Mark Laketa smiled when asked about the secret to the success of Tom’s Place in downtown Lemont.

After all, few companies survive 100 years, let alone remain in the same family for three generations.

“A lot of people ask me that,” Laketa said. “I would say the secret to success is simple. Treat people the way you want to be treated.”

“People come in, you greet them. Say ‘hello.’ People leave, you say ‘goodbye and thank you,'” said Laketa, 59, of Joliet.

His grandfather, Tom Laketa, founded the business on the east side of Stephen Street in 1924. Yes, the iconic Lemont Tavern opened at the height of Prohibition, when alcohol was illegal in the United States.

“There was non-alcoholic beer. Everything was hidden. ‘Blah, blah, blah. It’s a soda pop bar.’ My dad told me stories,” Laketa said.

“There was an old garage behind the building, but it wasn’t connected to my grandfather’s house, even though it was. There was a lot of stuff hidden in there. My dad said they got robbed one time. They found stuff in the garage and (Grandpa said), ‘That’s not my garage,'” Laketa said, laughing.

In 1930, Tom’s Place moved down the block toward the railroad tracks and remained there until it moved to the building at 110 Stephen Street in 1948.

Laketa’s father Milan and his uncle Tom Jr. joined the family business when they returned from the Korean War.

“As my dad told the story, (my grandfather) said, ‘Hey, can you help me out for a minute until I find help?’ Fifty years later…” Laketa said, laughing.

Milan died in 2020. Uncle Tom also passed away.

“The day I buried my dad (at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery) was the day we shut everything down because of COVID,” Laketa said. “The joke is, my dad said, ‘Well, to hell with it. If I can’t be there to drink with my customers, nobody can drink. Shut them down.’ That kind of got us through it.”

During a recent interview, Laketa sipped a cold can of Stag beer.

“It’s like Blatz. An old beer. But it’s not a bad beer,” he said.

Blatz is a classic at Tom’s. It used to be served on tap. Now it’s only available in cans. During a gala party for the 100th anniversary on August 10th, they consumed 45 cases of Blatz beer.

Like his father and uncle, Laketa eventually joined the family business. Laketa worked in the music industry for 10 years before deciding to work at the tavern in 1996.

“I was kind of burned out. And I didn’t want Mom and Dad to work until they died,” Laketa said.

His late mother, Elaine, told him that in the 1970s, “we didn’t know if we were going to make it. We had $5,000 in the bank.”

There were other challenges too.

“They survived a bike bar across the street,” Laketa said.

“It was the kind of bar where people were thrown out the window. There were motorcycles on both sides of the street. People were afraid to come down. First the state and the county chased them out of town. Then it got better,” he said.

The business experienced ups and downs.

“A lot of our generation grew up here. … I grew up here. It’s a local tavern. That’s the way it goes. Your father or grandfather brought you. When the old hands start dying, business goes down a little bit. Then you come back up,” he said.

Laketa appreciates the events the village sponsors, including the Wednesday night car shows downtown, because they attract potential customers. The large number of restaurants in downtown Lemont is also good for business.

“People come by before or after dinner,” Laketa said.

He said he tries to keep up with trends, but “you can’t do every trend.”

“There was a saying in the music business: ‘Equipment is equipment.’ Anyone can have a sound system or a lighting system. What matters is the service you get. That applies to any business. Everyone has Miller Lite or Bud Light. The service you get with it is what makes or breaks you,” he said.

Blatz was the top seller at Tom’s Place when Milan offered the same beer on three taps.

His reasoning?

“So when it runs out, I don’t have to go downstairs (to change kegs). I can go to the next tap,” Milan told his son.

Laketa finally convinced his father that it was okay to offer more than one beer on tap.

Tom’s Place now offers Pabst Blue Ribbon, Schlitz, Miller Lite, Blue Moon, Old Style and Hamm’s on tap.

“If Blatz were still made in barrels, Blue Moon would no longer exist,” he said.

The closure during the pandemic allowed for thorough cleaning as well as repairs and renovations, such as installing a second television and adding six handles to the bar.

Famous visitors include Dolly Parton, Steve McQueen, Sean Young, Tom Arnold and professional golfer John Daly.

While most customers live in Lemont, some flew in from Idaho and Washington for the 100-year party.

Everyone, Laketa said, “had a great time.”

Looking to the future, Laketa hopes Tom’s Place will remain in the family for many years to come.

“I’ll take care of it when the time comes,” he said. “Someone in the family might want to carry on the legacy.”