Kirk's Restaurant
1950 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Waco sheet 8, showing Kirk's Cafe at 1114 South 1st Street and Kuykendall Secondhand Shop at 118 Bridge Ave.
1950 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Waco, sheet 75, showing Kirk's Cafe on Elm Ave.
Known Name(s)
Kirk's Restaurant
Address
1114 S. First St. Waco, TX
Establishment Type(s)
Café, Restaurant
Physical Status
Demolished
Description
1114 South First Street location: Two-story commercial block brick building that was reduced to one-story building by the 1953 tornado.
1000 Elm Ave location: One-story rectangular plan brick restaurant.
Detailed History
Ivory George Kuykendall was born in 1905 in McLennan County to Reverend Jacob C. and Sarah Kuykendall. The Kuykendall name was prominent in Waco as Ivory (also known as Ira) had 14 brothers and sisters with at least three brothers following in their father’s vocation in being reverends. The Kuykendalls moved from a farm in rural McLennan County to Waco, first led by Ivory’s brother, Henry, in 1919, and then followed by most of the family in 1921. In 1942, Ivory married Madell Mayes.
Initially known as Kirk’s Tea Room, Ivory and Madell opened a restaurant in 1946 near Baylor University at 1114 South 1st Street. They served soft drinks, barbecue, pies, steak and chicken dinners. However, this restaurant does not appear to have lasted long, as, by 1951, both Ivory and Madell worked as cooks at Baylor University. In 1958, Madell opened Kirk’s Snack Stand at 215 Hillsboro Drive in East Waco, while Ivory continued cooking at Baylor University. In 1962, they opened Kuykendall Second-Hand Store at 118a Bridge Avenue, and then in 1964 launched Kirk’s Cafe at 116 South Second Street, just around the corner from their used clothing store in the Black downtown area. In 1967, the restaurant relocated over to East Waco at 1000 Elm Avenue in the Grande Courts Tourist Camp, next door to Paul Quinn College. Ivory retired in 1968, but Madell continued running the restaurant until 1971, when the cafe changed its name to Glynn’s Cafe. For many years, Ivory and Maydell provided the Black community and travelers with a place to grab hot meals and cold drinks. Ivory passed away in 1997 at the age of 91.
City Directories: CD 1955 p2: 1st S 1114 Yellow Rose Cafe ©; CD 1946 p666: restaurants Kirk's Tea Room 1114 S 1st; CD 1946 p466: 1st S 1114 Kirk's Tea Room restr; CD 1946 p248: Kirk's Tea Room (I G Kuykendall) 1114 S 1st; CD 1948 p258: Kirk's x; CD 1948 p486: 1st S 1114 Joy Grill; CD 1951 p272: Kuykendall Ira G (Madell) cook h2001 S 9th; CD 1951 p2: 1st S 1114 White Rose Cafe; CD 1953 p2: 1st S 1114 White Rose Cafe; CD 1953 p308: Kuykendall Ira S (Maye) cook h2001 S 9th; CD 1954 p281: Kuykendall Ira S (Maye) cook h2001 S 9th; CD 1954 p2: 1st S 1114 White Rose Cafe, Hilliard Clnrs (br); CD 1955 p303: Kuykendall Ira G (Maye) cook h2001 S 9th; CD 1955 p2: 1st S 1114 Yellow Rose Café; CD 1956 p102: restaurants Kirk's Bar-B-Q 2023 Bellmead dr?; CD 1956 p2: 1st S 1114 Dessie's Place beer; CD 1958 p2: 1st S 1114 vacant; CD 1958 p95: restaurants Kirk's Snack Stand 215 Loop dr?; CD 1958 p332: Kirk's Snack Stand (Huykendall Kirks) 215 Hillsboro dr?; CD 1958 p339: Kuykendall I G x; CD 1959 p321: Kuykendall Ira G (Maydelle) cook Baylor's Univ h2001 S 9th; CD 1959 p2: 1st S 1114 White Rose The beer; CD 1960 p2: 1st S 1114 vacant; CD 1960 p318: Kuykendall Ira G (Maydelle) cook Baylor Univ h2001 S 9th; CD 1961 p326: Kuykendall Ira G (Maydelle) cook Baylor Univ h2001 S 9th; CD 1961 p2: 1st S 1114 vacant; CD 1962 p326: Kirk's Cafe (I G and Mrs Maydell Kuykendall) 109 S 1st?; CD 1962 p334: Kuykendall Ira G (Maydell) used clo 118a Bridge h2001 S 9th; Kuykendall Maydell Mrs (Kirk's Cafe) r2001 S 9th; CD 1962 p2: 1st S 1114 vacant; CD 1962 p93: Bridge 111 Kuykendall Second Hand Store clo; Bridge 118a Kuykendall Ira B used clo; CD 1962 p65: restaurants Kirk's Cafe 109 S 1st?; CD 1963 p97: restaurants Kirk's Cafe x; CD 1963 p2: 1st S 1114 vacant; CD 1963 p142: Bridge 111 Kuykendall Second Hand Store clo; 118a Kuykendall Ira G used clo; CD 1963 p334: Kirk's Cafe x; CD 1963 p342: Kuykendall Ira G (Maydelle) used clo 118a Bridge h2001 S 9th St; Kuykendall Maydelle x; CD 1964 p352: Kirk's Cafe (I G Kuykendall) 116 S 2d st; CD 1964 p361: Kuykendall Ira G (Maydelle) (Kirk's Cafe) h2001 S 9th st; CD 1964 p2: 1st St S 1114 x nothing b/w 1389 and 1600; CD 1964 p31: 9th St N 2001 Kuykendall Ira G (o) PL4-7464; CD 1964 p98: restaurants Kirk's Cafe 116 S 2d St; CD 1965 p382: Kirk's Cafe (I G Kuykendall) 116 S 2d St; CD 1965 p392: Kuykendall Ira G (Maydelle) (Kirk's Cafe) h2001 S 9th St (o) PL4-7464; CD 1965 p2: 1st S 1114 x nothing b/w 1026 and 1600; 2d St S 116 Kirk's Cafe; CD 1965 p28: 9th St S 2001 Kuykendall Ira G (o) PL4-7464; CD 1965 p93: restaurants Kirk's Cafe 116 S 2d St; CD 1966 p418: Kirk's Cafe (I G Kuykendall) 116 S 2d St; Kuykendall Ira G (Maydelle) (Kirk's Cafe) h2001 S 9th St (o) PL4-7464; CD 1966 p2: 2d St S 116 Kirk's Cafe; CD 1966 p28: 9th St S 2001 Kuykendall Ira G (o) PL4-7464; CD 1966 p88: restaurants Kirk's Cafe 116 S 2d St; CD 1967 p376: Kirk's Cafe (Mrs Mable Kuykendall) 1000 Elm St; CD 1967 p384: Kuykendall Ira G (Maybelle) retd h2001 S 9th St; Kuykendall Mable Mrs (Kirk's Cafe) r2001 S 9th; CD 1967 p2: 1st S 1114 x nothing b/w 1026 (Hebrew Rest Cemetery) and 1706 (cleared for IH-35?); CD 1967 p28: 9th St S 2001 Kuykendall Ira G (o) PL4-7464; CD 1967 p109: restaurants Kirk's Cafe 1000 Elm St; CD 1968 p411: Kirk's Cafe x; CD 1968 p420: Kuykendall Ira G (Maybelle) retd h2001 S 9th St; CD 1968 p2: 1st St S 1114 x nothing b/w 924 Hebrew Rest Cemetery and 1706; CD 1968 p28: 9th St S 2001 Kuykendall Ira G (o) 754-74564; CD 1968 p115: restaurants Kirk's Cafe 1000 Elm St; CD 1969 p367: Kirk's Cafe (Mrs Mable Kuykendall) 1000 Elm St; CD 1969 p376: Kuykendall Ira G (Mable) retd h2001 S 9th St; Kuykendall Mable Mrs (Kirk's Cafe) r2001 S 9th;
CD 1969 p2: 1st St S 1114 x nothing b/w 924 Herbrew Rest Cemetery and 1130 Cain Homes housing project; CD 1969 p26: 9th St S 2001 Kuykendall Ira G (o) 754-7464; CD 1969 p177: Elm St 1000 Grande Courts motel 753-9370, Kirk's Cafe; CD 1969 p121: restaurants Kirk's Cafe 1000 Elm St; CD 1971 p386: Kirk's Cafe x; CD 1971 p395: Kuykendall Ira G (Mable) retd h2001 S 9th St; CD 1971 p29: 9th St S 2001 Kuykendall Ira G (o) 754-7464; CD 1971 p197: Elm St 1000 Grande Courts motel 753-9370, Glynn's Cafe; CD 1971 p136: restaurants Kirk's Cafe x;
