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A little boy tugged on Bob Kennel’s pant leg and asked, “Are you Mr. Didley?”
Kennel replied, “Yes I am.”
The boy smiled, like he had just met a real life superhero, and asked, “Did you build this place?”
Kennel replied, “Yes I did.”
The boy said, “Thanks,” and ran off to play on the playground, and ride the train, and play miniature golf.
Kennel (who does not mind if people, especially kids, call him Mr. Didley) and his wife, Ellen, own Didley’s Place, the part car-hop, part recreation center, part outdoor theater out on Route 89 (Niles Street) in Metamora.
The hours are long, the profits are just enough to make a decent living, and the upkeep on the grounds is never-ending.
But it’s all worth it.
“We like to see the kids smile,” Ellen said. “We’re not in this to get rich. When we see children having fun in a good family-friendly environment, then that makes us happy ... It’s a lot of work. Morning til night in the summers. But, what else are we going to do? This is what we enjoy doing.”
In 2005, the Kennels were running their business, Kennel Trucking, out of their home, but Bob, a self-described “car nut,” wanted to open a car hop and a garage where he could customize classic cars.
It started small, as a car hop in which girls in roller skates served customers who ordered from their cars.
“That (the original car hop) was a lot of fun,” Ellen said. “But, it just wasn’t profitable as an everyday business. It was always too hot or too cold, or too windy, so we looked at ways we could add to it.”
They added an outdoor movie theater, miniature golf course, horseshoe pit, pavilion and train ride (for kids and adults). The car hop then became an enclosed restaurant complete with a bountiful Sunday breakfast buffet and full lunch and dinner menu.
The outdoor movie theater (patrons can bring a blanket or lawn chair and sit on the grass in front of the enormous movie screen), has been a hit. “Cars 2” recently brought in more than 1,100 people over two days. The reasonable cost ($4 for adults, $2 for children) and the family-friendly atmosphere make it a popular Friday or Saturday night attraction, Ellen said.
“Kids can play in the playground when the movie is going,” she said. “It’s a nice, affordable way for families to come out and see a movie.”
A little boy tugged on Bob Kennel’s pant leg and asked, “Are you Mr. Didley?”
Kennel replied, “Yes I am.”
The boy smiled, like he had just met a real life superhero, and asked, “Did you build this place?”
Kennel replied, “Yes I did.”
The boy said, “Thanks,” and ran off to play on the playground, and ride the train, and play miniature golf.
Kennel (who does not mind if people, especially kids, call him Mr. Didley) and his wife, Ellen, own Didley’s Place, the part car-hop, part recreation center, part outdoor theater out on Route 89 (Niles Street) in Metamora.
The hours are long, the profits are just enough to make a decent living, and the upkeep on the grounds is never-ending.
But it’s all worth it.
“We like to see the kids smile,” Ellen said. “We’re not in this to get rich. When we see children having fun in a good family-friendly environment, then that makes us happy ... It’s a lot of work. Morning til night in the summers. But, what else are we going to do? This is what we enjoy doing.”
In 2005, the Kennels were running their business, Kennel Trucking, out of their home, but Bob, a self-described “car nut,” wanted to open a car hop and a garage where he could customize classic cars.
It started small, as a car hop in which girls in roller skates served customers who ordered from their cars.
“That (the original car hop) was a lot of fun,” Ellen said. “But, it just wasn’t profitable as an everyday business. It was always too hot or too cold, or too windy, so we looked at ways we could add to it.”
They added an outdoor movie theater, miniature golf course, horseshoe pit, pavilion and train ride (for kids and adults). The car hop then became an enclosed restaurant complete with a bountiful Sunday breakfast buffet and full lunch and dinner menu.
The outdoor movie theater (patrons can bring a blanket or lawn chair and sit on the grass in front of the enormous movie screen), has been a hit. “Cars 2” recently brought in more than 1,100 people over two days. The reasonable cost ($4 for adults, $2 for children) and the family-friendly atmosphere make it a popular Friday or Saturday night attraction, Ellen said.
“Kids can play in the playground when the movie is going,” she said. “It’s a nice, affordable way for families to come out and see a movie.”
Movies start at dusk. “Smurfs” is this weekend’s feature. The final film of the season is “Spy Kids 4” (Sept. 2-3).
What about the name?
“Bob’s nickname was Didley, ever since he was younger, so we thought that might be a neat name. It sounded pretty good, so we went with it,” Ellen said. “It has a nice ring to it.”
Bob and Ellen still operate Kennel Trucking, which has been going since 1993.
That keeps Bob busy.
“It seems like he works 24/7,” Ellen said. “There’s no slowing him down.”
There’s no slowing him down (literally) on the weekends, either. He travels across the Midwest racing cars.
“I enjoy that. I can’t just sit and watch the races. I have to be in the driver’s seat,” he said. “That’s my fun thing to do. Then, I come back to work.”
For more schedules, hours, menus and more information, visit didleysplace.com.
