The Falcon at 50

Joe Estudillo (left) and Pete Kretsedemas have owned the Falcon for 50 years between them as of July 9.

Joe Estudillo (left) and Pete Kretsedemas have owned the Falcon for 50 years between them as of July 9.

Fifty years ago, three Greek immigrant brothers sought the American dream in a restaurant specializing in foods from their homeland and their adopted country.

On July 9, 1955, the Falcon Restaurant opened its doors to travelers on Route 66 and the residents of Winslow.

The heyday of the Mother Road long gone, the Falcon survives today as one of the most popular restaurants and nightclubs in town.

On July 9, 2005, Pete Kretsedemas, the last of the three brothers to live in Winslow, was visiting relatives in Minnesota. So on July 13, he returned to the Falcon for a Rotary Club meeting and a little reminiscing.

The restaurant's name comes from his uncle, George Cheros, who constructed the building and selected a word he had seen on a highway billboard. Pete said he isn't sure what the advertisement was for.

Cheros had operated a successful Coney Island restaurant downtown and was an original partner with Pete, George and Jim Kretsedemas.

Over the next half-century, the Falcon remained a family restaurant where travelers could get a home-cooked meal.

Five years ago, Pete decided he would join his brothers in retirement. Not wanting to see the family business suffer, he turned it over to a friend he met in Rotary ‹ Joe Estudillo.

Estudillo was running an accounting practice but had many years in the restaurant trade. He opened Church's Chicken, Taco Bell and Dos Amigos Restaurant.

"This business is very demanding, Pete said. "I liked the way he (Joe) ran Dos Amigos and I'm happy to see he picked it up after 45 years."

Estudillo kept some of the favorite items on the menu and added more Mexican dishes.

"I wouldn't call it fast food, but I added simpler items that don't take long but still are with the home-style cooking," he said.

In addition to a good meal, Pete Kretsedemas said patrons also received detailed travel information. Acting as the unofficial Chamber of Commerce, Kretsedemas handed out flyers with driving distances throughout Arizona that he gathered from truck drivers. Estudillo still hands them out today.

For his efforts in promoting Route 66, Kretsedemas was the first member of the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame in 1994.

The Falcon has been featured in numerous books and videos about Route 66. Estudillo said he had one traveler tell him that he saw the restaurant on a German television show.

Estudillo said he plans to continue serving up food and directions to everyone who stops in, though probably not for the next 50 years. Hopefully, when Estudillo is ready to retire, someone will swoop in and keep the Falcon flying.

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