| Click on any of the
pictures below for a larger version.
 The
Merritt Canteen was established in 1942. It started out as a little
hut serving the best dogs, burgers and seafood around. In 1958 Lorraine
Kohn, the original owner, decided to level the building and build
a state of the art drive in restaurant. It had an ice cream parlor,
overhead doors as entrances and an outdoor patio. It was the first
of its kind in the area.
In 1960, Lorraine met Jehu "Yawho"
Rodriguez, Sr. who was working at Town & Country Diner (now
known as the Galaxy) and invited him to come and work for her as
a short order cook. Over the years his responsibilities turned into
helping Lorraine manage the restaurant. As the North end area started
to grow in the late 50 & 60’s so did the business and
a number of other restaurants came to town.
 The
Canteen was one of the few places that served fast food to order
while you watched it being prepared. This system is still in place
today. Over the years Lorraine started handing over the responsibilities
of running the restaurant over to Yawho and another employee (Ray)
and started spending most of her time in Florida. In 1983 she sold
the business to Yawho and Ray and they ran the business successfully.
Over the years the Canteen stayed true to its roots becoming famous
for serving great food at fair prices.
 In
2001, Yawho decided to retire and his son Jehu, "Jay"
Jr. came aboard. Jay, who was part owner of the Gathering Restaurant
in Milford, sold his interest there and bought out Ray McPadden.
These days you can find Yawho enjoying retirement at his home in
Puerto Rico and when he is in town you can find him gardening at
his home in Newtown or swimming at Lake Forest. Jay planned to make
a number of changes which he did almost immediately knowing that
the number one priority was to improve the appearance of the restaurant
but keeping the concept and great food the same. He has remodeled
the building inside and out but has kept the history alive. He is
currently in the process of remodeling the kitchen and has added
over 25 selections to the menu. The Canteen is busier than ever
and this past year we celebrated our 63 year anniversary.
Jehu “Yawho” Rodriguez,
Sr. |
Jay, Jr. and Staff |
Original Owner, Lorraine Kohn
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We thank all of the customers who have supported
us over the years and we hope to be here for another 63 years or
more.
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