A Memory of Ponderosa in Midland, Michigan

Reading a post recently about the old Ponderosa restaurant brought back a memory that still makes me laugh to this day.

It was the late 60s or early 70s—hard to say exactly when—but the Ponderosa on Saginaw Road had already made a name for itself in Midland. The food was good, the prices were reasonable, and the place was always packed. My parents and I (I was probably around 10 or 11 at the time) made it a regular spot for dinner every week or so. The parking lot was always full, which told you everything you needed to know about how much folks loved it.

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Our neighbors back then, Hubert and Dora, were a sweet elderly couple in their mid-80s. Very kind, very religious, and very proper in every sense. They’d visit the Ponderosa about once a month, usually on a quiet evening.

One summer, the building right next door to Ponderosa became available for lease. For a while, it sat empty—just another quiet, vacant spot on the road. Then came the surprise: it was rented out to an Adult Book and Novelty store.

In a town like Midland, that kind of shop caused quite a stir. The local paper, The Midland Daily News, had a field day with it. There was no shortage of letters to the editor expressing shock and dismay. Most folks avoided the place, if not out of moral conviction, then at least to avoid being spotted near it and becoming the subject of small-town gossip.

Despite the new neighbor, most of us kept going to Ponderosa, including Hubert and Dora.

 

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One evening, as we pulled into the lot, we noticed Hubert and Dora’s car—parked smack in front of the adult store. My mom gasped a little, and my dad laughed out loud. I tried not to laugh, too—I wasn’t even supposed to know what that store was.

We parked in the usual Ponderosa spots, went inside, and found Hubert and Dora already seated. They waved us over and invited us to join them. As we got our food and sat down, my mom quietly warned my dad, “Don’t say anything.” But my dad, never one to let an opportunity pass, smiled and said, “Wow, it sure is crowded tonight—hardly found a place to park!”

Hubert, completely unaware, responded proudly, “Oh, we parked over there—plenty of space!”

My dad looked down at his plate, grinning, while my mom gave him a swift kick under the table.

After a moment, Dora looked up and said, “It looks like some kind of new business opened next door. Maybe I’ll stop in sometime and see what they sell.”

That was it. My dad couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.

Dora, confused, asked what was so funny. My mom leaned in and whispered something into her ear. Dora’s jaw dropped. She looked mortified as the realization sank in: they had parked right in front of an adult bookstore.

She immediately turned to her husband and said, “We have to leave. Right now.”

 

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Hubert, caught mid-bite, protested, “Can’t I finish my meal?” But Dora wasn’t having it—she grabbed him by the ear and led him out of the restaurant.

My dad and I laughed the whole way home.

They never went back to Ponderosa after that night—Dora was just too embarrassed. And as for that adult bookstore, it didn’t last long. Before we knew it, the building was vacant again, and Midland could breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Sorry for the long post, but I had to share. Anyone else remember that short-lived adult store next to Ponderosa? What a time that was.