REMEMBER THIS? From popcorn wagon to two diners — Mike's Lunch

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

Sault Ste. Marie has a variety of restaurants along Queen Street, and many more have opened and closed over the life of Sault Ste. Marie’s downtown. 

Mike’s Lunch was originally opened during the Great Depression in the early 1930s by Michael Rinaldi, which is where the restaurant got its name. Michael Rinaldi was born in Foggia, Italy on Aug. 15, 1897. Mike’s family made their way to Sudbury where he met his wife Beatrix (Bea) Perfetto whom he married on Aug. 21, 1918, in Chapleau Ontario. 

They had two sons Cardinal (Cardy) born 1922 and Percy born June 21, 1925.  When Mike was laid off from his job as a boilermaker with the Central Pacific Railway, he purchased a popcorn wagon in 1931 and sold his product along Queen Street in Sault Ste. Marie.

In 1932, Mike purchased 523 Queen St. E with his business partner Tike Roach. At the time of its opening the restaurant seated only eight people, had no washrooms and had no locks on the doors, Percy Rinaldi stated, “For the first 10 years we never even had a lock for the door”. 

A former employee by the name of Joe who got his start at Mike’s Lunch worked for Mike during the summer for $2 a week during the Great Depression. Mike soon increased Joe’s pay to $6 a week. When it came time to return to school in September Mike offered to pay him $10 a week to stay on full time. 

Mike Rinaldi eventually opened a second location on Gore Street around 1942. By this point, Mike’s Lunch was open 24 hours. Mike’s own son Cardy (Cardinal) Rinaldi worked the night shift while attending Sault College at the same time. He continued working the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift for the next 28 years. 

Mike Rinaldi died in 1971 at the age of 73. Following his death, Cardy and Percy took over the family business with Percy managing the Queen Street location and Cardy operating the Gore Street location. 

In 1985 the two brothers ended their business partnership, and each restaurant became their own separate business though both maintained the name Mike’s Lunch.  In 1990 Percy retired from the Queen Street restaurant which was then purchased by Maria and Antonio Famiglietti. 

Cardinal “Cardy Rinaldi passed away in 2000 at the age of 78 and Percy Rinaldi passed away in 2010 at the age of 84. Both locations of Mike’s Lunch, at Queen Street and Gore Street, are sadly no longer open, however many people remember them fondly as a great place with great food and with great service.  

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provide SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more "Remember This?" columns here.