Tradewinds Supper Club Mystery: Solved

1986 Elyria Phone Book ad

You might remember my post from back in January about the Tradewinds Restaurant, which was described in ads as "Lorain County's Complete Restaurant Center" and "Beautiful Polynesian Supper Club." It had a 41274 Griswold Road address, and its ad appeared in both the 1985 and 1986 Elyria and Lorain phone books.

My problem was that I couldn’t figure out where the Tradewinds had been located on Griswold – and if the building was still there.

My second post revealed that the restaurant had been in the planning stages since May 1980.

However, the Tradewinds remained a mystery – until today.

It turns out there's a very good reason why I couldn't pin down its location, why it had so many different phone numbers, and why it wasn't listed in the city directories.

It was never built.

That's the answer I got today when I spoke on the phone with someone employed at the Griswold Road family business of one of the investors. "It was supposed to be over by where Bob Evans is," she revealed. But that was all I could find out. I never even got through to the family member I called.

Perhaps the unbuilt restaurant is still a sore point with the investors’ families. Since January, my various phone calls, messages, emailed inquiries and reaching out on Facebook had all been met with stony silence worthy of a Polynesian Tiki idol.