In the second edition of my business series, we will look back on the town’s first drive-in restaurant that has been a staple for decades.
Steve Maceyko Sr. and his wife, Pearl, moved to Cardington in 1933 and saw the potential of developing businesses. Their first venture was the Linco Gas Station that had an adjoining restaurant they owned for over 10 years before selling in 1945. After that, the couple decided to found a party store in the downtown area. That chapter closed shortly until they saw the need for a drive-in in Cardington. Drive-ins were becoming more popular in the 1950s.
Thus, Steve Sr. decided that he would construct a building on the property adjacent to his home on West Main Street and opened the Jeri-Ann Drive-In on June 14, 1954. It was named after his only daughter, Geraldine Ann. After eight years of being the owner-operators, Steve Sr. and Pearl decided to sell the business to two of their sons, Steve “Hub” Jr. and Tom (their third son, Melvin opened up his own accounting firm, Maceyko Tax, in 1964). Tom sold his part ownership in the business in 1968 and Hub’s wife, Linda, joined the establishment. During this time, Hub and Tom had asked their parents to their house from west of the restaurant to behind it so additional parking could be added as its popularity continued to grow. The establishment was open only from March 1 to Oct. 31 every season.
The Jeri-Ann Drive-In survived the Cardington tornado with the building being essentially untouched. Nevertheless, Hub and Linda sought to rebuild like the rest of town and tore down the original structure and replaced it with today’s one-story ranch that would house tables and an arcade inside. With this change brought the selling of pizza, an expanded schedule where the new restaurant would not close down for the colder months, and a new name, Rainbow 7, when it opened in March of 1983.
After two decades more of ownership, Hub and Linda Maceyko decided it was time to retire and sold the establishment to their niece (and daughter of Melvin), Susan, who purchased ownership in 2003. She renamed the place Suz-E-Q’s, and has operated it for the last 21 years.
Growing up in Cardington means you have taken part in building the history of this local family business by either visiting as a patron with a summer league sports team, friends, or family with purchasing many ice cream cones over your younger (and adult) years. Back in the day, you probably “shot the loop” around town, which included a pitstop at either the Jeri-Ann Drive-In or Rainbow 7. Hundreds of teenagers had their very first job underneath with my great-grandparents, grandparents, or cousin at either of the three businesses. Thousands of games of pinball and Ms. Pac-Man have been played in that building and tens of thousands of Rainbow burgers were consumed by paying customers. Some remember all of the meals my grandparents provided underneath their ownership of Rainbow 7 to the football and other sports teams to display their Pirate pride. Here’s to another seven decades of ice cream cones and pizza from 401 W. Main St.!
Looking Back:
90 years ago, July 1934: The schools in Westfield Township were transferred to the Cardington-Lincoln Local School District with it accepting 95 percent of the area. The Village of Cardington’s Board of Public Affairs was created after receiving loan-grant funds for the town’s waterworks.
80 years ago, July 1944: A memorial service was held for Lt. John Vaughan at the Cardington FUMC after he was killed in action while on an airplane mission over France. Sgt. Alfred Holt of Cardington was reported missing in action in France in the middle of June.
70 years ago, July 1954: Marlene Fricke and Robert DeBolt both enrolled at Capital University. The Jeri-Ann Drive-In advertising an ice cream cone special for July 8th only; buy one 10-cent cone, get another for one-cent. Seven sets of twins were set to be enrolled at Cardington-Lincoln Local Schools for the second year in a row.
60 years ago, July 1964: The Cardington-Lincoln Board of Education approved a resolution to place on the November ballot a bond issue to build the current high school building on Chesterville Avenue.
