Decades
ago Cape Cod and America as a whole was far different than it is
today. It seemed like a simpler time. Today’s senior citizens
wistfully look back on them as the ‘good old days.’ America
seemed smaller yet more wide open. Though
still a summer destination the Cape in the 1920’s was quieter with
far more wide open space. Even the busy Route 28 was more akin to a
country road with pockets of empty grassland.
In
West Yarmouth in an area just east of Mill Hill one such open area
became home to a soda shop. Soda
shops were a staple of the first half of the 20th
century. They were seen as a hangout for the younger generation and
an alcohol-free alternative during Prohibition times. Brad’s Soda
Shoppe would end up becoming much more as the property it stood on
began as a simple business in a simple time and over the decades
became an
example of the progress and evolution of Cape Cod into what it is in
the 21st
century.
Provincetown
native Carl Bradshaw saw the land abutting Mill Creek as a perfect
location for his new business. Though it would be originally
operated as an open-air restaurant the new venture was named Brad’s
Soda Shoppe. It opened in 1930 for the summer and saw some success
despite being in such close vicinity to another popular restaurant
Old Mill Tavern, located where the iconic Mill Hill Club would reside
for decades later on.
Bradshaw
enticed passersby during the summer with ice cream, sodas, and lite
fare featuring a daily noon special. The open-air layout did force
the business to close during the winter. After the 1932 summer
season the building was enclosed with heat installed to allow Brad’s
to remain open year-round. By this time Brad’s as well as Old Mill
Tavern had more potential customers to attract with the opening of
the popular Rainbow Ballroom in between the two establishments.
In
September 1934 Brad’s further attempted to compete with the Old
Mill Tavern by adding a steam table and electric stove to allow them
to serve dinners as well. The bright exterior lights complimented
the late hours and the cheery white enamel interior with green trim
made this far more than a soda shop despite the name.
 |
| Brad's Soda Shoppe (Historical Society of Old Yarmouth) |
The
Mill Hill area became a highly congested area on Cape Cod in the late
1930’s. Thanks to Brad’s, Rainbow Ballroom, and Old Mill Tavern
there was a necessity at the time for several police officers to be
stationed in the surrounding area to direct traffic. This increased
popularity of the area and Brad’s in general gave Carl Bradshaw the
incentive to enlarge the restaurant in 1940. The nearby Castle Dawn
motel was enlarged at the same time along with new gas stations.
Though
the Old Mill Tavern was sold and became the Old Windmill House it
appeared as though the 1940’s were to be quite prosperous. However
world events would shake that trajectory.
 |
The interior of Brad's Soda Shoppe (Historical Society of Old Yarmouth)
|
America
was dragged into World War II in December 1941. Bradshaw’s
enlargements of his restaurant were costly yet he had faith that the
increasing popularity of the Mill Hill area would make the costs
worthwhile. However with the outbreak of the war in America there
was tire rationing. The rubber was used for battlefield tank treads
instead. The lack of new tires severely cut into the amount of
people traveling during the summer.
Business
suffered for Brad’s Soda Shoppe throughout the 1942 season. Carl
Bradshaw had also partially counted on increased business from the
influx of soldiers at Falmouth’s Camp Edwards. This business
increase did not happen and unfortunately the double shot of
disappointment proved to be the tipping point for Brad’s. He sold
the restaurant early in 1943 to
Carl Maloney owner of the Maloney Drug Store in Dennis Port.
In
an especially sad piece of cruel irony the 1943 tourist season on
Cape Cod saw a comeback and the new owners of the business, now known
as Carl’s Sandwich
Shop,
reaped the rewards. Carl Bradshaw died on December 20, 1947 at the
age of 69 at the home of his son Ireton in Cummaquid.
Carl’s
was run as a typical casual American-fare business. It offered
dinner, take-out, seafood, steaks and chops. As
the years went on it was managed by Jim Desmond in the late 1940’s
and Bob Gardner in the early 1950’s. The food and service helped
Carl’s garner a reputation as one of the finest eateries in the
Mid-Cape area. It
was helped by the fact that the Old Mill Tavern/Old Windmill House
had been turned into a nightclub known as the Mill Hill Club in the
late 1940’s thus eliminating some former restaurant competition.
By
the time the four Tsapatsaris
brothers
purchased Carl’s in May
1957 it
had undergone extensive renovations. They
would call the business Carl’s Restaurant and attempt on more than
one occasion to secure a coveted liquor license to no avail. It took
until 1965 for the Town of Yarmouth to extend a seasonal license to
Carl’s. The Tsapatsaris family ran the seasonal restaurant for
nearly twenty years before closing after the 1975 season. This
brought to an end the more than four decades of the soda shop turned
sandwich shop turned restaurant. However it was far from the end of
the story.
 |
| The Cove at Yarmouth in 2020 |
The
property at 183 Rt. 28 in West Yarmouth only sat quiet for a few
years. In 1979 the former Brad’s Soda Shoppe building was torn
down. In its place would come the wave of Cape Cod’s future and
present. After a few years of back and forth with the town a new
resort hotel called The Cove at Yarmouth was constructed by Malcolm
MacPhail. It still stands to this day and even has a popular
restaurant The Loft on its premises keeping a little bit of what
initially drew crowds to the property nearly a century ago.
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My first eBook in 10 years, In Their Footsteps, featuring the interesting stories of Cape Cod's history, is on sale at Amazon.com.
