A beloved, 1950s and 60s-themed restaurant that closed more than two years ago has been sold to a developer who plans to tear it down and build a Wawa, the former owner said.
Don Hall shuttered the Chatterbox Drive-In on Labor Day 2018, nine months after announcing an agreement for a proposed Wawa. Scores of fans descended on the Chatterbox in its final days.
A demolition permit has been granted to Paramount Realty Services of Lakewood, according to the municipal construction department in Frankford. The company is a developer for Wawa, a convenience store chain with more than 200 locations in New Jersey.
Hall told NJ Advance Media he finalized the property sale Dec. 16.
“It’s one of those bittersweet things. I still tell people it was the best 15 years of my life,” Hall said of owning the restaurant.
The Chatterbox featured a rotating series of vintage vehicles in the middle of the dining area, dozens of movie posters on the walls and model trains running on a track above the tables. Motorcyclists gathered in the parking lot for weekly bike nights on Thursdays, and kids’ meals were served inside cardboard cutouts of classic cars.
A 1966 Chevrolet on display at the Chatterbox. Aug. 30, 2018 Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
No date for demolition has been scheduled. A Wawa spokesperson declined comment last week on the status of the location.
The sale process was slowed in part by a state transportation department review of an access lane to the Wawa, across from a QuickChek that opened one week before the Chatterbox closed.
The building used by the Chatterbox is located by the intersections of Routes 206, 15 and 565, not far from Skylands Stadium and the Sussex County Fairgrounds. It was home to a different restaurant prior to the Chatterbox opening in 2003.
Hall said that, while he misses the Chatterbox, he is grateful to have gotten out before the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to strain the restaurant industry in New Jersey.
“I’m not so sure how I would have done, staying open in these times,” Hall said.
The final "Bike Night" at the Chatterbox, August, 30, 2018NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Actor Henry Winkler, Fonzie on TV’s “Happy Days,” greeted long lines of fans during two visits to the Chatterbox, most recently in 2013. The day of his second visit drew 1,800 customers, with waits of up to 2 hours to meet the Fonz.
“It was bonkers,” Hall said.
Hall said he especially enjoyed being at the Chatterbox on Saturdays, which drew owners of classic cars and hot rods, and was dubbed “Wanderers’ Cruise Night.”
“I didn’t want to be just another restaurant,” Hall said, adding that he thinks he succeeded.
Even at dusk riders continue to pull into the parking lot on bike night. The Chatterbox Drive-in will be closing on Labor Day. This is their last bike night. Thursday August, 30, 2018. Augusta, N.J., USA NJ Advance Media for NJ.comNJ Advance Media for NJ.com
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
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Shuttered 1950s-themed N.J. restaurant is sold, will be knocked down, old owner says - NJ.com
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