Alfred and Hjordis Andresen
The Story of Andresen's Cafe'
In 1915, more than half the people in Johnston City, IL had been immigrants from other countries. One such person was Alf Andresen, who came here in 1917. Alf was from a village of Norway near the Arctic Circle. He had worked as a baker and was an excellent cook. We are not sure when Alf first arrived in the United States. His first job in the U.S. was in New York City repairing streets. From New York, Alf moved west, at one time working in Chicago at the McCormick building, where he washed windows in the skyscraper.
He also lived for a while in Wisconsin and at some point sent for his childhood sweet heart, Hjordis. In 1917, with their first child, June, they moved to Johnston City IL. It is said that Alf had actually planned to move to Carbondale IL and start a business, but someone suggested Johnston City would be best area at the time because of many mines in operation.
Once settled in Johnston City, Alf purchased a bright red popcorn wagon. The first year in business Alf made
$6,000. With the addition of two more children, Pearl and "little Alf", he soon began to manufacture ice cream. He processed it at his home and began selling it wholesale to confectioneries and drug stores. The ice cream business grew, and about 1927 the Andresen's family opened this confectionery, which at that time was located two doors west of this current location, installing these mahogany booths and wainscoting that you still see here today.
As the years passed, the delicious ice cream, home-made candies, sandwiches and other food he prepared attracted people from all over Southern Illinois. His success in the ice cream business caused the owner of a large company in a neighboring town to offer to buy out Alf's recipe. Upon Alf's refusal to do so, the larger company undersold him until he could no longer turn a profit. The larger company finally got their wish; Alf was forced to sell the ice cream business and to agree to stop making it for wholesale distribution for a period of 20 years. However, Alf could continue to sell the ice cream in his establishment.
In late 1944, Alf renovated this current building and relocated his confectionery, bringing with him the mahogany booths and wainscoting that he originally installed in 1927. He also brought along the old airplane fan and mirrors from 1927. After World War II, when "little Alf" and the husband, Lorenzo (Larry) Zanotti, Pearl and Larry then opened the bakers, which was located two doors east of the confectionery. June and Albert Lecerf operated the confectionery until the early 1970's.
In late 1976, Jan Stalling purchased the confectionery from the Lecerf's. Realizing the hard work and dedication put into the building and the many memories people of the community hold dear, Jan contacted the Andresen family and asked for permission to continue to use their family name on the business. She felt that even though it was no longer owned or operated by the Andresen family that it would be an honor to continue to use the name of the family who founded this establishment. Since 1976, Changes have been made but some things are still the original and others have been restored. The booths, the mirrors above the booths, the airplane fan hanging from the ceiling in the front window, the neon lighting around the recessed ceiling, the ceiling tile directly behind the neon lighting, the glass blocks on both sides of the entrance door, and the door in the breezwat all remain orginal. While the ceiling structure is the orginal structure that was built in 1944, the ceiling tile has been replaced due to age.