The historic Palms Grill on Route 66 in downtown Atlanta, Ill., will reopen in early April after extensive renovations, reported the Bloomington Pantagraph.
The goal is to have as many 1930s and 1940s items as possible, as well as provide a place for locals and Route 66 travelers to share stories, said Bill Thomas, board treasurer of Atlanta Public Library, which owns the restaurant building.
“When you walk in the door, we want you to feel like you are stepping back into 1938,” Thomas said.
The Palms opened in 1934 with home-cooked meals, bingo games and dances. It became a stop for Greyhound buses, but closed in the late 1960s. […]
Up to 44 diners will sit at square tables along a wall of mirrored panels and perch on stools along a reproduction marble counter. The tables are modeled after those from the former Palace Cafe. […]
The Grill will have a modern cash register with an antique model behind it. It also will have a 1947 refrigerator, a 1939 rotary phone, a vintage milkshake maker and an old pie display case. Food will be served on china and blue-plate specials on divided plates.
Atlanta is about to add another Route 66 attraction to an already-impressive list, especially for its relatively small size (pop. 1,600).
With all that is on the internet today, I’m not often impressed by a website anymore.
But your link to the Atlanta site is a pleasant surprise. I find it easy to understand and use, simple yet clever in it’s design, and the tabs with suggestions on how to enjoy your time in Atlanta from an over night stay down to a 15 minute stop are genius.
I particularly like the 15 minute tab. I’m I’m passing through, driving The Road, or just stopping for a tank of gas, this gives me some tips on a way to stop and unwind for just a few minutes, let the kids stretch their legs, etc. I think MANY towns sites focus way too much energy on capturing the over night visitor at the expense of those traveling through. The 15 minute visitor certain won’t have the individual economic impact of someone staying over night, but there are potentially a lot more of them.
The effort is all the more impressive to me based on the size of the town.
I agree, Dave. The Atlanta Web site has been up for several years, and it’s still among the best city sites out there.