By James Banakis

December 12, 2025

At Thanksgiving dinner, our family’s conversation centered on film and movies. My granddaughters, both teens, love movies and will often ask me for recommendations. I’m their source for OLD movies. I’ve watched few films made after around 2005, but many before that year.

They correctly pointed out that my favorite films have to do with restaurants and food. Case in point, Casablanca, my best loved, I identify with Rick the restaurateur. Most people identify with the love story or the historical/patriotic aspect which for me is secondary. I’m trying to calculate how much money Rick lost after being shut down by the Nazis. Also, I’m impressed that there is that enormous safe in his office/bedroom on the second floor of the café/casino.   My recommendation to the kids for a great holiday movie was Christmas in Connecticut. Again, for me, flipping flapjacks and Felix making Alexander Yardley organ meats for breakfast, eclipses the love story.

One of the films the girls mentioned wanting to watch again while on vacation was Home Alone. That’s when I told them a story of how their grandfather was involved in a very small but fun way in the making of that film.

In the early fall of 1989, we opened the original Bub City on Weed Street, which quickly grew into a 28,000-sq. foot Crab shack, BBQ, multi bar, banquet, entertainment extravaganza. Operating it was more like being mayor of a medium size town. Hence our name “Bub City.” When interviewing for staff we chose many ambitious singers and actors and encouraged them to create characters as well as serve. We had a bus boy who belted out Ritchie Valens songs with our house band. A bartender who was a spot-on Elvis impersonator. A normally quiet server who could break your heart singing anything by Patsy Cline.

Two former Hollywood stuntmen worked as security, improvised stunts, and taught line dancing. I got caught up in all this creativity and auditioned bands for our Club Bub.

During our first annual crawfish festival, we wanted to showcase a Cajun Zydeco band. That wasn’t easy to find in Chicago. We auditioned eight or nine groups and finally the last one seemed perfect. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. They even had a guy playing a washboard instrument, attached to his chest. I hired them for the following weekend, three sets each night. On the first night I made sure they got started and then went to check on the kitchen, satisfied that the 5 man group sounded great. In about 40 minutes, one of the bartenders came into the kitchen and said that we were losing customers because the music all sounded the same. I went out to talk to the leader of the group and asked him if we could change up the music a bit, maybe mix in a little country. That’s when he told me, “We only know one song.” I hired a grouped that only knew one song period! That was the end of the talent aficionado part of my career. There are so many other Bub City stories I could share with you, but today we’ll concentrate on just this one noteworthy one.

In the summer of 1990, Home Alone was being filmed in the Chicago area. The people at 20^th Century Fox contacted us interested in having their wrap party at Bub City. A wrap party is the studios thank you get-together for basically all the names you see on the credits at the beginning and end of a movie. We asked how many people, and they told us about 130 or so. We suggested our largest party room which held 300. They said no they were thinking of entire complex on a Saturday night. We reminded them that was 28,000sq. ft. They said they were aware of that. We were stunned but intrigued. Lettuce Entertain You had never up to that point, closed one of our restaurants for a private party on our busiest night. We agreed to host the party. We had no idea what the movie was about, who the actors were or who the director was, but the opportunity was seductive.

Here’s what the studio required. On Friday night we close the restaurant at the normal time. At that point the studio would take over the space and turn the entire complex into recreations of different sets from the movie. For them to do this they first had to remove all the many tables, chairs, and furnishings, then transport them away in a series of large trucks. This was a massive undertaking. Next other trucks appeared delivering the actual sets, and furnishings. Various rooms in the restaurant were transformed into rooms portrayed in the film. We would be responsible for the food and drink. We settled on the menu. The guests were scheduled to arrive at 6pm. All the set up and logistics were the responsibility of the film company. All this doesn’t sound too difficult, but here were my challenges.

When all our aspiring, potential movie star employees found out about the party, they all wanted to be involved. They confidently wanted to make a subtle impression while serving. Instead of telling them to not interact at all, I said to have fun with it but not to make it about them. When I discussed the party at home with my wife, she wanted to sneak in. With a plan “I Love Lucy” would have scripted, her idea was to impersonate a photographer. Knowing that I’d be able to impress professionalism on the staff but never be able to trust that my wife wouldn’t crash and join the party. I reminded her that the party wasn’t about us. It wasn’t easy, but I finally convinced her to stay home.

On Saturday around 3pm, I made sure the kitchen was on schedule prepping our menu for the event. In addition to our dinner selections the director wanted to serve some of the items from the movie. The one I remember was cheese pizza in to-go boxes we brought in from one of our other restaurants.

About that time, I snuck a peek inside our dining rooms, and it looked confusing. There were different rooms and furniture set with our wall and ceiling décor. Imagine a beautiful living room with oriental carpets, and a big sign with, “Beer, It’s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore” on the wall. On the ceiling, hung nets and lobster traps. I mentioned this to one of the armies of construction people and he just smiled. I was concerned they were running out of time. Outside other trucks brought in trees and bushes and transformed the exterior to look like a private home. Lastly, finishing touch, movie snow everywhere, as this was October, and this was a Christmas movie. Logistically we need to close off the street to traffic which wasn’t too difficult, as we were on a side street.

At 5:30 I took one last look in the dining rooms. I guessed they ran out of time. It was a mishmash of our décor and theirs. Just then every light in the restaurant except the kitchen turned off. I thought we had a power failure. On came all the film studio’s lighting and spots, and the rooms came alive.

I learned the part essential to the entire production was lighting. The technicians did a masterful job of only lighting what they needed to, making everything else disappear. They also provided their own music and sound, some from the movie itself. This was the Hollywood magic. Bub City inside and out became a dreamlike recreation of the film being celebrated. You really had to see it to believe it.

Promptly at 6pm all the guests arrived and entered through our large, sparkling prep kitchen. Because John Hughes, the director had by this time started production on his next film in Chicago, “Only the Lonely,” those actors were also invited. Most of our staff didn’t recognize any of the soon to be famous actors from “Home Alone.” We applauded spontaneously and the actors mugged and bowed, as they walked back into the sets. The stars from the other film were Anthony Quin, Maureen O’Sullivan, and John Candy. They received the biggest reception. Someone even yelled out “Zorba!” as Quinn entered. He was taller, tan, and more fit than I expected him to be. He stopped and launched into a silent Zorba dance. When I mentioned this to my wife later, she glared at me and said that she would never forgive me. I think she forgave me though, as she immediately begged for more details.

The party was a huge success and continued for several hours. Most important to me there were no unexpected complications. It was amazing to me how much money the film company was willing to spend. Around 8:30 Macaulay Culkin’s father asked me if there was someplace, we could put his 8-year-old son to sleep. I suggested our offices on the second floor. We made a makeshift bed on a couch and the father watched over his son as he slept. I of course had no idea the kid played such a big role in the film. As the boy drifted off his father patiently whispered the film’s storyline to me. I remember nodding encouragingly, but thinking, “boy is this going to be a flop.” So, you see, Robert Evans never had to worry about competition as a studio executive. The much-loved film made 476 million dollars worldwide, over a billion adjusted for inflation.

At midnight the party successfully came to an end. All the trucks arrived and transported the movie props back to California. Other trucks brought back all the Bub City furnishings. All returned to the exact correct places. The artificial snow was removed as was the landscaping and signage. At 2pm on Sunday, our restaurant was back and ready for service that evening. Honestly, it felt like a dream…think Cinderella and the pumpkin.

Over the years I’ve done so many unique, memorable parties and events. The Home Alone party was the only one where for a short time our staff was transported to an enchanted place along with the guests. The evening of the event I stepped outside and took a photograph. The restaurant bathed in blue Christmas décor, and Kevin McCallister in the window was all the evidence I needed for my granddaughters.

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[name-bio name=”James Banakis”]