell, United Pattern, Casco, Bead Chain and others. Biggest of all was Bryant Electric that covered a large stretch of land, part of which is now home to Chaves Bakery, while a short distance away was Bullard\u2019s, another large factory on the Bridgeport\/Fairfield border in a building now occupied by BJs.<\/p>\n

Workers would often stop in for food on meal breaks. Sometimes they would call ahead so the food was ready when they arrived, which was important for those with limited time. Many also stopped in for a meal before and\/or after work.<\/p>\n

Sorry, No Carhops<\/strong><\/p>\n

Though the name of the restaurant was Junior\u2019s Drive-In, there were no drive-up windows where people could order from their cars. There were also no carhops on roller skates to bring food orders to customers, a phenomenon that was very popular when Junior\u2019s opened.<\/p>\n

The Workforce<\/strong><\/p>\n

The workers at Junior\u2019s were a mix of people of different ages including young people from local high schools and colleges who worked around their class schedules — usually afternoons, evenings and weekends. Others were employed full-time at one of the nearby factories and then worked another eight hours at Junior\u2019s. The pay was not great, with younger workers earning the minimum wage and the adults not much more.<\/p>\n

Several managers, meanwhile, worked at Junior\u2019s throughout most of its existence until they were well into their sixties. Ray Silverstone, for example, was a day shift manager who worked at Junior\u2019s throughout most of its 29 years. Together with his wife Miriam, Silverstone took the bus to and from his home on the East Side five days a week. Both Ray and Miriam worked at Junior\u2019s until just a few years before it closed.<\/p>\n

The End<\/strong><\/p>\n

The decline of Junior\u2019s parallels the decline of the factories around it, most of which were gone when Junior\u2019s closed in 1989. Rich Henscei had worked at several of those factories and was still living nearby when he got the bad news.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a story on the front page of the Bridgeport Post that Junior\u2019s was closing,\u201d Hencsei said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe it. I knew I had to go one more time.\u201d He did, on the very last day, before Junior\u2019s closed its doors for good.<\/p>\n

A McDonald\u2019s stands where Junior\u2019s once was. According to various internet sources, there are presently over 45,000 McDonald\u2019s restaurants around the world including 137 in Connecticut and four in Bridgeport. By contrast, there was one, and only one, Junior\u2019s Drive-In.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Rich Henscei for sharing his memories of Junior\u2019s<\/p>\n

NOTES<\/p>\n

1. \u201c3 Partners Open New Restaurant\u201d Bridgeport Post July 7, 1960, page 16.<\/p>\n

2. Bridgeport Post July 8, 1960, page 31.<\/p>\n

Bridgeport native Andy Piascik is an award-winning author whose most recent book is Radical Connecticut: People\u2019s History in the Constitution State, with Steve Thornton. He can be reached at andypiascik@aol.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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