The story of Walek's Inn continues into the mid-1950s, when the restaurant and gathering place had been in operation for 25 years. It was the era when color televisions were entering the market. Stanley Chwalek was featured in an ad touting the benefits of the newly installed RCA color television for patrons' enjoyment.
Walek's Inn continued to sponsor several athletic teams, including softball, basketball, and bowling teams.
In addition to club and social gatherings, Walek's Inn featured movie nights and live weekend entertainment. Several genres of music, including contemporary, Country and Western and Polish accompanied dancing and dining. Julia Chwalek continued as the corporation's Treasurer and chef, preparing lunches and dinners. Many of the daily diners resided in the upstairs apartments.
In 1959, the owners planned to convert the upstairs at 125-135 High Street into 48 one-room apartment units.
In May 1965, a devastating fire on the upper two floors of Walek's Inn caused extensive damage to the building. Residents were displaced, and smoke and water severely damaged the building's main floor. John and Stanley Chwalek, brothers who now co-owned the business, were unsure whether the business could relocate to its longtime address at 133 High Street.
Stanley H. Chwalek, co-founder of Walek's Inn, died. The U.S. Army World War I veteran had been a resident of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home.
On October 23, 1969, the Chwalek family sold the business, along with the two apartment blocks that also housed the Gazda Flower Shop. The buyer was Romolo (Raymond) Vinotti of Agawam. A name change for the business was granted in December 1969. More will be forthcoming on the new business, Mario's Inn, in the final chapter.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): including Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
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