Karol Cappy Kapala had been a bartender for years, and even had what Richard described as a local following.. A taxidermy fish hanging above the counter also dates back to Cappys early days. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. The large, quaint house is a veritable art museum - housing fascinating collection of art objects from many parts of the world - all tastefully displayed from beautiful antique furnishings and artifacts. Be Proactive. Some have their own seats. The restaurant was closed at the time of the blast, according to a report by ABC News. A friend of mine, Richard W. said he had walked down to Toomer's Corner for a paper about 30 minutes before the blast. 2 Player of the Year, Lowell boys basketball team tops Malden in Division 1 prelim, High school roundup: Vinny D'Urso, Lowell Catholic blank Haverhill, 1-0, MVC boys basketball: Tewksbury's Ryan Cuvier named Div. Don't forget to call and make your reservations for the holidays! Delivery & Pickup Options - 445 reviews of Kopper Kettle "If for some reason you find yourself driving through Yucaipa, and trying to decide between Denny's, Domino's or Del Taco, do yourself a favor and pick this place instead. Behind the bar, a red Yuengling sign illuminates a wood-paneled wall with inlaid fish. Failure to report these wages allowed the restaurant to avoid paying FICA taxes, which include Social Security and Medicare taxes, authorities said. KATHLEEN PURVIS is a longtime Charlotte writer who covers Southern food and culture. The restaurant pays particular attention to the choice of local products, among which we find renowned specialties such as Chianina PGI beef, Cinta Senese cold cuts and fine . I hits close to home, huh? At that time, Auburn was a sleepy little village still on the cusp of the economic boom it would see years later. Customers range in age from 21 to 90, the Kapalas said. After a couple hours in the restaurant, its clear why Morris never could bring herself to sell it. "The Kopper Kettle explosion was the big event while I was at Auburn. or anything. I thought a minute"Yeah?" Uncover why Kopper Kettle is the best company for you. On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. McCord said he later went to the top of the ladder's fly section, which was extended some 70 feet in the air, to spray water on the blaze. Auburns was all greasy spoon and stuff. On Sunday morning, January 15, 1978, half a block of businesses on East Magnolia Avenue in downtown Auburn blew the hell up (kapow, boom, war-zone), chief am. Photos courtesy Auburn University archives. It is the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Photo #85 is me! When her dad, George Karnezis, had a stroke in 2014, she stepped in to run her parents restaurant, Kopper Kettle, until they were back on their feet. Next the cardboard panels stuck in the (I think there were six vents in the block base of those glass windows) blew out and the building rattled. We'd love to hear eyewitness Saradina Morris didnt plan to spend her life running a small caf surrounded by warehouses and industrial parks outside Pineville. More than 70 businesses in the immediate vicinity were damaged . Even into her 90s, Brooks and her friends had their own table at the bar. The streets were empty as Jim Patterson, an Auburn student, made his way from his apartment on Thach Avenue to St. Dunstans Episcopal Church on nearby Magnolia Avenue to catch the morning worship service. Cloudy. I had just bought my 1st camera. Be Nice. Its Pronounced Jordan: Time to rebrand the Auburn-Georgia rivalry? McDonald narrowly avoided getting caught up in the blast as he was behind Auburn First National (now AuburnBank) at the time, said McCord, who sprang into action with other firefighters on duty. In the years since she took over for her parents, Morris hasnt changed the menu much: biscuits and egg platters for breakfast, along with a signature dish, The Original Smash Pot, a heap of potatoes topped with cheese, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and sausage or bacon. I had just woken up and was sitting on the couch in my apartment at Eagles' West when the whole building moved. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. - Pelican Parts Technical BBS, VIDEO: 1984 profile on Auburn basketball coach Sonny Smith, VIDEO: Aubies hot tub harem and other behind-the-scenes highlights from 1987-88, First-class bloodbathThat time Pat Dye maybe made Auburn play two A-Day games, Heres eight minutes of Tiger Walk for the 1990 Florida State game. They were only open for takeout for a few months, then reopened with half the seats taped off. The lot was still vacant when I arrived at Auburn, for Fall of 1978. The original building is no longer recognizable. Nicole DeFeudis covers early morning news and general assignment stories. Built by Col. The Kopper Kettle made national headlines that night as word spread about the freak accident in a small Alabama town. This laughing with customers is what the couple says they will miss the most. Some stories want aroundthe joke that "somebody lit a match to the Kopper Kettle's chili", etc. He told me it was. Larry was in his building on the second floor when all this occurred. Firefighters continued working on the blaze and to keep the natural gas fires under control for the rest of the day. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Its her ability to listen, she finally decides. The bar no longer serves food, but the regulars keep coming. "My office will aggressively pursue businesspeople who operate in such an illegal manner," McSwain said. What about the t-shirts? Kopper Kettle in Feasterville is up for sale, plus owners charged with tax evasion Pretty sad news. It was so cold, Lawrence got stuck to the sidewalk after getting sprayed from the ladder truck while working a hand line on the ground. The owners of the Kopper Kettle Tavern, in Feasterville, are facing federal tax charges after they allegedly failed to collect and pay employment taxes to the IRS, prosecutors said. I think I remember asking my roomie on the top bunk: "what was that!?" Then, everything changed, as a natural gas explosion rocked downtown, destroying Kopper Kettle restaurant, a dentist's office and other businesses by the northwest corner of Gay Street and Magnolia Avenue. See the differences between multiple units in the same complex and find the best rates. Auburns 1908 team went undefeated despite losing to professional LSU team, Mustache Guys church pays prankish tribute to its famous youth minister during Sunday service, Well remember too, this season of great joy and hope. A birds-eye-view picture of the restaurant and the land around it that was taken in 1971 hangs on the wall near the cash register today, and it shows just how isolated the Kopper Kettle was three residential trailers are all that can be seen nearby. For this speech, Patterson will talk about what he witnessed at both the Kopper Kettle explosion in Auburn, and on 9/11 when he worked in Washington D.C. as a diplomat. Its since gone back and forth between being designated as a Pineville or Charlotte address, but changing identities is nothing new for the restaurant. We were all so grateful that there were no fatalities, Patterson says. He opened Kopper Kettle with his wife, Penny, in 1971, when their stretch of Nations Ford Road was miles of open fields and a few trailers. As of the 2020 census, the population was 628,270. The Kapalas hope to travel with their free time, but plan to visit the bar even after the sale. Multiple strokes have affected his short-term memory, but his recollections of the restaurants beginnings and Morris childhood are as strong as ever, and she values the time she can spend listening to his stories. It was owned by John Brooks, Laurel Kapalas great-uncle. Greek immigrants George and Penny Karnesis opened Kopper Kettle on Nations Ford Road in what was then southwest Charlotte in May 1971. "I thought somebody was beating the door, just messing with me on the bathroom doors.". Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. But some longtime customers arent ready to move on. At 8:13 a.m., the Kopper Kettle, a restaurant located in the heart of downtown Auburn, exploded due to a gas leak, taking out several neighboring businesses and shaking the town to its core. Throughout the 70s and 80s, the location served as a wholesome family diner by day and a bar and lounge by night. A week later, the man returned to the bar and told Laurel that he spoke with Richard. 67 followers 67 connections The county is named after the English county of Buckinghamshire, abbreviated. A short time later, I realized how cold had gotten. Sorry the owners got greedy. One of which is about the Kopper Kettle. The Rev. Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. The Kapalas hosted road races to raise money for the fund. 765-763-6767. That sounded rather suspect to meuntil someone gave me a book a couple of years ago that had that story in it. You just dont move around a whole lot doing that, and I didnt realize my pants had gotten stuck to the sidewalk. An hour later and people would have been going to church. Had glass replaced, frame and hung in new office in Opelika. One elderly white couple tries to keep up as she explains the restaurants annual celebration of International Jorts Day, which the Kettle staff celebrates on May 24. The explosion, which originated in the basement of Waldrop's, also damaged numerous other buildings in downtown Auburn. In the seventies after graduation and being away for several years my husband wrote a series of essays about being a student at Auburn. Bucks County is a county located Southeast in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Welcome to the Bucks County, PA Subreddit! Amazing. They are down to two prospective buyers, both of whom plan to run a bar in the space. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Notice the new Lincoln Continental still with dealer tag on it. "I have to think it was divine intervention that nobody got hurt," said McCord. After breakfast, our family drove as close to downtown as possible to see the damage. As a result, Eckler and Yost failed to collect and pay employment taxes to the IRS, including Social Security tax and Medicare tax, the U.S. Attorney's office said. If this had happened today, it would be a much different outcome.. Your email address will not be published. Much to everyones relief, not a single person was killed that day and no life-threatening injuries were sustained. In 1981, the bar expanded into the space next door. Her first creation, the Smash Pot, features a large serving of grilled potatoes, peppers, onions, tomatoes and bacon or sausage with two over-medium eggs placed on top though it comes fully customizable. Rubble to places? On a regular work day, not Sunday when this happened, I wouldve been at work long before 8:00 AM! Cappys was busiest in the 1980s, Richard Kapala reminisced. And those were mine and my sisters dental records that got blown up. "The chief was there directing the ladder trucks in, directing me in, but I thought he was getting me way too close," he said. Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. He got an idea of the severity of the incident as he headed into help after he turned off Highway 280 onto Highway 147 and rose to the top of the first hill. Photos of smiling customers line a wall behind the DJs booth. Your email address will not be published. [] in the late 70s a restaurant in downtown Auburn, AL blew up because of a gas leak. I was at the corner of Mitcham Ave. and North Gay St. going over the railroad tracks when this happened. I just thought he was getting me too close there. It remains one of Charlotte's most famous unsolved murders. I can say that I was rocked by the song and also by the Kopper Kettle.. Low 66F. They lived in Cary Woods, and the blast woke me up. The blast left more than 70 businesses damaged, and one small town reeling. I love this place.. A young black girl tells Morris she didnt eat breakfast because shes refusing to eat anything until her mom lets her have pizza, to which Morris responds, Completely understandable.. We couldnt think of a better reason to settle down. Just amazing that no one was killed. I was just 3 years old when this happened but believe it or not ive got a good memory of it happening because i recall listening to my mom and dad have conversations with their friends about it . We serve anything from wings. Not sure why you got downvoted, but despite the food being good the dining room was far from clean. Both George and Penny came from Greece in the 1960s. In the picture where the painting is on wall of the tiger, that was my dental office. It felt like a car had crashed into the building under my bedroom window. "The boys from Station 2 come driving up there in the truck, and they thought it was just people laying out there in the road.". Perhaps it suffered for our sins. Upon reconstruction, windows were added, which was the first step in changing the vibe inside. The place used to get so packed that we used to have a line outside, Richard Kapala said. It was a miracle that it happened when the damage was to property not people. My mom drove through the intersection 20-30 minutes prior, on her way to the Baptist Church a block away. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Dale H. Wow, some incredible pictures. It was an event that I will always remember. When her dad, George Karnezis, had a stroke in 2014, she stepped in to run her parents restaurant, Raise a Glass Ceiling: Inside Craft Brewing's The Pink Boots Society, Where to Eat in Charlotte's South End: 2023, Curated For You: MyNewFloor.com Makes Flooring Easy, The Making of Childrens Theatre of Charlottes Production of The Night Diary, How Being on Summer Camp Staff Impacted My Life, Oh, Rats! Vicinity were damaged he spoke with Richard place used to have a line outside, Kapala. 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