Hackney's Restaurant

This was on the NW corner of Rand Rd. (Rt. 12) and Old Rand Rd. The building was recently torn down and a new building is under construction.

Hackney's opened in Lake Zurich in 1969 at 880 N. Old Rand Rd. The restaurant closed in March 2017 after the owner, Ed Masterson, retired. Ed's parents parents were James Edward Masterson (1915-1987) and Marcella Anne "Kitz" (Powers) Masterson (1917-2004). They started Hackney's in Glenview in 1939. Ed's brothers were: Jim "Geege" Masterson who opened the Wheeling Hackney's in 1964; and Michael Masterson who opened the Palos Park Hackney's in 1986. Hackney's were especially known for their 1/2 lb. juicy football shaped burgers on dark bread and golden-brown onion ring loaves.

Hackney's originated from a roadhouse in the late 1920's by John "Jack" Hackney (1882-1936) and his wife, Helen "BeBe" (Barrett) Hackney (1881-1939). Jack and Helen were Ed Masterson's uncle and aunt. From their back porch of their Glenview farmhouse, Jack sold home brew beer and BeBe made corned beef with her homemade black bread.

After the end of Prohibition, in 1933 Jack and BeBe created a small tavern in their garage a few steps from the porch and began selling the "Hackneyburger". Located at 1241 Harms Rd. in Glenview, the tavern was known as "Hamm's" because of the Hamm's beer sign out front. They didn't have their own sign.

Jack Hackney died in 1936 and Bebe died in 1939. The tavern was left to Bebe's sister, Elizabeth "Betty" (Barrett) Masterson (1888-1965), wife of Edward J. "Ed" Masterson (1883-1922). After her husband's death, she married Frank Engles (1892-1964). Her son, James E. Masterson and his wife, Marcella "Kitz" Masterson, purchased the business for $1. The roadhouse was changed into a restaurant as a hangout for the Northwestern University students and during WW II, customers from the military police training camp from across the street stopped in.

In 1955, the business was expanded and moved to the Lake St. location in Glenview. In 1965, the Wheeling Hackney's was opened and in 1969, the Lake Zurich Hackey's started. Finally, in 1986, the Palos Park location was opened.

In 2015, the Lake Zurich property was planned to build a retail-apartment complex but not approved by the village Planning and Zoning Commission. The Hackney's restaurant was closed in March 2017. In 2018, plans were finalized to build a 2-story health club and demolition was soon to begin. Finally, the restaurant building was destroyed by a large fire on September 9, 2018 and the final cause was undetermined.

Based on the date of this photo in 1965 and Hackney's opened at this location in 1969, it's possible this was Larsen's Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge that specialized in Scandinavian Cuisine. Larsen's was advertised as being located at "Route 12 and Old Rand Rd." in Lake Zurich. It was owned by Henry Larsen.