Our Story
A distinctive, well-preserved and comfortable space, high-quality products, authentic cuisine, food and drinks are done flawlessly.
The Beginning
The structure was first built as a dance hall in 1929 by a rancher and dairyman, Edwin Nelson. There were just gravel roads in the area then. First he built a gas station and then the dance hall. Nelson City was put on the map at that time and still is on the Texas Highway map, although there is no post office now. Edwin’s son, Harold, said he was twelve years old at the time and his job was to cook hamburgers at 5¢ apiece. Soda pop was also 5c. Another interesting thing was that it was during prohibition so no alcoholic beverages were allowed inside the dance hall. That didn’t seem to be a problem however outside the building because bootleggers peddled moonshine for 25¢ a shot. You could buy larger sizes of moonshine up to $3.00 a gallon.
Dance Hall Days
This is also a story of the times of the Great Depression. At the Nelson Dance Hall they started out with a bang with a dance every two weeks. The orchestra, when there was one, played from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. and was paid $25.00. Sometimes there was just old-time music with a violin and guitar and the two were paid a total of $5.00 to play. Admission started out at 25¢ each but as the depression became worse, the price dropped to a dime and then finally just the passing of a hat. People didn’t have the money to buy gasoline to get there and the dance hall failed.
Just ask Alvin Sueltenfuss or Hilmar Bergmann about those days. They will tell you all about it because they were there at Po-Po.
Po-Po Cafe
Po-Po was sold in 1932 to Edwin “Ned” Houston, a very colorful rancher across the road, who is well known for his large export operation of cattle, mules and other animals to Latin America. His children, Rena and “Fritz,” have said that he sold to Pancho Villa in Mexico, Batista in Cuba, Trujillo in the Dominican Republic and Somoza in Nicaragua.
Ned Houston converted Nelson Dance Hall into a restaurant and named it Po-Po Cafe. The name is generally accepted as coming from Popocátepetl, the great Mexican volcano. This was well known to him in his Mexican ventures and it is said that he wanted a short, punchy name.
The Iconic Plate Collection
Houston sold Po-Po to Willie Reinhard in 1934. It changed hands several times and had some hard times until it was sold to Luther and Marie Burgon in 1950. This is the time that the great restaurant days of Po-Po began when it became a family restaurant.
They began operating Po-Po, developing the reputation of its being one of the finest restaurants in the area. It was the place to go for the well-known families in San Antonio and residents of the Hill Country alike.
Luther and Marie travelled one month a year and were not satisfied with photos as a reminder of their many travels. They then began collecting plates which now adorn the walls of the two large rooms of Po-Po. They now number about 2,100 on display, many of which were donated and each with a special story behind it for you to see and enjoy. The Burgons kept Po-Po as a family restaurant until 1981.
Expansions
In 1983 it was sold to Jerry and Jenny Tilley and son, David, and was opened as a fully operating family restaurant. With the addition of a sound stage, covered dance area, outdoor patio area and a complete kitchen, Po-Po is capable of serving up to 200 people outdoors for private parties.
June 2004, the restaurant was sold to Sam Bournias; with the hope and desire to continue this Texas Tradition for another 75 years.
The Locricchios
Impressed with its rich history, entrepreneur brothers Gennaro and Gerardo Locricchio of San Antonio, Texas purchased the restaurant in 2021.
VISIT OUR RESTAURANT
We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. Piazza della Signoria, 1050122 . Firenze . Italy
M: booking@patiotime.com
T: +39 055 1234567
What People Are Saying
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