Andrew Przybylo, Niles mayor and co-owner of White Eagle Banquets, greeted customers one last time on April 12.
A day later, the Przybylo family officially completed the sale of the banquet hall to Schiller Park based Victoria Banquets. White Eagle was founded by Andrew Przybylo’s father, Ted Przybylo, in 1947. Originally located in Chicago, it moved to Niles in 1967.
The day before the ownership was transferred, the family organized a party to mark the end of an era. Friends, customers and current and former employees were invited to attend. Most of the guests who spoke to Niles Herald-Spectator said that they were apprehensive about the change, but that they were willing to give the new owners a chance.
The Niles Spectator, one of this newspaper’s predecessors, reported in Dec. 4, 1985, Ted Przybylo grew up in West Town, which was then a hub of Chicago’s Polish-American community. In 1947, he bought a boys club near the intersection of Division Street and Western Avenue. Drawing upon his experience of working in restaurants, he used the space to open a catering business.
During the 1950s, the population of the area shifted as a growing number of Polish-Americans moved northwest along Milwaukee Avenue, with many of them settling in Niles.
Bob Ziemba, who worked as a bartender at White Eagle for 45 years, said that Ted Przybylo wanted to move the business closer to his clientele.
“They bought Tromba’s Restaurant and picnic grounds, and they bought this place called Helen’s, which was right next door,” said Ziemba. “And then they expanded out east, and they expanded south.”
Those buildings, he explained, are still parts of the banquet hall. Renovations smoothed over the differences between different portions, but it’s still possible to see where they were if one knows what to look for.
Since then, White Eagle played host to celebrities such as Muhammad Ali and Larry Hagman. It also became a major hub for local and state politics, holding fundraisers for Chicago mayor candidate Bernard Epton and Gov. James Thompson. Most recently, it played hosts to several Niles Forward Party events.
After Ted Przybylo died, the ownership was split between his six children. But as those children got older, they started wondering about the future. Andrew Przybylo said that it was just one of the reasons why they ultimately decided to sell.
“The family is getting older, and we’re getting tired,” he said. “And it wasn’t going to go to the 3rd generation.”
Speaking on behalf of the entire family, Kiki Przybylo, Andrew Przybylo’s daughter, said that Victoria Banquets wasn’t planning any significant changes.
“They’re going to keep the same menu, and [White Eagle] will operate under the same employees,” she said.
Still, a change of ownership represented the end of an era. To mark the transition, the family hosted a party from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Ampol Aires, a Chicago area polka band, performed. Photos and newspaper clippings from the White Eagle’s history were displayed in the lobby, and visitors could buy merchandise from the banquet hall gift shop and decorations at steep discounts. Even large decorations – such as human-sized soldier decorations and treasure chests – were up for sale.
Diane Michalski, who bought the soldier decorations, said she was astonished that she was able to get what she did.
“My husband told me they were selling stuff, but I had no idea how big it was going to be,” she said.
For the guests who attended, this was a bittersweet occasion. Al Kwiatkowski, who proudly said that his first job was at White Eagle’s original location, was apprehensive.
“Only time will tell [what will happen to White Eagle], because you never know,” he said. “They can promise you the moon, and in six months…”
Tom Suwinski said that, even though White Eagle wasn’t closing, the sale still felt like a loss.
“I think it’s a loss of an icon, a loss of heritage,” he said. “My dad is buried across the street – he’s turning over in his grave.”
Suvinski said that he was concerned that, with the new owners, the restaurant would lose a personal touch, with the menu turning into bland “McDonald’s style” mass-produced food. However, he said that he didn’t blame the Przybylos for selling – he respected the hard work they put in, and he could see why they’d want to do something else.
On his part, the mayor admitted that he wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to do next.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,” said Przybylo. “I’ll have to find a new place to go. The White Eagle has been my social network. Everybody knew they could find me here. I’m going to find a quiet bar or a restaurant where I’m going to hang out at.”
Throughout the event, multiple people came up to him, thanking him for great memories and offering gifts. Przybylo said that he was glad to see that White Eagle meant so much to so many people.
“It’s great,” he said. “Over the years, we’ve had so many people that became part of the White Eagle family. Today was a nice testament to that. I’m grateful.”
Igor Studenkov is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
