What do you get when you cross one of Galesburg’s most popular restaurants with a former supper club that stirs nostalgic memories dating back more than 60 years? Meet PZ’s Club 41 in St. Augustine.
PZ’s Club 41 opens Saturday at the former Club 41 on Route 41 in St. Augustine. Zan and Connie Carter, owners of PZ’s Place and Steakhouse, 2330 Grand Ave. in Galesburg, recently acquired the Club 41 property.
Club 41, a legendary restaurant touting “the world’s best onion rings,” and known for its fried catfish and original super club, closed in April — citing an inability to find staff.
Billy and Julie Bennett will oversee the operations at PZ’s Club 41 as general managers. Julie is the daughter of the Carters.
PZ’s menu moves to Club 41, with some extras
“Club 41 is such a staple — if you’re in the restaurant business, why wouldn’t you try and give it a shot,” said Billy Bennett. “The people around there want it to survive — they keep going to the place and won’t let it die. It would be a shame to just let it sit there and rot away.”
PZ’s Club 41 will serve the same menu and specials as PZ’s Place and Steakhouse, 2330 Grand Ave. in Galesburg. But fear not, Club 41 fans — fried catfish and haystack onion rings will be on the menu at the St. Augustine restaurant.
“If we opened Club 41 and you didn’t serve haystack onion rings, it would be shut down the same day,” Bennett said. “The menu will be exactly the same as PZ’s. We’ll add several new steak cuts — we’ll add a New York strip and a porterhouse. We’ll have prime rib every day. And we’ll have lobster weekends.”
PZ’s Club 41 also will serve the same daily specials as PZ’s, usually a day after they are offered in Galesburg.
Bennett said they have given PZ’s Club 41 “a lot of attention” in terms of cleaning, paint, decor and a neat seating configuration. PZ’s Club 41 also will include a replica salad bar of the one set up in Galesburg.
Hours at PZ’s Club 41 will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. It will be closed on Mondays.
‘It’s just a better product than most places’
Based on feedback on social media and from PZ’s customers, Bennett is confident PZ’s Club 41 will be a popular addition.
“The response we’ve received since we announced we were taking over Club 41 has been absolutely overwhelming,” he said. “If half of the people who liked or shared our posts on Facebook show up on opening day, we’ll be in trouble we’ll so busy.”
Asked what makes PZ’s successful, Bennett said the answer is simple.
“I think it’s the food,” he said. “It’s quality ingredients and consistency. We take the extra effort. We hand make the salads, we cut the pepper cheese for the cheeseburgers, the burgers are bigger than most places — It’s just a better product than most places.”
Club 41, which opened in 1957, was most recently owned by Andy Huston.
