Karl's Cabin, a historic and popular restaurant in Plymouth/Salem Township, is hoping to open soon after a fire caused major damage earlier this year.
In a post on Facebook, the owners of Karl's Cabin said contractors have been working hard to "prepare for a (hopeful) late November opening!"
On Feb. 15, the restaurant caught fire as hundreds of people ate dinner. Part of the back of the building and an upstairs office suffered fire damage, while the historic dining area suffered smoke and water damage.
“We will get it back open. Hopefully sooner than later. We are already working on it today,” Peter Poulos, the Co-Owner of Karl’s Cabin, said on Feb. 16.
Brothers, Louis and Peter Poulos own the restaurant together. It is in a 76-year-old building where many have made memories and legends performed.
“There was a country circuit that came through here on Sundays. Johnnie Cash, Johnnie Paycheck, Hank Williams Sr. We found out through oral history all of those gentlemen played here at one time or another,” said Louis.
The restaurant has been around for decades in Plymouth. It was originally called Rusceak's Rustic Tavern, and catered to local farmers, according to the Karl's website. It was founded by Alex Rusceak and his wife, Katie, in 1945.
"The tavern became a popular stop for traveling musicians looking to make it big on the country circuit - once playing host to a then-young singer named Johnny Cash," the website reads.
Katie took the tavern over after Alex's death, but sold it in the late 1960s when it became known as Hefner's Hideaway, where it was known for after-hours operations which eventually got it shut down.
It later reopened as The Stockyard, but closed once again.
Karl Poulos discovered the abandoned log cabin while searching to open a new restaurant, and eventually opened Karl's Family Restaurant in the fall of 1982.
