In Holyoke during the mid-20th century, it was not unusual to see downtown restaurants clustered together. The downtown area was a hub of commercial and governmental activity with many pedestrians. Orsini's Luncheonette at 311 Appleton Street was close to Toscani's Restaurant at 295-297 Appleton Street. Also, around the corner on Maple Street were the Maples at 268-270 Maple Street, Orlandi's at 283 Maple, and, close by on Suffolk, Beckmann's at 52 Suffolk Street, Peter's Restaurant in the K of C Building at 84 Suffolk Street, and the Lincoln Spa at the corner of Suffolk and Chestnut. All were within a 1 to 5-minute walk from one another.
Today's selection for downtown dining is Toscani's Restaurant at 295-297 Appleton Street in the LaFrance block.
The year was 1946, and newspaper classified ads for employment showed Toscani's Restaurant advertising for waitresses. It was the beginning of the post-World War II Baby Boom era, and the second half of the decade saw a growth in the number of shops and restaurants in Holyoke.
In late 1946, Toscani's Restaurant opened in the space previously occupied by Orlandi's Luncheonette. The owners were shown as Joseph Lombardo of Chicopee and Frank Torlai of South Hadley. Unlike luncheonettes, which typically closed by mid-afternoon, Toscani's was open until midnight.
In 1952, John P. Kennedy was also identified as a partner in the restaurant. In November 1955, Messrs. Lombardo and Torlai attempted to purchase Peter's Restaurant on Suffolk Street, owned by Ferdinand Rigali. The failure to obtain a beer-and-wine license transfer doomed this venture.
In November 1972, a fire destroyed the portion of the building at 305 Appleton Street, then home to Chester's Drug Store. Because there was a firewall in the building, a portion of it, including 295-297,299-301 Appleton Street, was saved. The portion of the building at 303 and 305 Appleton Street was razed 4 weeks after the fire in mid-December 1972.
It is believed that Toscani's closed at or shortly after the November 1972 fire. In January 1973, the building's owner indicated there were no plans to have a restaurant in the renovated 295-301 Appleton Street building.
In June 1973, Holyoke Personnel Services was situated at 295 Appleton Street. In December 1973, House of Glamour, a styling salon, occupied the space at 297 Appleton Street. 299 Appleton was the entrance to the upstairs apartments, and 301 Appleton was the National Tax Service's business location in January 1973.
In 1978, fire struck the building at 286-292 Maple (demolished 1978) and 295-301 Appleton Street. The building on Appleton Street was renovated for occupancy by Holyoke Music & Sound and the 3 O 1 Dart Shop. In early October 1981, it was reported that 295-301 was slated for demolition within one week.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
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