Column: Chuck Prather, the luckiest man on Miller Avenue

column-chuck-prather-the-luckiest-man-on-miller-avenue

Dear readers,

An old-timer once told me that men always collect their youth.

For Charles Foster Kane, the fictional character in Orson Wells’ movie “Citizen Kane” it was the sled he had owned since he was a boy. For Chuck Cochran, it has been Chrysler and DeSoto Airflow automobiles.  For Rusty Petit and me, it has been Schwinn bicycles.

For Chuck Prather, it is the Lucky 7 Café on Miller Avenue.

During Chuck Prather’s boyhood and for a generation or two before, the Five Points area of Shelbyville was a hub of activity. Located on the same block as the Lucky 7 Café was a barber shop, Zerr’s Market, Fox Shoe Repair and Kirk’s Five Points Soda Shop. In Chuck’s mind’s eye, he always pictured the neighborhood as it was in the 1960s. 

In recent years, the building that housed the Lucky 7 sat empty. It appeared to be slowly returning to nature. It looked to be beyond repair.  Like Dean’s Market, another memory from Chuck’s Miller Avenue childhood, the café also seemed to be destined for the wrecking ball.

Every time Chuck drove past what was left of the Lucky 7, he felt a touch of sadness. One day, a subliminal message planted in Chuck’s brain years ago while watching an episode of “The Galloping Gourmet” entered his consciousness. Chuck had an urge to cook. Taking further inspiration from chef Guy Fieri on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” Chuck decided to revive the Lucky 7 Café.

I titled this column, “Chuck Prather, the Luckiest Man on Miller Avenue.” I thought Chuck looked like a guy who had just won the lottery, but luck had nothing to do with his success in the restaurant business. The reason Chuck’s Lucky 7 Café is so popular and has been featured on television is all due to perseverance and hard work.

After purchasing the building, Chuck discovered that the building’s dilapidated appearance was not deceiving. It was ready for the wrecking ball. Chuck had to replace everything from the foundation to the roof.  I had been in the Lucky 7 over 50 years ago.

“Sitting at the counter now, it seemed weird how everything looked so familiar but brand new,” he said. “I felt like a time traveler. I kept looking over my shoulder expecting to see Rod Serling standing behind the door.

“I imagined hearing that distinctive Rod Serling voice, ‘Kris just stepped in for a hamburger, but crossing the threshold he entered another dimension known as the twilight zone.’”

I was jolted back to reality when I saw Chuck Prather behind the grill.  He had a smile so big that I had to take a picture. Happiness is contagious and I felt happier just seeing that grin.

Chuck told me that he doesn’t take all the credit for resurrecting the Lucky 7 Café. He couldn’t have done it without the support of his wife Nadine along with waitresses Holly Hickman, Olivia Byrd and his future daughter-in-law, Mia Contreras.

As I stepped back out onto Miller Avenue, I took a quick look down the block. I half expected to see Zerr’s Market and Kirk’s Five Points open again. 

See you all next week, same Schwinn time, same Schwinn channel.

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