Illinois Restaurant, Alton, IL Mug

Located at 208 Piasa Street in downtown Alton, Illinois. Original owners were Louis Papas and Gus Mehilos. From a local paper (1926): "Illinois Restaurant a Cool and Clean Place to Dine. These hot summer days why worry over a stove preparing a meal when you can dine in a cool, sanitary, delightful place to dine, having large electric fans and real wholesome food and service that is unexcelled. The counters are all steel constructed with clean white marble tops. Chemically operated refrigeration for ice water and all kinds of dairy products. Tables for ladies. The kitchen is equipped with gas range and large stove, well ventilated with large fan, electric washing machine. Large ice box for keeping fresh meats, butter, eggs, etc. This box is well built with double insulation of concrete and cork. Alton is really proud of the Illinois Restaurant that is noted for its sanitation. The owners of the restaurant are Louis Papas and Gus Mehilos who have operated the place for the past five years in the same location."