The property, which is zoned for most business uses, is up for sale at an asking price of $599,000. Johnsen said he's been getting two to three calls a week, and that potential buyers have different ideas in mind.

Highland Redevelopment Commission Director Cecile Petro said the town would prefer to see the Blue Top remain as a drive-in and would be willing to potentially offer a tax abatement to anyone who would keep it that way.

"It's one of the symbols of Highland and mid-century architecture," she said.

A buyer could choose to demolish the vintage restaurant and construct a new building on the highly visible site near the intersection of Indianapolis Boulevard and Ridge Road. A restaurant owner in Gary has expressed interest in just buying the neon Blue Top sign.

One potential buyer is interested in keeping it as a drive-in, but likely would have to install a drive-through window because that's what many people prefer these days, Johnsen said.

"Things change," he said. "You won't make it if you don't change with the times. The small businessman is a dying breed."

Highland's landmark Blue Top Drive-In could have gone from a brightly lit beacon for classic muscle cars to a place to rinse off the family sedan while ticking off the weekend errands.

A would-be buyer offered a big sum for the vintage burger joint on Indianapolis Boulevard, where for nearly eight decades thick patties sizzled on the grill, carhops skated out orders and cruisers beamed over their lovingly restored rides. The plan was to replace one of the few sights in Highland that has ever been on a postcard with a car wash.

Owner Kent Johnsen closed Lake County's last remaining drive-in restaurant to take care of his ailing mother, Wendy, and decided to shutter it for good after she died earlier this year. He was about to sell the real estate to a car wash operator when a new offer came through. A pair of restaurant owners wanted to take over the iconic 77-year-old eatery and bring back the glory days the way a wrench-handy baby boomer might restore a 1969 Camaro.

"(The car wash operator) offered quite a bit of money, but the Blue Top is like the Town Theatre — it puts Highland on the map," Johnsen said. "It was a backdrop for a motorcycle in Harley-Davidson's worldwide catalog. They came down and shot here. It's been a backdrop in Rolling Stone magazine. (The new owners) wanted to restore it, and it may have been my dream, but now it's their dream."

The new owners are both car enthusiasts who have experience running retro joints that have been around and that have staying power. Hammond native John Golfis also bought the Simon Sez restaurant in Merrillville — another well-known pit stop for cruisers — nine years ago and since has grown revenue three-fold. He has partnered with Highland native Dennis Miniuk, who owns Tom's Restaurant on Burnham Avenue in Calumet City. It's a recognizable family-style diner that people have been to even if they have never been anywhere near the neighborhood. Tom's is the type of place where waitresses top off coffee after the first sip and where diners can feast on plump omelettes or Greek-style pork chops.

Golfis has supplied countless places like Tom's, after having been in the restaurant business for nearly three decades. He also has a day job as a sale manager for Olympia Foods, one of the leading providers of gyro meat and pita bread in the greater Chicago area.

"Growing up in Hammond, I never thought I would own the Blue Top," he said. "It's a dream come true."

Artie wrote:Wonderful News!
Blue Top Drive-In won't cruise off into sunset, after all

Highland's landmark Blue Top Drive-In could have gone from a brightly lit beacon for classic muscle cars to a place to rinse off the family sedan while ticking off the weekend errands.

A would-be buyer offered a big sum for the vintage burger joint on Indianapolis Boulevard, where for nearly eight decades thick patties sizzled on the grill, carhops skated out orders and cruisers beamed over their lovingly restored rides. The plan was to replace one of the few sights in Highland that has ever been on a postcard with a car wash.

Owner Kent Johnsen closed Lake County's last remaining drive-in restaurant to take care of his ailing mother, Wendy, and decided to shutter it for good after she died earlier this year. He was about to sell the real estate to a car wash operator when a new offer came through. A pair of restaurant owners wanted to take over the iconic 77-year-old eatery and bring back the glory days the way a wrench-handy baby boomer might restore a 1969 Camaro.

"(The car wash operator) offered quite a bit of money, but the Blue Top is like the Town Theatre — it puts Highland on the map," Johnsen said. "It was a backdrop for a motorcycle in Harley-Davidson's worldwide catalog. They came down and shot here. It's been a backdrop in Rolling Stone magazine. (The new owners) wanted to restore it, and it may have been my dream, but now it's their dream."

The new owners are both car enthusiasts who have experience running retro joints that have been around and that have staying power. Hammond native John Golfis also bought the Simon Sez restaurant in Merrillville — another well-known pit stop for cruisers — nine years ago and since has grown revenue three-fold. He has partnered with Highland native Dennis Miniuk, who owns Tom's Restaurant on Burnham Avenue in Calumet City. It's a recognizable family-style diner that people have been to even if they have never been anywhere near the neighborhood. Tom's is the type of place where waitresses top off coffee after the first sip and where diners can feast on plump omelettes or Greek-style pork chops.

Golfis has supplied countless places like Tom's, after having been in the restaurant business for nearly three decades. He also has a day job as a sale manager for Olympia Foods, one of the leading providers of gyro meat and pita bread in the greater Chicago area.

"Growing up in Hammond, I never thought I would own the Blue Top," he said. "It's a dream come true."

-snip-

Cathy2 wrote:Where was I very recently? I got into a conversation with someone who said the Blue Top was purchased by their friend. It was a strange conversation, because the person initially scared me by advising their friend was updating the interior. I panicked, because you cannot get boomerang Formica every day and all those other mid century modern details.

He and Miniuk plan to invest more than $100,000 in renovations that will make the Blue Top look a lot more like it did in the 1970s. Fizzled bulbs in the iconic sign, for instance, will be replaced. The parking lot already has a new top coat of asphalt.

The iconic Johnsen’s Blue-Top Drive-Inn sign will remain, as will the menu signs on the drive-in portion outdoors. The stools, big globe light fixtures,1960s tile on the walls, even the blue striped wallpaper will remain in some fashion.

“We’re not doing a complete overhaul. We have to keep the tradition going. I have all kinds of ideas,” said Golfis, who said he wants the restaurant to look retro, but new and fresh.

Golfis also plans to keep the Johnsen name, the cruise nights, car hops, and may even continue the Big Ben burger, a 1/2-pound burger with extra American cheese named after Kent’s father.

boudreaulicious wrote:Opening today according to the NWI Times website.

People were parking anywhere they could find a space, some as far as a few blocks away, to walk to the restaurant to see the cars and get dinner.

“I’m living the dream and this is it,” owner John Golfis said.

The turnout surpassed anything he and partner Dennis Miniuk could have expected. A soft opening Thursday attracted more than 100 cars.

Golfis walked the grounds beaming like a proud new parent. Soda in hand, he interacted with guests, stopping to direct traffic and keeping a watchful eye on the controlled chaos to ensure the event ran smoothly.

“This is unbelievable,” he said.

Golfis was a victim of his own success Friday. Locals eager to visit the iconic restaurant started packing the Blue Top early, prompting the restaurant to open at 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. By 6:30 p.m. Golfis said he had to shut the kitchen down for at least an hour to allow workers an opportunity to catch up. More than 200 orders had been filled and another 85 had been taken.

“I just want to apologize. It was out of our control,” he said. The experienced restaurateur who owns Simon Sez in Merrillville said the kitchen was staffed to capacity. There’s only so much room on the grill.