If you were to ask the average person who has at one time or another lived in the Borough of Benton how many times they have walked over the Fishingcreek bridge to get a sub, the numbers would be astronomical. The Hoboken Sub Shop is an institution and today it marks its 27th anniversary. The Sub Shop opened on this date, a Friday the Thirteenth, in 1979, just in time for the onslaught of fishermen who descended on the town for the opening of fishing season.
A restaurant beside Fishingcreek has been around for a long time, even preceding the adjacent concrete bridge over Fishingcreek, officially known as "SR239, Segment 100, Offset 120 bridge." The bridge was built in 1926 and widened in 1971.
Yost's Restaurant is partially hidden at the far end of the bridge.
Notice the differences in the 1926 bridge over Fishingcreek from the bridge we know today. The 1971 widening of the bridge cost $573,000. The right side of the bridge was removed to add several feet of widtth to the roadway and its height and construction changed so that vehicles entering from Colley Street could better see oncoming traffic. The abutment on the left side was changed. The Ray Keeler shop on the left moved across the creek. The shop is today the home of the TastiCreme.
The restaurant opened as Yost's Restaurant under the ownership of George D. Yost,
Yost's Restaurant, looking north at the bridge over Fishing Creek.
The J. C. Knouse garage is at the far end of the bridge on the left.
Interior of Yost's Restaurant.
This picture is dated 1954
and is not representative of the interior
of the restaurant during earlier periods.
There were a sprinkling of mounted animal heads on the walls, a large fan by the kitchen doors circulated the sweet smells of the kitchen, tables were covered with white-linen tablecloths. George's son, Frank, and Frank's wife, Carrie, ran the restaurant beside the old routes 115 and 239 for a number of years, then sold the restaurant to Bill and Madge Brewington Yost, Lee and Martha Yost and Emerson and Louise Stoneham. The name "Yost's Restaurant" remained.
Emerson and Louise Stoneham, Becky Green and Dan Stoneham's parents, ran the restaurant as Yost's, adding a room divider roughly a third of the way from the highway side entrance. There was a "L" shaped bar where Dolly Madison ice cream was served and a quick coffee could be gulped down. The end of the building near the creek was the dining room. A juke box was added and for a time there was a pinball machine. The bathrooms were in the basement and were reached by stairs on the outside of the building. We still remember the dry, poured soap used to clean hands.
The Benton Joint High School Band
The year was 1960
Note the absence of the Tastee-Freeze
Attached to the building was a large, white-frame house where the Yost family once lived and where Emerson and Louise Stoneham later lived and Dan and Becky Stoneham grew up. Becky and Bob later lived in the house, and there they raised their two daughters, Holly and Kim. Out front were three Atlantic gasoline pumps with two bell-shaped lights overhead and no protection from the wind, rain or sun. On the route 239 side was a two-bay garage in which Emerson's true love--the tire business-was run.
Emerson ended his restaurant career in order to spend more time in tire retreading and new tire sales. A vending machine beside the door leading into the garage housed glass bottles of Kick-A-Poo crème soda (A caffeinated soda that advertised "If it needs more body, they throw one in!") and White Birch soda.
Emerson had a long tradition of announcing the opening of fishing season with a single blast of a shotgun. Although the season doesn't open until 8 AM on April 15 this year, in the past the season opened early the first day and the traditional shotgun blast was eagerly awaited by the fishermen and was a real "waker-upper" for sleeping residents of the Borough.
When Emerson stopped running the restaurant, it was rented by Ruth Reimard, by Gerda Kelsey and then by Dick and Lois Bender. The DOL-ANG garment factory operated out of the vacated restaurant for several years. Finally, Emerson needed space to store tires and he shut down the restaurant and moved tires into the building. Emerson passed away June 30, 1977, and his son, Dan, continued with the operation of the tire business after working with his father from 1965.
Becky and Bob Green and Dan and Betty Lou Stoneham made the decision to reopen the restaurant exactly 30 days before they actually opened for business. The restaurant opened 27 years ago today. The four decided initially to only serve pizza and subs, and they gained a few pounds as they traveled from restaurant to restaurant trying and comparing subs and pizza.
Dan Stoneham remembers that on opening day he was busy painting white lines on the parking lot as customers lined up waiting for the doors to open. By the time the doors actually opened, the line of patrons stretched from the front door around the corner of the building. It was about that time that the owners realized that they didn't have enough meat or buns to last the opening weekend. Beatrice Marie Roberts was the very first customer, by the way!
Dan and Betty Lou stayed with the business for a year, then left it in Becky's capable hands. Becky decided to expand the menu and made everything herself--cakes, pies, lasagna, soups, everything! Becky opened for business from 11 AM to 11 PM at first, then moved the hours to what they are today: 6 AM to 9 PM. Bathrooms were added to the south end of the restaurant on the main floor, and the main entrance was moved to the middle of the building. Eventually, an outside deck overlooking Fishingcreek was added. In 1982, a fire burned the house that was attached to the restaurant, and the house was later torn down. On October 7, 1995, Becky suddenly found herself alone in the business as her husband, Bob, passed away from injuries received in an automobile accident a few months near Zaners.
Daughter Kim enjoys eating a sub
Becky remembers the February night when electricity went off for the entire town of Benton, and Becky got out all her candles and invited everyone in to eat. The restaurant soon filled and thanks to the gas stoves there was food for everyone. A monthly tradition of candlelight dinners began.
Becky reminds us that the Sub Shop is "here for the community, young and old, rich and poor." She said that "you don't need to have much money to eat here." The restaurant is open seven days a week virtually every day of the year. This week there will be a rare exception when the restaurant will close at 5 PM Saturday night and will be closed Sunday and Monday. At 62, Becky shows no tendency to slow down. Daughter Kim puts in a solid 40 hours a week and daughter Holly works each weekday morning.
Kim and Ashley Lameroux and Becky Green,
Three generations working in the Sub Shop
The derivation of the name "Hoboken" is unclear although it means the area across the creek from the main part of the Borough of Benton. The term dates back to when Benton was involved in playing baseball, during the twenties, when there was a rivalry between the Hoboken Huskies and the Benton Giants. Becky always thought that the tradition of Hoboken should be carried on as evidenced by the name of the restaurant.
For whatever reason the name Hoboken came along, we're thrilled to walk across the bridge for the fish fry, or the "over easy with scrapple," for the soups or for the subs. Happy 27th, Hoboken Sub Shop! Save "half an Italian with everything" for us!
