Mel-Chris Drive-In Restaurant and the Hadley House Restaurant

Albert A. Mongeau sold his popular Mongeau's Restaurant to Harry & Lydia Hillios on April 12, 1962. The restaurant's new name was the Mel-Chris Drive-In Restaurant. The banquet hall was called the King Arthur Lounge. Pizza was added to the menu for dine in or take out. 

By 1973, the restaurant had hoped to move to a mini-mall at the corner of Westfield Rd. and Homestead Ave, however, the liquor license transfer was denied.

On May 14, 1974, Mr. and Mrs. Hillios sold the business and real estate to Hadley House Inc. Their son Christopher Hillios and Zygmund Haramut were co-owners of the new establishment, which was renamed Hadley House Restaurant. 

Riverside Development Corporation (RDC), a division of Holyoke Model Cities Community Development Corporation, partially financed the restaurant purchase. This was RDC's first involvement with the economic revitalization of this part of the city known as The Flats.

The owners announced the restaurant's opening on May 24, 1974, and an advertisement showed catering to large and small parties. The restaurant featured Italian food. 

In 1985, the restaurant was sold to the Santaniello family, who opened Amedeo's Restaurant & Lounge, continuing the long tradition of restaurants on this site since 1924. Although ownership changed in 2002, the Amedeo name remained today.

Sources of news articles and information:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates are shown.

The Miss Holyoke Diner & Mongeau's Restaurant

Having continuous food service at one location for over 100 years is rare. This story starts with the Eugene Langlois Restaurant, which began in 1924 on a less than 1/3-acre parcel at North Canal and North Bridge St.

During 1870, the Holyoke Water Power Company sold this parcel of land to Valley Paper Company. During 1924 and 1925,  Holyoke City Directories showed Eugene Langlois operated a restaurant at this location, followed by Emile Pellisier Lunch Wagon and Alfred L. Cote Restaurant into 1932.

A turning point at this location occurred in 1932. Albert Mongeau, a caterer from Attleboro, MA, opened his new restaurant, the Miss Holyoke Diner, on March 14, 1932. The diner was manufactured by the famous Worcester Lunch Car Co., which operated in Worcester, MA from 1906 to 1957. Mr. Mongeau continued to lease the building and property from Valley Paper Co. for about 13 years. 

Expansion occurred in late 1937 with two new lunch cars installed along the No. Bridge side of the property. The new addition included a private dining room.

On November 1, 1945, Mr. Mongeau purchased the real estate from Valley Paper Company for $5,000. In the spring of 1946, plans were announced to renovate the restaurant. 

On March 23, 1946, Roland Mongeau, a co-owner, was issued a permit to build a one-story brick restaurant at 2 No. Bridge Street. The restaurant was completed in November 1946 and renamed Mongeau's Restaurant. The restaurant was on the first floor, and a banquet room was in the basement. The Rainbow Room could accommodate 200 guests and was available for functions, including weddings, banquets, and parties. Subsequent modifications were made to the building, which stands today with several changes. 

The Rainbow Room proved very successful. From 1947 to 1962, many newspaper accounts of wedding receptions, bridal showers, campaign rallies, union meetings, company holiday parties, etc were published.

On April 12, 1962, Albert Mongeau sold the business and real estate. The restaurant was shown to have seating for about 250 people in the upstairs restaurant, and the same number in the Rainbow Room below.

Several owners and name changes occurred since, the topic in the next blog post. 

1962-1974 Mel-Chris Drive-In Restaurant
1974-1984 Hadleigh House Restaurant
1985-2025 Amedeo's Restaurant & Lounge

Sources of news articles and information:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates are shown.

Holyoke Public Library, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories.

                                                December 4, 1940 Photo- Transcript-Telegram

November 19, 1946 Photo- Transcript- Telegram

Google Maps 8 No. Bridge St. Holyoke, MA (2019)

November 24, 1937 Photo- Transcript-Telegram

1911 Standard Map of the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts 1911

2 No. Bridge St. 1925-1932 HPL -Holyoke City Directories

This is the tenement building Albert Mongeau owned adjacent to the diner and captured in the next photo.

National Biscuit Company (now NABISCO)

Every so often while researching, a story unrelated to my search catches my eye. Such was the case with an article relating to the National Biscuit Company.

The National Biscuit Company was formed in 1898, upon the merger of the New York Biscuit Co, the American Biscuit and Manufacturing Co., and the Richmond Steam Bakery. 

By the 1920s, many grocery ads in the Holyoke Transcript-Telegram were advertising its wide variety of cookie and cracker products.

In 1913, the company sought a much larger site after having outgrown its warehouse and sample room space in the Holyoke Machine Shop building at 472-474 Main St. Holyoke City Directories show the company remained at this address from 1908-1918 and did not appear in future directories.

In 1927, the National Biscuit Co. announced it would not build a $5 million plant in Holyoke. The plant was to produce the containers for its products and would have employed hundreds. The Holyoke Water Power Company had offered 30 acres of land across from Holyoke Cord Tire & Rubber Co., which was located at 728 Main Street. The proposed area later became the Springdale Industrial Park.

Sources of news articles and information:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates are shown.

Holyoke Public Library, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories.

Soucy Park

On March 6, 1973, a tragic fire occurred in a three-story building at 47 Park St. (now Clemente St) which claimed the life of Beatrice (Plouffe) Soucy. James McDermott, a first-term alderman and former professional boxer, led the movement to create a park at the site of the fire.

The Office of Community Development provided the $29,000 funding to acquire the land and pay for the play equipment. The Water Department donated the gravel needed for the park, which was dedicated to the memory of the fire victim and named Soucy Park on July 19, 1977.

A handball court was added in 1980. In 1998, the playground was renovated at a cost of $50,000. More recently, in 2017, the park was completely refurbished. The most recent improvements involved better lighting, walkways and space for public art.

Source of news articles: Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript-Telegram and the Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News; publication dates are shown.  

Color Photos Credit: Ana E. "Anabella" Cruz Nazario, Google.com/maps (2022)

Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News: Wed. Jul 20, 1977.

Holyoke Parks & Recreation Website (2025)