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Red's Rite Spot Mortal After All

Red's Rite Spot Mortal After All image
Parent Issue
Day
8
Month
November
Year
1968
Copyright
Copyright Protected
Rights Held By
Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

Traditions are supposed to last forever. But the other day Clark R. "Red" Shelton quietly closed the door of his famous restaurant for good. In that turn of a knob - that split second - he ended a 34-year-old tradition which is uniquely associated with both the U-M and Ann Arbor. Red's Rite Spot, which was originally started in 1931 by Glen Davenport as the White Spot on the corner of Maynard and William in a tiny 300-square-foot building, seemed to be immortal. It thrived through the Depression and kept bursting at its seams through World War II and the post-war period by following its own particular recipe for success - oats and soup. More than a year ago Shelton opened a spanking new restaurant on Maynard next to the 26-story high rise apartment building, Tower Plaza. It looked then like the future was anything but bleak. But it took the affluent 60's to kill the hardy little restaurant which was famous for its breakfasts (eggs and toast served in 1 3/4 minutes), chili, a variety of sandwiches, soups, oatmeal, international signs and graffiti. "Red" Shelton attributes its demise to the city's closing off of Maynard St. and the summer's lengthy construction strikes. "I had enough money to last a year of bad conditions," but "I just couldn't hang on any longer," Shelton said. The fame of Shelton's place has spread. It has been the subject of articles in Reader's Digest and the Michigan Alumnus. "Red's Rite Spot is probably known world-wide because nearly all of the thousands of students who have attended the University during the past three decades and left, had at least one bowl of Red's chili. "I'll never learn how to be a humble man ... I couldn't stay here and sling hash for someone else," the 50-year-old Red said. So he's leaving Dec. 1 for Sarasota, Fla., where he's been offered part interest in a business there. After some 34 years of wearing his "heart on his sleeve" about his love for this town and "my people" (customers and friends), Red isn't happy about leaving. "I hope to come back some day and open another restaurant," he said wistfully. Shelton was an unsuccessful contender in the Aug. 6 primary to be the Republican candidate for county sheriff. "There is no place in the world like Ann Arbor, Michigan" Shelton added proudly. He should know. He came here in 1934 f rom Greenville, Ky. to attend the University. It was a bad time to be a student. Strapped for money he went to work for Davenport at his White Spot at 517 E. William. When World War II broke out he joined the service. After six years in the U.S Air Force, Shelton carne "home" and bought the White Spot from Leonard Lillard who had owned it for only 18 months. He had no intention of ever leaving again. Ann Arbor is a great place to raise a family," Shelton noted. He and his wife (who he met while they were working at The White Spot) raised their two children, William (Bill) and Patricia here. Red's children both attend Michigan State University. "It's going to be hard to be so far away from them," Shelton commented. But Red didn't give up easily. Since he moved into his new restaurant in 1966 at 334 Maynard which was leased from local developer John Stegeman, Shelton has had to sell both his home here and his cottage at Traverse City to make ends meet. He put everything he owned into the restaurant trying to buy time until Maynard reopened and the apartment building next door was finished.