STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Kathleen and Ed Kellerhals announced their historic business, The Corner House, will serve last call on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Established in 1939, the Grant City mainstay which serves steaks, chops and Irish fare is one of Staten Island's longest-running restaurants.
Ed says the couple made their decision based upon "health reasons." Although he hoped his children would assume the business, "They don't want it," he said.
"It will be sorely missed by people — by my wife," Ed said, quietly. "And my kids. It's an institution."
Indeed, the digs at 102 Lincoln Ave. have served as a memorable meeting place for Staten Islanders over the years, most notably on St. Patrick's Day.
ORIGINS, STAFF & MEMORIES
The restaurant was born to the borough in October 1939, christened with the name "Hunter's Corner." That moniker came from original owner John Hunter, who commissioned the dining room's signature Weingarten and Walsh murals.
Hunter appears in one of the images as a horseman in a red riding jacket who seems to have been tossed from his horse. He sits on a grassy field while a red-headed gal, believed to be his wife, stands nearby. Other characters in the murals could have been Hunter's regulars or staff, the Kellerhals once told Advance reporter Virginia Sherry.
In 1963, Molly and Thomas Hanratty purchased the business and it became Hanratty's Corner House. In an Advance restaurant review from the mid-'90s, the menu was described as "limited" — but "what is available is nicely done."
Recommendations at the time included the $2 cup of Manhattan clam chowder and club steak for $8.25 presented with "a small dish of creamy cole slaw" declared "absolutely delicious."
That Advance feature, by the way, came in 1995, the same year the Hanratty's sold the business to the Kellerhals: "We bought the restaurant from my in-laws," said Ed during a recent telephone conversation.
Subsequently, the menu stayed true to simplicity with chowder, basic steaks and Irish fare. It eventually listed appetizers like jalapeno poppers and wings, a broadened variety of broiled fish dishes and burgers.
The chef now is Thomas "Hutch" Hutchinson, who's hung his toque at The Corner House for over 12 years. Other familiar faces at the eatery include server Terry Vitalis, a 30-year veteran of the establishment, and Marion Murphy, also a server.*
"Marion is my sister-in-law," said Ed.
Heresay in the neighborhood and among some St. Christopher's R.C. parishioners is that the building will become a Chinese restaurant.
But Ed will not confirm if The Corner House has been sold.
"Well, we'll see," he said. "Nothing's been finalized yet."
For now, Kathleen and Ed need some time to finalize The Corner House business. After 19 years on the Kellerhals' watch alone, there's much to reconcile with the restaurant.
*This story was amended.