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Lyon County, Kansas

50 YEARS OF TASTY FOOD

It’s been 50 years since the Olpe Chicken House opened, and Leonard Coble would be proud of its success.

The founders of the restaurant are Leonard and Theresa Coble. Leonard Coble died in 2005. Theresa Coble still helps out at the restaurant, which now is owned and operated by their son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Charlotte Coble. Theresa Coble said Leonard would be proud of how well the restaurant continues to do.

Theresa Coble said that a member of the family has always been at the restaurant since the Coble family took it over in 1958. Larry and Charlotte Coble started working at the restaurant when they were in high school.

“It’s long, steady hours,” Theresa Coble said. “Good employees. We try to please the customers.”

The restaurant, now known as the Chicken House, was originally opened in 1934 by Mrs. Noel Cooper (Clara Springer). At that time it was known as Cooper’s Cafe. It was in a tin building that seated seven people and had one employee and was owned by Harvey Bradfield and Alice Meffert. A new building was then built and it seated 32. In 1946 Cooper sold it to Cecil and Hannah Taylor, who changed the name to C & H Cafe.

When they divorced, Hannah Taylor changed the name to the Chicken House. In 1958, the cafe was sold to Leonard and Theresa Coble. At that time a complete chicken dinner cost 65 cents.

The Chicken House was remodeled in 1959. That remodel added the Birch room and took the restaurant’s seating up to 82. The carousel room later was added and increased the seating to 162. Disaster struck on Oct. 5, 1974, when a fire destroyed the building. The restaurant was re-built and re-opened on June 16, 1975, seating 320 people. At that time, catering service was added and a complete chicken dinner cost $1.55.

The Chicken House has its own way of doing things, said Charlotte Coble. The system in the kitchen is unique. No tickets are torn or turned in to the cooks. The orders are called out by the waitresses and prepared by memory. Preparations for a day’s work usually start at 6 a.m. The pies are made fresh, the salads are prepared and the T-bones are prepared. The dinner special for the day also is set up. Onion rings are made on Tuesday mornings.

Larry Coble, who has worked at the restaurant since 1971, said the restaurant goes through 150 pounds of onion rings a week; 15-20 cases of chicken; 200 pounds of chicken fried steak; 80 to 150 pounds of brisket; 1,250 pounds of potatoes are peeled a week; and about 500 pounds of potatoes are used for baking potatoes a week. The meat is cut by Olpe Meat Locker.

Part of the restaurant’s secret to success has been the personal service the employees give their customers. Charlotte Coble said some customers look forward to certain specials. She said many times they will call those customers to let them know the special they like is running over the noon hour.

Theresa Coble pinpoints some of the success as good management.

“It was a smooth takeover to Larry and Charlotte from Leonard and I,” she said. “They walked their way into new owners. They just slipped into the back door.”

Charlotte Coble said many of the long-time employees have also contributed to the restaurant’s success. She said Matt Wille and Margaret Wille have often been the backbone of the restaurant. Margaret Wille has been at the Chicken House since 1967 and Matt Wille, Margaret’s son, since 1980. Margaret Wille’s daughter, Debbie Wille, has worked at the restaurant since 1978.

The family of the late John Blaufuss was also a very active part of the Chicken House’s success. John’s wife, Dorothy Blaufuss, and his six children, one son-in-law and two grandsons have worked or are working in the catering side of the Chicken House.

The catering business is huge for the Chicken House. Larry Coble said they cater almost anywhere and, despite a few mishaps, they’ve never missed or been late to a catering job.

The Chicken House rarely closes other than the normal day — Sunday.

“We don’t close very often,” said Charlotte Coble.

If the restaurant does close, employees call the customers to tell them not to come in, especially in bad weather.

Theresa Coble said she has many fond memories of the restaurant. She shared the first time she was alone in the restaurant. She and Leonard Coble lived next door to the Chicken House. Their son, Larry, had just been born and Leonard went over to take a nap with him. Theresa Coble recalled that she didn’t know how to prepare a hamburger so she had to wake her husband up.

“Then he knew he had someone who knew nothing about food,” Theresa Coble said with a grin.

It wasn’t long before Theresa Coble learned the ropes, and she’s been involved in the restaurant since the family took it over.

There are many fond memories people have made over the past 50 years. Bottom line, it couldn’t have been done without the original founder, Leonard Coble. Coble had cooked since he was 14 and at 19 began working as a chef in Emporia.

Among his other accomplishments, he was one of the key figures in the development of Sunny Wheat Bread, the official bread of Kansas designated by the Legislature. The Chicken House was the first to make and serve the bread daily in Kansas.

Awards

• In May 2000, USA Today named the Chicken House one of the 50 best restaurants in the country.

• American Airlines American Way magazine named the Chicken House one of the top five chicken restaurants.

• The Chicken House is listed in the national dining guide “Where the Locals Eat”

• Best of the Flint Hills

• Fellow restaurateurs honored Leonard Coble for his achievements by electing him president of the Kansas Restaurant Association for the 1986-87 term.

• August 1989 — Leonard Coble was awarded restaurateur of the year by Kansas Restaurant Association.

• May 9, 2005, Leonard Coble inducted into the Kansas Restaurant Hall of Fame by the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association.

Years of service

Leonard Coble, 61 years

Theresa Coble, 50 years

Larry Coble, 37 years

Charlotte Coble, 33 years

Margaret Wille, 41 years

Debbie Wille, 30 years

Matt Wille, 28 years

(Emporia Gazette ~ Thursday ~ 1 May 2008)