When Billy Rotenberry purchased the ownership and management of the Plaza Grill, he transformed what had been a basic eatery into a dining spot suitable for a college town and its more sophisticated students, residents, and visitors. The restaurant was a popular place for Alabama College co-eds to stop by for a hamburger and a coke following a motion picture at the Strand Theatre, just a few footsteps back up Main Street. The Plaza Grill became famous with its young customers for the Juke Box that Billy kept stocked with the latest hits of the day. Music selections could be perused and purchased through a remote console, called a “Wall-O-Matic,” stationed in every booth in the cafe.
Early every morning before Billy’s wife Julia left home for her full-time job at the Alabama College Library, she would prepare and bake the day’s regular assortment of 6 to 12 Coconut, Chocolate, Lemon Icebox, Butterscotch, and Egg Custard pies in her home kitchen. Billy’s father stopped by the house after Julia went to work to pick up the pies and deliver them to the restaurant in time to be on the menu at lunch. For variety, Julia would often include Apple, Cherry, Peach, Lemon Meringue, Pecan, Double Crust Lemon, Raisin, Mincemeat, Pumpkin, or Vanilla Custard to her line-up.
The cafe leased the bottom floor of the two story building owned by its neighbor, F.P. Givhan. The upper floor housed a few offices that were occupied at one time or another by lawyers, insurance agents, and “businessmen.” A short-lived barbershop tried to make a go of it in one of these offices, but never caught on.
Billy got out of the restaurant business in 1964 and went to work for the Post Office, ending 26 years that his family served meals and a warm welcome to the town of Montevallo. Later occupants of the space have also been restaurants of one sort or another. Following the Plaza Grill came the “Sizzler” as well as Pratcher’s Cafeteria, among others. Today, El Agave Bar & Grill maintains the culinary heritage of this particular storefront.
Thank you to Clay Nordan, Vice-President of the Montevallo Historical Society, for this information!
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