Video: A Look Back At Beloved, Extinct Chicago Businesses

By Chicagoist_Guest in News on Oct 23, 2015 5:31PM

To some longtime Chicagoans, the names Wieboldt’s, Zayre, John’s Garage and Dressel’s bring back fond memories and a sense of nostalgia.
They are names from Chicago’s past, and among the many extinct businesses that now only live in the memories of those who shopped there, ate there or used the spots as their favorite childhood hangouts.

But the names of those and several other former Chicago businesses like Omni Superstore, Alexander’s Steaks and Sound Warehouse will live on forever. On Facebook, anyway.

Pete Kastanes, a native of the city’s Ashburn native and Bogan High School alum, created the group “Chicago’s Extinct Businesses,” which allows Chicago history lovers and those craving that special feeling from years ago to do a little time traveling, even without the DeLorean from the Back to the Future trilogy.

Kastanes recently uploaded the third of three YouTube videos featuring photos of the city’s late businesses.

In its two-and-a-half years as an active group on Facebook, Chicago’s Extinct Businesses has garnered more than 12,000 fans. Every post of a Chicago business artifact— like a Service Merchandise ad, Chicken Delight menu or a photo of a CTA bus from the '50s in front of Goldblatt’s—gets several likes, shares and comments. (And probably huge smiles and tears of joy not visible in the world of Facebook).

You’ll find even more words from 20th Century Chicago sprinkled across the group’s website as well.
For now, we can enjoy the gobs of history Kastanes has already posted, and we may be in for even more reminders of Chicago's joyous past.