Posey’s is gone, but memories remain

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BUCYRUS — As workers clear the rubble from the demolition of the farmhouse that was once home to Posey’s restaurant on Hopley Avenue in Bucyrus, Gavin Gould recalled the childhood he spent there.

“My grandparents, Bob and Mary, opened the restaurant in 1947, after World War II,” he said.

Gould grew up in the restaurant, first helping his grandparents and then his mother.

“My mom Stephanie took over the restaurant in the late 1980s when my grandpa got sick,” he said.

Gould said he enjoyed his time working in the family business.

“I was about 7-years-old when I started working there as a busboy,” he said with a smile. “I think by the time I was in high school, I had worked every position in the place. Many of my friends worked there, too. We had so many good times.”

The restaurant was known for its spaghetti and meatballs, but when asked for the recipe for the sauce, Gould objected.

“It is a family secret,” he said. “I have so many people who ask me for the recipes for the sauce, and our salad dressing.”

Gould said back in its heyday, the restaurant featured famous bands of the time period.

“I remember people talking about the bands that once played there. I also remember a lot of pretty well-known people coming in to ea, like racecar driver A.J. Foyt after a race at Mid-Ohio,” he said.

Gould now lives in Bexley, but his uncle and several cousins still reside in Bucyrus.

“All of us worked in the business at one point or another,” Gould said of family that includes his uncle Bob and aunt Michelle Chase. Gould’s mom Stephanie died in 2011.

The farmhouse that was home to Posey’s restaurant for decades was purchased in December 2016 by MMB Development LLC, a group of Crawford County businessmen.

“They already owned the lots surrounding the property where the restaurant was located,” said Gould.

Gould said he would rather the building be torn down than to fall down. Still it makes him sad the farmhouse, built in the 1850s, is gone.

But he said the memories he treasures will remain.

“The restaurant was a part of who we were as a family” he said. “Everyone knew us because of it.”

Galion resident Dean Leuthold, who grew up in Bucyrus, said he is also sad to see the building torn down.

“Posey’s was locally famous for their spaghetti, and the steaks served up sizzling hot in front of you,” he said. “I took one of my first ‘real’ dates there, chaperoned by my parents, of course.

“There’s something that just plain hurts about seeing some of the old haunts of Bucyrus slowly fade away. Thanks for the memories Robert Posey and family.”

A pile of rubble is all that remains of the well-known Posey’s Restaurant in Bucyrus. (Kimberly Gasuras | Galion Inquirer)
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2017/02/web1_poseys-cropped.jpgA pile of rubble is all that remains of the well-known Posey’s Restaurant in Bucyrus. (Kimberly Gasuras | Galion Inquirer)

Posey’s restaurant opened in 1947 in Bucyrus. The building on Hopley Avenue that housed the popular eatery has been demolished. (Courtesy Photo)
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2017/02/web1_poseys2.jpgPosey’s restaurant opened in 1947 in Bucyrus. The building on Hopley Avenue that housed the popular eatery has been demolished. (Courtesy Photo)
Popular restaurant on east side of Bucyrus comes down

 

By Kimberly Gasuras

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Reach Gasuras on Twitter: @kimberlygasuras

 

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