Kids & Family

56th Fighter Group Restaurant's Nod to LI

Restaurant, named for unit that relied on Republic Aviation planes, will close in August.

When the closes its doors Aug.12, departing with it is a nod to Long Island history.

The restaurant is named for an Army Air Forces unit that relied on P-47s, built by Republic Aviation, to achieve a high rate of air-to-air kills in World War II. 

Located on the grounds of Republic Airport, the restaurant is a part of the Specialty Restaurants Corp. of Anaheim, Calif.

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John D. Tallichet, president and chairman of the company, said his father, David C. Tallichet Jr., was a pilot who flew more than 20 missions in a B-17 over Europe in World War II, before founding his first restaurant in the late 1950s. The company has about 25 restaurants around the country, including 100th Bomb Group in Cleveland and 94th Aero Squadron in Miami.

He said that "Our landlord has been great to work with" but that plans to move the restaurant next to the never materialized. He also said that high taxes and the complexity of dealing with different agencies in trying to make the move had ultimately kept the restaurant from remaining open and moving to next to the museum.

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"We love the area" and hope to get re-established somewhere nearby, Tallichet said.

A spokesman for the airport confirmed that the restaurant has not renewed its lease and is expected to close in Augst. He also said that a number of other developers and restaurant operators have approached the airport regarding potential future uses for the property, noting, "We will miss this landmark restaurant but we are at the heart of a vibrant economic corridor and others see this transition as a strategic business opportunity."

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Along with founding restaurants, David Tallichet was a major collector of World War II warplanes.

When Tallichet died in 2007, Gary Lewi of the American Airpower Museum, said to the Los Angeles Times, "There is no other person in the country who is so singularly responsible for the preservation of these aircraft. He saved the aircraft for another generation, but he also used them to pay tribute to those who flew them."


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