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. The restaurant was closed at the time of the blast, according to a report by ABC News. A family style fine dining restaurant, known for its famous pan fried chicken, delicious. They've been there forever. Lunch is salads and sandwiches, including Kopper Kettles own version of a Philly cheesesteak, with tender chunks of pot roast under a blanket of melted provolone and a side of au jus. On Sunday morning, January 15, 1978, several businesses on East Magnolia Ave in downtown Auburn were destroyed in an explosion caused by a natural gas leak beneath the restaurant. More than 70 businesses in the immediate vicinity were damaged . Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. Some stories want aroundthe joke that "somebody lit a match to the Kopper Kettle's chili", etc. McCord worked on top of the ladder truck for about three and a half hours before being relieved. ..Awesome finds, Jeremy. 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! Its like a slice of Lowell, George Saba, a 66-year-old Cappys regular, said as he sipped coffee at the counter on a recent Wednesday morning. The explosion, which originated in the basement of Waldrop's, also damaged numerous other buildings in downtown Auburn. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. McCord swung up Magnolia before fire chief Ellis Mitchell turned him down Burton Street. : Combatting the Rattiest Cities, 9 Things to Do and See in Charlotte: February 2023, A Guide to Charlotte's Top Bar Food Spots: 2023. It was kind of a wild place for dinner back in the day, recalls Sara Morris, the Karnesis daughter, born just four months after the restaurant opened. He hung a left on Glenn Avenue and made his way up College Street before turning down Magnolia. Lifetime Megan's Law Offender Charged In Bensalem: Police, New School Director Takes Oath In Bensalem Township. 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. The familiar greasy spoon that once stood on the corner of Gay Street and Magnolia Avenue did not make a return, but it will forever be remembered by Auburn students and residents. The Original Smash Pot is, er, a heart-healthy heap of potatoes, cheese, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and sausage or bacon. Thats what it kind of looked like, what you might expect from a bomb or auxiliary round that may have hit the building and blown it up. Explosive Exclusive: 78 never-before-seen photos of the Kopper Kettle explosion of 1978 | The War Ea About a year later I heard a local radio spot for something and they said "we are located across [], Your email address will not be published. It was an attorney's office, not a dentist. I love this place., Were sitting at a booth near the front door of the original dining room on a rainy Tuesday morning, and throughout our conversation Morris has to pause to ring up customers as they leave, chatting each one up as if theyre family. Matter of fact it was the talk of the Opelika-Auburn area for several months afterwards. Don't knowingly lie about anyone The county is named after the English county of Buckinghamshire, abbreviated. that morning. The explosion made national news that night in 1978. Still, she does big business on Saturday mornings, when Pineville families come in for breakfast. That was the worst we had. 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. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Dick Kapala, bartender and co-owner of Cappys Copper Kettle, left, with customer Daniel Correa of Lowell, right. People are also reading I work days and he works nights, Laurel said on a recent Wednesday. For Morris, its a precious chance to savor her dads company. "I thought somebody was beating the door, just messing with me on the bathroom doors.". They lived in Cary Woods, and the blast woke me up. These photos bring back so many memories! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. In fact, shortly after the Kopper Kettles demise, an Auburn student wrote and recorded the local radio hit The Kettles Gone, a take-off on the country hit The King is Gone. Commemorative T-shirts were printed and sold, and Auburn graduates still recall exactly where they were the day of the Kopper Kettle explosion.. Thank you for reading! Now she can do both. Where I am standing is no more than 40 feet from the blast site and you can see the stacks of plates that are unharmed! "I just heard the explosion," McCord said. Don't Threaten. Some have their own seats. Not sure why you got downvoted, but despite the food being good the dining room was far from clean. Owners Stephen Eckler, 68, of Ivyland, and Robert Yost, 52, of Southampton, allegedly did not report $263,340 in cash wages to dishwashers between March 2012 and September 2016. It was a miracle that it happened when the damage was to property not people. Deceptive and after the fact additional costs not disclosed on menu. I was at the corner of Mitcham Ave. and North Gay St. going over the railroad tracks when this happened. She graduated from UMass Amherst in May 2019, where she studied journalism and information technology. Bucks County is a county located Southeast in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. "I went up there on the top of that on the fly section and the people had hand lines down there on the other buildings because there was about a quarter of a block that was burnt up," he said. He was there on the infamous night in February 1967 when Speros Kokenes, who owned The Open Kitchen with his brother, Steve, was carjacked and murdered in what was believed to be a botched armed robbery. His diploma ended up on the library lawn (if I recall) and his bar papers DID end up in his mother's yard, wherever that was. After the dust settled, concerned for the well-being of the church congregation, Patterson made his way through the rubble to St. Dunstans. After a couple hours in the restaurant, its clear why Morris never could bring herself to sell it. He was there on the infamous night in February 1967 when Speros Kokenes, who owned The Open Kitchen with his brother, Steve, was carjacked and murdered in what was believed to be a botched armed robbery. "Our tax system requires businesspeople to truthfully report the wages paid to their employees," U.S. Attorney William McSwain said. Morris takes pride in the large portions. That sounded rather suspect to meuntil someone gave me a book a couple of years ago that had that story in it. It had a liquor license and a lively bar, but by the late 1990s, George and Penny decided to serve just breakfast and lunch. 67 followers 67 connections I was asleep in my apartment on West Magnolia, about a mile away, and the boom shook the whole building. 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.. Get our Weekly recap with the latest news, articles and resources. Today, the restaurants walls are covered with memorabilia, like caricatures of George and a former chef and waiter juggling dishes and rushing around, with captions in accented English. We learn about the restaurant serving Hoosiers and guests for 91 years, how to keep traditions alive while staying relevant, and thoughts about buying an existing restaurant. Firefighters continued working on the blaze and to keep the natural gas fires under control for the rest of the day. Get a sneak preview of each months magazine when you sign up! All rights reserved. Then, the two puppies that were with me got up. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. FEASTERVILLE, PA One of the owners of the Kopper Kettle bar and restaurant in Feasterville has pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges. Sara Morris, owner and operator of Kopper Kettle. One of the more fun parts of running a business for Morris has been playing with the menus. (And if youd like to help us keep the obsession with Auburn lore unhealthy and the lights on through the winter, click here.). Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Monday will mark the event's 40th anniversary. The Rev. Its her ability to listen, she finally decides. Then 19-year-old firefighter Johnny Lawrence, now a Lee County commissioner, helped man one of the hand lines. They renamed it Cappys Copper Kettle, after Karols nickname. Other circumstances have changed the face of the restaurant over the years, including one that almost wiped the whole place out. My family was living in Willow Creek out on Highway 14. Downtown looked like a war zone. They're spirits of loved ones, Lowell Catholic boys basketball team blows out Belchertown, Toddler safe, car theft suspects apprehended, No end in sight for case involving Dracut doc charged with patient's death, MVC girls basketball: Dracut's Ashlee Talbot named Div. 1,687 were here. Kopper Kettles version of a Philly cheesesteak, with pot roast (!) And so, man, the whole thing was on fire there. Be Truthful. Nobody was blown up and nobody was hurt on the fire scene.". Investigators determined the gas leak blast was equivalent to multiple tons of TNT exploding. Even into her 90s, Brooks and her friends had their own table at the bar. Threats of harming another Rod Sinclair at the Episcopal College Center were recently recognized and read into the Congressional Record by Rep. Mike Rogers. "From north Auburn, you could see the plume of smoke on the horizon in that high spot, so I had an idea that there was something big going on," he said. Hurricane Hugo hit Charlotte hard in 1989 and did serious damage to the restaurants north-facing wall. I was the cleanup boy at the drugstore . I just thought he was getting me too close there. We'd love to hear eyewitness It was a big deal. The owners of the Kopper Kettle Tavern, in Feasterville, are facing federal tax. This production is made possible with the help of the following: Recorded with Terri Stacy. He threatened to tell the owner, she recalled with a chuckle. "Having never been in war or anything like that, I certainly didnt know exactly how to interpret that. But wasnt it more of a fancy type deal? "I was kind of stuck. Its Pronounced Jordan: Time to rebrand the Auburn-Georgia rivalry? Morris, who says cooking is one of her favorite pastimes, will sometimes whip something up in the kitchen to make a snack for herself, and twice now those snacks have landed on the menu. Every day, something happens, Laurel Kapala said, recalling more silly stories. Low 66F. The Greek Salad (above) is so massive, it comes on a platter. The couple knows most customers by name, or in some cases, their drink orders. The event made national news. For years after the Kopper Kettle explosion, residents celebrated its anniversary, and it still reverberates in memories and stories today. person will not be tolerated. I came here with the idea that it was going to be temporary, she says, like I would try to wrap my head around the business and maybe sell it or whatever. There comes a time in every persons life when they have to grow up and settle down a bit. Think I have some color photos somewhere. Her father George still spends lots of time in the restaurant, chatting with customers who have been coming to the Kettle for nearly 40 years. 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. We look forward to making your everyday meal or your special moment extraordinary! 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 . 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. Found out later that day what had happened. I had just woken up and was sitting on the couch in my apartment at Eagles' West when the whole building moved. Looking back on the 55 years they ran the bar, the Kapalas said they will cherish getting to know new people and making new friends the most. McCord made his usual trek up South College Street before taking a right on East Magnolia Avenue and checking the sign at Central Bank on the corner. Karol Kapala would tell Richard that he caught the large brown fish. https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/pa/feasterville-trevose/1985-bridgetown-pike/pid_31709455/ https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/bucks-county-bar-and-restaurant-owners-charged-tax-offenses comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A tor29c 82. I remember people showing up at our house with charts and billing statements to give my parents, and other things they found in their yards! That place is disgusting. Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! It rocked us! One of Georges early jobs was as a busser at The Open Kitchen on Morehead Street. I was in Magnolia Dorm cafeteria for breakfast. We hope that you enjoy our free content. 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. Most days now, Morris picks him up and brings him to the restaurant, where he spends the morning talking to customers, telling stories, and eating his lunch. 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. You can see our catering and carry out options on our Menu page. The windowless home-turned-diner was a popular after-work destination for local farmers and factory workers who would sometimes drink and gamble into the night. See the differences between multiple units in the same complex and find the best rates. WOW! The Copper Kettle opened as a bar in the late 1930s. Much to everyones relief, not a single person was killed that day and no life-threatening injuries were sustained. Stephen Eckler, 68, of Ivyland, pleaded guilty on. It was just an incredible experience.. !< Her second creation is for those with a sweeter tooth: French toast biscuits. If your scrolling finger is limber enough, here are 78 photos most of which have never been seen until now taken in the immediate aftermath of the blast by former Opelika-Auburn News photographer Brad Ashmore. Useful. The original building is no longer recognizable. PhillyVoice Staff. I was the dispatcher for the City of Auburn the morning this occurred. 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 was home from Texas visiting my parents for the weekend. I was also throwing papers for the Auburn bulletin before the explosion, and came through town I could smell the gas is really strong went home to tell my father about the gas downtown since we were running the newspaper thought something crazy was going to happen and it did.I made it downtown right after the explosion I was reaching of the window at the drugstore to call my boss to tell them I would secure the store until someone got there about that time I found myself with handcuffs against a brick wall ,thought I was trying to steal the money out of the cash register but was later released what a crazy morning. The place used to get so packed that we used to have a line outside, Richard Kapala said. Comment *document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a112c2e80c212193dd17c68f8a42bb39" );document.getElementById("b526024170").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Kopper Kettle Owner Adapts Through Generational Changes. Pick and Andy Gentry. 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