Anyone familiar with the 'Trolley Stop' restaurant in Skippack?

[toobusytoday]

Old thread, moved from the general PA forum.

[Avalon08]

Originally Posted by SkippackGirl

I grew up in Skippack. The Trolley Stop was originally owned by Jake and Dell (Idella) Beyer. There home was in the back part of the restaurant, and the bar and the restaurant were in the front. My parents were good friends of Jake and Dell. Jake was a kind-hearted man, and Dell was very kind as well. My mother always considered her a dear friend. When my parents visited them, Jake would serve me "Shirley Temple's" which was ginger ale with a cherry, and serve me cheese curls, but only with my Mother's permission first. YUM! Dell cooked in her kitchen which connected to the restaurant (These were the good ole days!). It was called the Trolley Stop because the Trolley used to run right to there (that was before my time--it was no longer in circulation when I visited the Trolley Stop as a iittle girl). My father's either grandfather or great uncle lived next door to the Trolley Stop, as I am told, which is now an antique shop. Both buildings backed up to the creek. UP the road a bit was the Hardware Store which is now a restaurant. I always enjoyed going in to the Hardware store because there was so much stuff to explore and look at. Every winter as a little girl, my mother would take me to see "Santa Claus" at the hardware store. Many kids went there to see Santa and we would get our picture taken. One year when I was just a little older but still small, I realized that Santa's eyes looked exactly like the man's at the Butcher Shop down the street on the other end of town! Yup! My Mom confirmed that my guess was correct! Santa was really "the meat man"! Side note: I do know that Jake and Dell are buried at the Skippack United Church of Christ Cemetery, as are my family ancestor's who had lived next door, and my parents.

Thank you for the history...very sweet memories. I see that this was your first post, but the thread is almost 10 years old so I imagine the original poster (OP) has moved on. But anyway, since you did take the time to answer, the part you didn't answer is: Whether an actual trolley was there originally. I lived there for awhile in the 80s...I remember the restaurant but don't remember seeing a trolley.

[Gerania]

The trolley system disappeared decades earlier--all over most of PA.

[Avalon08]

Originally Posted by Gerania

The trolley system disappeared decades earlier--all over most of PA.

The question was regarding the restaurant being in an old trolley car. So in case anyone is interested -- looks like the Trolley Stop is now Hotel Fiosole. In one of the photos, it looks like an old trolley car is built into the front of the restaurant, and someone mentioned being seated in the trolley car.

[Gerania]

Thanks. Yeah....I know. I remember my dad telling me about taking the trolley. I guess I was feeling a bit nostalgic.

[Steveb3]

I worked at the Trolley Stop in 1979. It was a very trendy, busy spot at that time. The trolley was a very popular dining room and always packed. I worked in the kitchen which was very small compared to the dining rooms and bar. At that time it was owned by Joe Zanesca (sp?) who had a house right behind the restaurant. From what I was told the house had been moved there from another location, quite a feat for the time. The menu was mainly upscale diner fare and clientele ranged from locals to people traveling through town to visit the other shoppes. It was a very eclectic scene for the era. I remember seeing off- duty local state police having a drink at the bar with Warlocks at night after work. You won’t see that anymore!

[jessxwrites89]

Originally Posted by scrantonluna

Anyone familiar with the Trolley Stop restaurant in Skippack? Supposedly it is/was a restaurant made out of an old reading trolley car. Is it still there?

Not in the old location, but it's in a new location by a ski slope. I don't remember the trolley car part because it was probably gone by the 90s. I remember an old, small building with model rails all around. The new location, which opened in 2005 I believe, is bigger and they still have the model cars around.

https://mocciastrainstop.com/

Unless I am remembering something totally different...

...Ah, looking at the pictures, something totally different, but I think we ate there a few times.

[PaJohn]

Originally Posted by Steveb3

I worked at the Trolley Stop in 1979. It was a very trendy, busy spot at that time. The trolley was a very popular dining room and always packed. I worked in the kitchen which was very small compared to the dining rooms and bar. At that time it was owned by Joe Zanesca (sp?) who had a house right behind the restaurant. From what I was told the house had been moved there from another location, quite a feat for the time. The menu was mainly upscale diner fare and clientele ranged from locals to people traveling through town to visit the other shoppes. It was a very eclectic scene for the era. I remember seeing off- duty local state police having a drink at the bar with Warlocks at night after work. You won’t see that anymore!

I was there often in the mid to late 70s. I believe the bartender's name was Bud. And I remember Joe too.