In 1951, a young entrepreneur and his wife opened a diner in Des Plaines with the hopes that they could operate a successful business that would be an entertaining experience for all ages.
They were James Ballowe and his wife Marilyn, and the diner was the Choo-Choo Restaurant. As James Ballowe once said, "Trains go fast, and that's how we wanted our customers to be served." The diner quickly became a source of popularity among adults and children alike.
The idea for the Choo-Choo style of restaurant was conceived by younger brother Roy Ballowe, while a soldier in the Philippines. The rations served were less than ideal, and Ballowe dreamed of the kinds of food he'd like to have. After a complaint by a fellow soldier who was tired of the "gravy train," the idea began to further take shape in Roy Ballowes mind. "Gravy train," thought the young Private. "Why not serve hamburgers on a model train? Kids love both of 'em."
The opening of another hamburger joint a few blocks away by Ray Kroc did little to dissolve the Ballowes' excitement. James Ballowe was sure he would be able to beat out the hamburger joint dubbed McDonald's because of the novelty of the train. He also donned the proper attire: an engineer's cap, red scarf around his neck, and a whistle he would blow whenever he sent the train around. According to Marilyn, Ray Kroc didn't think his restaurant would surpass the business the Ballowes were getting. He even visited the Ballowes and reassured them that his restaurant would be no competition. He told them, "I don't have a place for people to sit down."
James and Marilyn Ballowe owned the diner for 25 years before James retired at age 68. Marilyn was happy to see the diner she and her husband created back in business again and reopened by Jean Paxton-Eisenberg. Said Marilyn, "I'm getting to enjoy it all over again."
It was in 2001 that Jean Paxton-Eisenberg noticed The Choo Choo had been closed for several months, allowing her to finally realize her dream of owning the little diner. After taking over and restoring all the original equipment, including the Terrazzo floors, 1950s Boomerang Formica countertops, and the stainless steel soda fountain, she reopened to the delight of generations of kids and their families. Jean operated her "little Choo Choo," as she affectionately called it, for over eighteen years before her untimely passing in 2020. She loved fussing over kids and making their visit something they'd remember for the rest of their lives. In 2022, after being closed for two years after Jean's passing, the family decided to keep her dream alive and continue as a place where children of all ages could enjoy themselves and families could connect in a meaningful way.
Our family sincerely thanks you for visiting us and keeping Jean's "little Choo Choo" on track for many years to come.
P.S. We found and brought back "Champion, The World's Wonder Horse," the original 1950s coin-operated horse ride in the Choo Choo that delighted so many children and had been missing for the past 20 years.
