From the time that the Goodall Building was built on the north side of the Marion, Illinois Square in 1900 it has housed a restaurant in its lower floors. The first restaurant located at 103 N. Market Street was called the Caldwell and Furlong Restaurant and appears to have existed until around 1916. After that, the location became known as the Gem Café and was owned and operated by J.L. Robinson.

Around the time this restaurant became the Gem Café in 1916, Achillas Demetrios Karathanos was a clerk at the Marion Candy Kitchen located at 207 West Main St. Achillas had emigrated here from Greece in 1908 where he was born December 25, 1894.  Achilla’s brother Ikie Karathanos also immigrated to the U.S. shortly after his brother. Ikie was born in Argos, Orestikon, Greece in 1896.

In the 1920 census, Ikie was living in a boarding hotel located at 210 N. Market St. owned by Hattie Campbell. I suspect these were rooms to let over the J.B. Heyde store. There were four other Greek’s living in the hotel with Ikie. Three of them were involved in the Marion Candy Kitchen. Ikie lists himself as a clerk for the candy store.

In 1922, Ikie was working at the Crystal Café located at 207 N. Market St. and was living at Clark’s Hotel at 214 N. Market St. Achillas was still working the Marion Candy Kitchen on West Main and by the late 1920’s Ikie was also working at the candy store.

By 1930, Achillas has become a partner in the Marion Candy Kitchen with John Azernis. Achillas is living with John Azernis and his wife Electra at 206 ½ S. Van Buren St.

The 1939 city directory shows 207 w. Main St. as vacant for this year, indicating it has closed. Presumably, the Greek brothers have sold the Marion Candy Kitchen and are now running the Gem Cafe. The 1940 census backs this up by indicating Achillas rooming at 704 N. Van Buren St., he is a self employed restaurant owner. In the next room is Pete Ponatopolalas, a Greek immigrant, who since1935, has moved to Marion to be a chef at the Gem Cafe. Further, evidence is  Achilla’s  1942 WWII draft record listing him as self employed at the Gem Café. Achillas listed Alex Siatos as his contact person on the record and is now living at 207 N. Van Buren St.

The Gem Café served as one of the local hot spots to eat and meet for decades. When Achillas passed away on September 11, 1965, Ikie sold the restaurant to Wayland Sims. From 1966, the location took on the name of “The Uptowner”, under Wayland Sims.

(Data extracted from Marion City Directories; Federal Census Record; Draft Records; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 03/03/2013)