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Business & Tech

Lost Oak Lawn: Local Motel's Family Welcomes Yours

Oak Lawn Patch visits the historic Gateway Motel.

Bob and Rita Olsen have met them all. From Chinese doctors training at , to South American tourists traveling through the heartland, the third generation owners of the could entertain visitors with stories of former guests for hours.

“Back during the 1950’s and 1960’s, we had a lot of comedians and musicians stay here after performing at the Martinique restaurant downtown,” Bob told Oak Lawn Patch.

When Oscar Vallera, Olsen’s grandfather, arrived from Italy in the 1920’s, he could never have imagined meeting the likes of R&B singer Bo Diddley or actor Scott Brady. After settling in Oak Lawn with his brothers, Vallera saved up enough money and purchased a small plot of land along 95th Street, just past Cicero Avenue. As he talked with locals about how he should develop the land, he heard constantly about the need for a rest point for motorists just outside of Chicago.

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By 1954, the vacant lot had been turned into a 14-room motel, catering to tourists and those in need of a few hours of rest. Living directly above room number 10, Vallera expanded the business in 1960, adding 13 new rooms. With rates as low as $8 per day, the friendly owner was always known to offer those who were down on their luck a warm bed for the night.

As Bob E. Olsen -- Bob's dad -- tied the knot with Vallera's daughter Maria, he was also marrying into the family business. When the couple took over as the Gateway's second-generation owners, much of the construction was complete and routine upkeep was minimal. Guests came and went as they pleased, and a dedicated staff of longtime employees kept the motel running every day. This allowed the husband and wife team to split their time between running the motel and spending time with their growing family.

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“Oak Lawn was a great place to live when I was growing up,” Bob Jr. remembered, “we built forts in the open fields and always went to Kiddieland on the weekends.  It was a fun place to spend your childhood."

The Gateway has always been a part of the Olsen family. With many locally-operated businesses vanishing across Southland, Bob and Rita were eager to carry on the motel’s legacy when they became its full-time owners in 2004. Sons Bobbie and T.J. even help out their parents by cleaning rooms and assisting with room repairs.

“It’s sometimes hard to compete with the big hotel chains around here,” Bob remarked, “but I think the genuine service you get from a Mom-and-Pop operation like ours can’t be beat”.

 

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