Marina Affo|Sheboygan Press
SHEBOYGAN - Harry Ljatifovski loves the 1950s. He loves the music, the movies, the clothes. He loves it all.
He loves the 1950s so much that almost 19 years ago, in February of 2000, he opened Harry's Diner in Sheboygan. Now with two locations, Harry's Diner specializes in breakfast and classic diner-style food, like burgers and fries. Both the food and '50s decor have resonated with Sheboygan residents.
The Calumet Drive locationis complete with an Elvis statue that greets you at the door, photos of '50s legends like James Dean and staff dressed in authentic, sock hop-readypoodle skirts.
Though Ljatifovski's passion for the decadeis on full display at Harry's Diner, he's not the most likely fan of the American '50s. Ljatifovski grew up informer Yugoslavia, in the area that's now Albania.
"I always had a passion for the American 1950s," he said. "In my childhood, when we watched movies, the movies were not 1970s movies, they were old."
Stepping inside the Calumet Drivelocation doesn't just transport you to the 50s via itsappearance.Ljatifovski and his wife and business partner, Christina Latifi — who took a shortened version of his name when they got married — strive to recreate the feeling of a simpler time. This philosophy seems to connect with customers.
"I own part of this restaurant because I come here so much," joked Arleiee Heiezmann, a regular. "They got good food, they got good portions and the prices are low."
Sheboygan helped make his restaurant dreams come true
Harry's Diner is not the first restaurant that Ljatifovski has owned and operated. Ljatifovski came to the United States in the 1980s, firstlivingin Chicago where he rana small family restaurant for five years.
Eventually, Ljatifovski grew tired of the big-city life. Luckily, his brother, Avni "Al" Latifi, had moved up to a city called Sheboygan fora job with Kohler Co. After hearing about the simplicity of thesmaller town, Ljatifovski made his move.
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He came here in 1999 and has been in Sheboyganever since.
Initially, Ljatifovski thought he would do something in computers.
"I have a degree in electronics, so building computers. I thought that's what I wanted to do," he said.
But, like any natural-born chef, the kitchen kept calling him back.
Three months before his first localrestaurant opened on Feb. 15, 2000, Ljatifovskiwas working at a hotel in downtown Sheboygan, known today as the Econo Lodge Hotel. While there, he would occasionally chat with its young manager.
They joked and flirted and soon, one of them made the first move — although whoexactlyis still up for debate almost 20 years later.
"She begged me to go out with her for two months," Ljatifovski said with a chuckle.
"I obviously did not," Latifi retorted. "He begged me and I said 'No' for two months."
When Harry's Diner opened, Latifi went to work at the restaurant part time. Pretty soon, however, she left the hotel to run the restaurant with her beau.
The budgetwas tight at the beginning.The pair said they went around to discount markets and found old black-and-white photos for cheap.
Sometimes, they used their own artifacts. On one wall, there'sa black-and-white photo of a couple in front of a posh hotelon their wedding day. It's a picture of Latifi's parents. On an opposite wall arephotos of old cars from the '50s and '60s. Oneis actually Ljatifovski's 1973 Dodge Charger.
'50s love to Sheboygan staple
When customers walk into Harry's Diner, they're often recognized by the staff. Regulars stroll through and banter with the waitresses, as usual orders are placed and the bottomless coffee keeps coming.
Sitting in bright colored booths with cushioned seats, they returnto a simpler time. On one wall hangs a large, autographed photo from Sheboygan's ownChordettes. Their music plays from time to time, conjuring upimages of evening dances with boys with slicked back hair.
Whenever she gets a new waitress, Latifihas a seamstress make her a custom skirt with a '50s-inspiredpattern of herchoosing, she said. It's her little way of keeping the place authentic and fun for boththe employees andcustomers.
Harry's Diner offers more than basic diner fare. Itsspecials include"Elvis French Toast" with peanut butter and captain crunch.
"We do try to be innovative. He's very clever," Latifi said of her husband. "A lot of the things on the menu you wouldn't even think would be there."
The restaurant is known for its breakfast staples, like itsegg sandwiches on big hamburger buns. Its juice is freshly squeezed every morning, and its homemade soups are made daily.
"Nothing is really frozen. We make everything," Latifi said. "We use good quality ingredients and we have from the beginning."
Ljatifovski can often be found in the kitchen, exploring his passion for food and creating new dishes. The restaurant's'50s theme is the cherry on the sundae.
When asked what it feels like to own a Sheboygan staple for all these years, the couple were just excited that people responded well to ayoung man's dream.
"We're certainly honored that people feel that way about our business and our food," Latifi said. "It’s an honor to be thought of that way in the community."
From one restaurant to two restaurants to three restaurants
The originalHarry's Diner was on Kohler Memorial Drive, in the opposite side of town from its current home. The restaurant stayed thereuntil 2003 when the couple found out the building would be torn down.
At that point, theydecided to start looking for a new place and settled on its current Calumet Drive location.
Things didn't go according to plan, however, and the original building was not demolished right away.
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Enter Ljatifovski's brother Al. He was itching for a new project as well, so he took over the Kohler Memorial Drive location as Ljatifovski and Latifi built up their new store.
Eventually, the Kohler Memorial drive location was torn down. But by then, Al had also gotten the restaurant bug. That's why he opened his own Harry's Diner at Interstate Plaza in Sheboygan.
Today, the brothers each have their own Harry's Diner.
But their story does not end there.
When Ljatifovskiinitially openedthe diner in 2000, it did much better than he anticipated. But it meant that he felt he needed to always up his game.
"The pressure is on to maintain the quality of the service, the food and be diverse in the menu as we have been doing," he said.
In 2013, Ljatifovski and his brother decided to branch out by openingProhibition Bistro, a Neapolitan pizzeria and wine bar on theSheboygan riverfront.
Restaurants just run in the family.
So Sheboygan is a series of featuresthat will highlightthe people, places and things that make Sheboygan unique.Do you know someone, someplace or somethingwe should feature? Let us know. Email reporter Marina Affoat maffo@sheboyganpress.com with your recommendations.
