CONNEAUT — More than 20 years ago, a wrecking ball made splinters of a landmark Conneaut restaurant, chasing it across the state line.
Now the Sugar Bowl is poised for its return to the town that launched the eatery decades ago.
On Thursday, Crazy Dave’s Sugar Bowl is primed to open its doors. The name is slightly different, but patrons who have pined for the family-style restaurant probably won’t care, said Dave Jones, cook and co-owner.
“The personal touch will still be there,” Jones said.
The Sugar Bowl will do business on Mill Street at the site occupied by other food establishments over the years, most noticeably the long-closed Pape’s Restaurant. The Bowl was scheduled to open this week, but plumbing problems delayed the grand opening, Jones said.
For decades, the Sugar Bowl operated in a big building at the corner of Broad and Main streets in downtown Conneaut. For the past 55 years, the business has been in the hands of Jones’ family — grandmother operated it 15 years, while mom and dad were at the helm for another 15 years.
A tribute to Jones’ late parents, Tom and Carol Jones, will grace the entrance, he said.
Jones has operated the restaurant for 25 years, but a municipal project forced him into Pennsylvania early in his career. In the mid-1980s, the city acquired — and later demolished — the building that contained the Sugar Bowl to clear space for a City Hall expansion project.
Jones, 43, eventually relocated to a spot along Route 20 in nearby West Springfield, Pa.
The West Springfield location will close its doors at 3 p.m. Sunday, and workers will immediately begin transporting some of the equipment to the new location, Jones said. While people in Conneaut may be applauding the arrival, his Pennsylvania customers aren’t pleased, he said.
“West Springfield is not too happy,” Jones said. “Not in the least.”
The Mill Street site is much bigger than the old location, requiring more employees, Jones said. Upwards of 35 people will eventually be on the payroll, he said. Two private banquet rooms can host parties, receptions and club meetings.
Also making the trip to Conneaut will be the restaurant’s senior citizens’ discounts, a menu stuffed with comfort food — including Jones’ popular Swiss steak and fish dishes — and pies and pastries prepared by wife Donna.
Inside the building, Jones has ripped out the tavern and installed new carpet and other fixtures. “We now have space for a soup and salad bar,” he said.
The Joneses are happy to be back in Conneaut, and he’s also sure his predecessors are smiling, too.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Jones said. “It’s going to be quite the restaurant. It’s something my mother and father always wanted.”
Local News
Sugar Bowl poised for a sweet return
Conneaut-area restaurant back where it began
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