Lakewood Lore

"Sticky bun" originators enjoy their retirement time

"We've been catching up on our lives -- that's what we've been doing," said Doris Urbansky, who with husband Tom, operated Miller's Dining Room for nearly four decades before selling to new management a year ago.

"Through the years we worked from 15-18 hours a day, seven days a week, never even seeing our neighbors and knowing less about our home than the woman who cleaned for us. Now we're doing the things we never had time for before."

Miller's grew to become a widely known restaurant for family dining and a big plus for Lakewood after Doris talked her parents, John G. (Pop) and Ruby Miller, into the venture 40 years ago.

All three had food experience, but Doris, then 27, was the most gung-ho. Since childhood she had wanted to be a cook. She had graduated with a degree in home economics from Western Reserve University's Flora Stone Mather College. She was a dietician who had trained with Stouffer's and had been in charge of Marie Schrieber's airport catering.

And, in 1950, the time was ripe. The year before, the Millers lost their butter and egg stand when a fire destroyed Cleveland's old Central Market.

Also, the Lakewood spot, comprising a two-story building at 16707 Detroit Ave. with four upstairs apartments, was up for sale. At first, it had been Garling's, and after that, for 18 years, Kaase's Restaurant. But owner Marguerite (Maggie) Kaase said she was tired and wanted to take it easy.

In 1951, Doris's husband Tom became an integral part of Miller's staff. The couple were married that year and worked well together. Tom's father, a wholesale leather merchant, had instilled in his son the same work ethic that Doris embraced -- one that brought admiration but also oft-times gained for them the dubious compliment of being workaholics.

Others joining the founder during the year after acquisition were Doris's brother John W. Miller and his wife Eunice. The pair remained 12 years before buying Katie Kruezer's Restaurant on Detroit Road in Avon, which they operated on their own for many years as Miller's Country Place.

Doris and husband Tom became sole owners of Lakewood Miller's in 1968. Today they live in Fairview Park and have one child, daughter Carol, who worked with them for eight years. She is now married to Rick Gould of Rocky River.

Mother Ruby Miller died in 1970 of injuries from an auto accident, and Pop passed away in 1982.

Key to the Miller success was "quality, consistency and a reasonable price," according to Doris, who now is 67.

"Our parents set the tone -- honesty, reliability and fair dealing. Money hardly entered into it," said Tom, now 69.

Originally, no liquor was a feature. However, after a long dry spell, the restaurant went wet in 1976.

The Urbanskys always worked side by side with their 85-100 employees, including those involved in a substantial catering business.

There was always close cooperation and loyalty. Many on the staff today are long-time employees. For instance, Anna Halcik has been with Miller's and its precedessor 60 years; hostess Irene Kossman, 50 yeans; and cook Victoria Reaves, 40 years.

Many were young people with disabilities; who became productive wage earners for whom the restaurant was often a second home.

Miller's embellished their cooked-from-scratch American cuisine and fine service with notable extras. Among them were crisp, white-linen table cloths, finger bowls and everpresent waitresses circulating about with trays of various salads and assorted rolls.

Miller's carrot-raisin salad won national recognition for excellence in Ford Time magazine, which also singled out the restaurant itself for its superiority. Its "sticky buns" (freshly baked, swirling, caramelized, sweet rolls served almost too hot to touch), became a hallmark item and remain so to this day:

As a matter of fact, today the new operators -- Ronald E. Thomas, his sister Judy Hans, and his sons Ronald F. and Steve, who took over in July, 1989 -- are continuing in the identical Miller's tradition with the same food and same loyal core of employees.

This article appeared in the Lakewood Sun Post August 30, 1990. Reprinted with permission.

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