An Ypsilanti restaurant celebrated its 75th anniversary Monday by feeding crowds hot meals for under $1.
The anniversary of Haab's Restaurant has been celebrated on the third Monday of every October since 1981, with the tradition of serving of classic meals at the price they were listed at when the restaurant opened during the Depression in 1934.
Chicken in a basket, spaghetti or a barbecue sandwich were on the menu -- all served for 50, 40 and 20 cents.
Otto and Oscar Haab owned and operated the restaurant until Mike Kabat and partner Harvery Glaze took it over in 1976. Glaze retired in 1991, and Kabat now runs the restaurant with his son.
Customers started to line up as early as 7:30 a.m. Monday for the anniversary.
Jerry Richards has been a regular at the restaurant for years.
"I used to set up bowling pins at the temple and every night I'd come down here and get a chicken in the rough for 50 cents," Richards said.
Richards' wife, Phyills, said the restaurant is a large part of their family tradition.
"When the children were young we came here on Christmas Eve, " Phyllis Richards said.
Denise and James Daniel got a meal with their cousin.
"Every year we always miss it, so this year we decided we were going to do it," Denise Daniel said. "We'll be talking about this for years and he's always saying I never buy. I called him to let him know, saying, 'I'm buying, you best come on.'"
Kabat said the restaurant expected to serve about 1,400 chickens.
"We will serve everyone who is in line all day, and the line has been like this pretty much all day," Kabat said. "We'll serve everyone who is in line at 9 p.m. before we close."
