Business & Tech

Snackville Junction De-Railed, Last Day is May 3

Owners of 1950s rail-themed diner heartbroken after year-long battle to avoid foreclosure when bank demands full payment on balloon mortgage.


The iconic Snackville Junction that has been delighting three generations of Southsiders by delivering hamburgers stacked on an electric train, announced on Facebook over the weekend that the diner’s last day will be May 3.

The owners lost their year long struggle against foreclosure when their lender demanded full payment on a balloon mortgage. The Perez-Rogers family, who got Snackville Junction back on track in 2008, said they had attempted to negotiate with their lender but were out of options.

“It is with a very heavy heart we notify you that the Perez-Rogers family has lost their struggle against foreclosure of Snackville Junction,” the Perez-Rogers family announced on Facebook. “We have worked very hard the last seven years to continue with this beloved tradition. We’ve done everything in our power to comply with our initial agreement with the bank that financed our mortgage.

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“We were diligent and prompt with our monthly payments, insurance and everything else that a business owner is expected to do,” the owners continued. “However, when the time came for a renewal of this loan, the bank demanded the entire balance.”

Snackville Junction opened Jan. 1, 1953 at its original location near 115th Street and Western Avenue with instant success. Children marveled in the magic of hamburgers coming toward them on an electric train announced by a tooting train whistle.

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Parents who visited Snackville Junction as kids started bringing their own children there, and then their grandchildren. The restaurant relocated to 9144 S, Kedzie Ave. in the 1970s. The Perez-Rogers family bought Snackville from the original owner, and reopened it in 2008 at 9144 S. Kedzie Ave. in Evergreen Park.

The family brightened Snackville’s decor while respecting the diner’s retro traditions, and updated the menu with healthier offerings. Adults came back with children and grandchildren in tow, wanting them to experience a piece of their own childhood.

“What’s the name of the bank so I don’t go there,” said a supporter angered by the Perez-Rogers family’s Facebook announcement.

Fans are organizing a phone campaign to try to buy the owners of this South Side landmark some more time to work things out with their lender, Private Bank & Trust in Chicago.

“ALL WE CAN DO IS ASK [THE BANK] TO WORK WITH THE OWNERS ON THE MORTGAGE AND AGAIN, NOT CLOSE A CHGO. LANDMARK. NO INSULTING, OR YELLING OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE ... LET'S NOT JUST COMPLAIN. LET'S CALL AND DO THIS. DON'T YOU WANT YOUR GRANDCHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN THERE AND SO ON?”

Although BeverlyMorganPark.net crowns Snackville the original rail-themed restaurant and the rest pale copycats, its northern counterpart, The Choo-Choo in Des Plaines, opened in 1951. It, too, has struggled to stay open amid eminent domain threats.

Both eateries can share the throne of mid-20th century icons that continue to enchant a new century of diners.

Meanwhile, all the Perez-Rogers’ family can do is thank their loyal customers for the honor of their business and prepare for the last train to leave Snackville Junction.

“Thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful memories with us. We will miss all the adorable children and their families,” the owners said. “We were so fortunate to have been a part of this historical and iconic institution. We hope that somewhere somehow the Snackville Junction choo-choo will return to deliver those anticipated suckers.”

Stay tuned ...


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