Located at 5044 Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri, Joe Accurso first opened his restaurant in 1984, putting his name in neon over the top of the original Mainstreet Deli sign. Later, when Anthony Accurso purchased the restaurant; there was no need to change the neon. He continued to invest time and money into the business, turning it into a successful Italian restaurant.
New development in the 50th and Main Street corridor interrupted Accurso’s progress. Facing numerous obstacles over several years, Anthony ultimately negotiated with developers and sold the restaurant. The timing required notifying his staff just before the Christmas holidays, an experience Anthony describes as miserable. When asked if he would open another restaurant, he replied, “Absolutely not!”
Roger Hoyt eventually acquired the neon sign before donating it to LUMI.
