kopper kettle owner killed
1978 THE KOPPER KETTLE EXPLODED. After 55 years of ownership, Richard Kapala and his wife, Laurel, are selling the building and with it, the business. We couldnt think of a better reason to settle down. 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. It remains one of Charlottes most famous unsolved murders. So how is being a counselor similar to running a restaurant? As much time as she spent in the smoke-filled diner, however, she never imagined shed one day be running it. I've heard rumors it's already sold. that morning. It is amazing that no one was killed. 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. "When you ask anyone that was there, the first thing that theyll tell you is it was damn cold. Who actually made the catch remains a mystery, Richard Kapala said with a laugh. 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. 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. 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. Behind the bar, a red Yuengling sign illuminates a wood-paneled wall with inlaid fish. This year, the Kapalas will participate in the tradition for the last time. In the 1970s and 80s, the Kapalas served roast beef and ham sandwiches to nearby workers on lunch break. The restaurant was closed at the time of the blast, according to a report by ABC News. !< 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. That was my best friends (Drew Gentry) dad that didnt go into work that day. The shops across the street, "War Eagle PIzza" and others had shattered glass storefronts. A family style fine dining restaurant, known for its famous pan fried chicken, delicious. COVID brought some changes, of course. God Bless and War Eagle! People that we see once a year come down for that, Laurel Kapala said. And had it happened 17 minutes later when everyone was arriving to hear Britt's sermon at Auburn United Methodist Church just down and across the street from the Kopper Kettle, a lot of people probably would have been killed or at least seriously injured because the blast shot shards of 90-year old stained class into the walls like throwing stars. Your email address will not be published. Later that evening, I was amazed to see photos of our downtown Auburn on the NBC National News television broadcast. ..Awesome finds, Jeremy. 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 They renamed it Cappys Copper Kettle, after Karols nickname. We hope that you enjoy our free content. But over the years, multiple customers have claimed that they caught the fish and gave it to Cappy. Dick Kapala, bartender and co-owner of Cappys Copper Kettle, left, with customer Daniel Correa of Lowell, right. I love this place.. Built by Col. Knock my wife out of bed at the BSU on college. There comes a time in every persons life when they have to grow up and settle down a bit. And so, man, the whole thing was on fire there. The Kopper Kettle . So I did it. 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It is still hard to believe it happened! Kopper Kettle in Feasterville is up for sale, plus owners charged with tax evasion Pretty sad news. He threatened to tell the owner, she recalled with a chuckle. I was working at the old Spur station on the corner of Gay and Glenn. Many of her regulars are police officers and firefighters. There are niches with marble and alabaster statuary, Dresden china, and Chinese chests. The Kopper Kettle Tavern is located at 1985 Bridgetown Pike in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania. I thought my 1 1/2 year old fell out of bed when it blew. 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. Firefighters continued working on the blaze and to keep the natural gas fires under control for the rest of the day. Don't forget to call and make your reservations for the holidays! They're still open. "The bank thermometer there said 25 degrees. Description: Restaurant La Bucaccia is housed in a beautiful historic building of Cortona and is distinguished by quality, local and seasonal ingredients used to prepare exquisite traditional dishes of the Tuscan cuisine. In 1964, Richard's father, Karol, and a co-owner bought the bar. 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. Mixed bands of pro-papal Guelf forces of Florence and allies, Pistoia, Lucca, Siena, and Prato, all loosely commanded by the paid condottiero Amerigo di Narbona with his own professional following, met a Ghibelline force from Arezzo including the perhaps reluctant bishop, Guglielmino degli Ubertini, in . An Irish band plays from 2 to 8 p.m., but some regulars arrive early in the morning to claim their tables. 765-763-6767. The Kopper Kettle used to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Be Nice. I got out of bed to look out the window to see. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Two weeks after the explosion, at St. Dunstans Episcopal Church, Sinclair gave a sermon fittingly titled Explosions, recognizing the outpouring of camaraderie and grateful spirits exhibited in Auburn following the blast. I remember the blast. My first thought was: Someone used too much dynamite on the bank. My mom drove through the intersection 20-30 minutes prior, on her way to the Baptist Church a block away. The county is named after the English county of Buckinghamshire, abbreviated. [] in the late 70s a restaurant in downtown Auburn, AL blew up because of a gas leak. In April of that year, her father suffered his first stroke. Dick Kapala, bartender and co-owner of Cappys Copper Kettle, center, with customer and fill-in bartender George Saba of Lowell, left, and Luis Velazquez of Lowell, right. 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! 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. I was asleep in my bunk bed on the corner of East Glenn & Burton (about two blocks away?) and our house shook like it had been hit by lightening. He hung a left on Glenn Avenue and made his way up College Street before turning down Magnolia. Kopper Kettles version of a Philly cheesesteak, with pot roast (!) That was the worst we had. Photos courtesy Auburn University archives. Useful. Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. How no one was hurt or killed is beyond my comprehension. The bar has hosted parties and even weddings. We figure its time to retire and move on, Richard Kapala said. The event made national news. "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.". Low 66F. 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. It had a liquor license and a lively bar, but by the late 1990s, George and Penny decided to serve just breakfast and lunch. Though generational favorites like the fried pork chops or livermush remain top sellers, Morris has introduced new adaptations that have in short time become hits among newcomers and longtime customers alike. Just amazing that no one was killed. Now she can do both. I can say that I was rocked by the song and also by the Kopper Kettle.. My dads dental office was above the Kopper Kettle (Dr. James L. Carroll)! I went and viewed the carnage that Sunday Morning. Either that or one that was equally trashed. Both George and Penny came from Greece in the 1960s. 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. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS. A week later, the man returned to the bar and told Laurel that he spoke with Richard. Kopper Kettle is located at 1985 Bridgetown Pike. On Sunday, October 28, 2018, Terri Stacy and Mel McMahon chat with Leigh Langkable, owner of Kopper Kettle Inn Restaurant in Morristown, Indiana. FEASTERVILLE, PA One of the owners of the Kopper Kettle bar and restaurant in Feasterville has pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges. (SUN/Julia Malakie)A couple chairs down, 63-year-old Luis Velazquez clutched a Michelob Ultra. Shortly after the explosion, chaos ensued as volunteers, police, firemen and state officials were on the scene to determine the cause of the explosion as they prepared for the worst, searching the rubble for fatalities. This production is made possible with the help of the following: Recorded with Terri Stacy. She never left. The Kopper Kettle is the place where one can savor Hoosier fried chicken, broiled prime steaks, and delicious seafood, served by lovely girls in peasant costumes. Her second creation is for those with a sweeter tooth: French toast biscuits. "Somebody out there stepped on a nail and it punctured his foot. And it got up to like 27 degrees that day," he recalls. Students were away from their apartments, cars were halted at just the right stoplight, and churchgoers, like Patterson, were just beginning to emerge. The destruction was amazing, but it was also amazing to see all of the things from the store that were unbroken. 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! Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Jan. 15, 1978 was a quiet Sunday in downtown Auburn. Find Vacation Rentals, Condos, and Resorts in Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. . As with the Smash Pot, Morris came up with the idea as a way to satisfy her own craving on a slow morning in the kitchen. Get a sneak preview of each months magazine when you sign up! The Kapalas hope to travel with their free time, but plan to visit the bar even after the sale. Think I have some color photos somewhere. We serve anything from wings. From the shaded walkways, balconies, fountains, and sequestered nooks, the Kopper Kettle Inn has a very distinct charm. Did you know that Queen City Nerve is an alternative print publication with distribution locations all over Charlotte and Mecklenburg County? or anything. GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. More than 70 businesses in the immediate vicinity were damaged . Deceptive and after the fact additional costs not disclosed on menu. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. I thought a tornado was coming through but I didn't see anything outside. I work days and he works nights, Laurel said on a recent Wednesday. He told me it was. 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. "We started hooking up hoses and everything. Funny 1. person will not be tolerated. A Greek salad arrives on an oval plate that anyone else would consider a platter. You just dont move around a whole lot doing that, and I didnt realize my pants had gotten stuck to the sidewalk. Our paper and website are always free, but if youre feeling kind, you can contribute to our journalism efforts here. The couple knows most customers by name, or in some cases, their drink orders. Compare pay for popular roles and read about the team's work-life balance. It turns out running a caf filled with regulars suited her. He had no idea that I was married to him, she said. Lawrence, too, remembers details of the scene, especially the cold. McCord swung up Magnolia before fire chief Ellis Mitchell turned him down Burton Street. First the lights flickered. In 1964, Richards father, Karol, and a co-owner bought the bar. Click here. It was owned by John Brooks, Laurel Kapalas great-uncle. I sat up having heard the tremendous explosion, and went back to bed. My family was living in Willow Creek out on Highway 14. Its such a gem, she says. Kopper Kettle, Morristown: See 94 unbiased reviews of Kopper Kettle, rated 4 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #1 of 5 restaurants in Morristown. Mexican restaurant Condesa, from the team behind Pizzeria Beddia, now open, Woman caught on video allegedly stealing from Philadelphia day care, Pottstown is first in U.S. to test curbside recycling of bubble wrap, grocery bags, shrink wrap, more, Ex-football player from Bucks County among new 'Survivor' competitors, Ex-City Councilmember Bobby Henon sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for bribery conviction, Figure skating program in Kensington aims to make the sport accessible for local athletes, Eagles will host Browns for joint practices in preseason, Gritty may appear on new season of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia', Watch every 'Rocky' movie in order and for free on Pluto TV. One of Georges early jobs was as a busser at The Open Kitchen on Morehead Street. Hopefully something better goes in there. "The chief was there directing the ladder trucks in, directing me in, but I thought he was getting me way too close," he said. 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. After the dust settled, concerned for the well-being of the church congregation, Patterson made his way through the rubble to St. Dunstans. 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. That sounded rather suspect to meuntil someone gave me a book a couple of years ago that had that story in it. By the Grace of Godnot a life was lost. He thought a small plane had crashed into the downtown area. Oh, and now we have video.). 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