photograph
Catalog Number
2022.4.5Description
Color photograph showing a gathering of Russ' Restaurant employees, year unknown. Front row, left to right: Marian Snyder; Janet Schripsma; unknown; and Ethel Kruithof. Middle row, left to right: Mary Ebels; Esther Hamstra; E. Bronkema; Verna Fairbanks; Ruth Campagner; Thelma Keen; Barb Strengholt; and Lois Steinfort.Somewhere in the back row is Ruth Terpstra, Sharon De Roo and Marilyn Hamstra.
History
Russ’ began in Holland, MI in 1934 on the north side of Chicago Drive, between Highland Ave and Reed Ave. That original restaurant was nothing more than a 12' x 16' wooden shack known as Doc's Barbeque before it was purchased by John Bouws, Russ Bouws' father, for $147. In those early years hamburgers cost 10¢ and coffee, milk, or Coke, 5¢.In 1946 the business was moved to 361 East 8th Street. A new, larger restaurant was constructed on this site in 1949. This new facility would be known as Russ' Eastown. The 1949 building was torn down in 1983 and replaced by a larger Russ' restaurant.
In 1965 Russ' opened a restaurant in Muskegon, MI. This was followed by the 28th Street restaurant in Grand Rapids in 1970 and the River Ave location in 1973. The Grand Rapis Plainfield Ave location opened in 1974, Grand Haven's restaurant opened in 1976 and the Wyoming, MI location opened in 1976. 1978 saw the addition of the Portage restaurant, as well as Battle Creek's Russ'.