Editing H&O Restaurant

{{Infobox Restaurant
|name=H&O Restaurant
|image=
|caption=
|cuisine=soul food
|location=301 East [[Gonzalez Street]]
|opened=1942
|owner=[[Dorothy Grier]]
|chef=
|cheftitle=
|slogan=
|mapcode=<googlemap lat="30.424817" lon="-87.213689" zoom="16" type="map" width="288" height="200">
30.424771, -87.213684, H&O Café
</googlemap>
}}
The '''H&O Restaurant''' (also known as the '''H&O Cafe''') is a historic restaurant in the [[Eastside]] neighborhood, located at 301 East [[Gonzalez Street]], at the corner of [[Hayne Street]]. One of the first black-owned restaurants in the Pensacola area,<ref>*[http://www.ci.pensacola.fl.us/upload/PDFs/CommunityDevelopment/Eastside%20Action%20Plan%20-%20draft%203.pdf Eastside Neighborhood Plan]</ref> the H&O serves Southern-style [[Wikipedia:soul food|soul food]].

Its origins go back to the 1920s, when [[Hamp Lee]] and his brother opened a grocery and pool hall in a building on [[Gonzalez Street]]. They named the businesses H&O by combining the first names of their wives, Hattie and Ola. The location was popular among the [[Segregation|pre-integration]] black community. In [[1942]], [[Givens Grier]] purchased the building and opened the restaurant. Grier's brother, [[Raymond Grier Sr.]], bought the café in [[1957]]. When he passed away in [[2001]], his wife [[Dorothy Grier|Dorothy]] took over operations.<ref name="pnjprofile">"H&O Café." ''Pensacola News Journal'', April 29, 2007</ref>

Over the years the restaurant has served a number of celebrity patrons, including civil rights activist [[Wikipedia:Rosa Parks|Rosa Parks]], Senator [[Wikipedia:Bob Graham|Bob Graham]], Orlando Mayor [[Wikipedia:Buddy Dyer|Buddy Dyer]], boxing promoter [[Wikipedia:Don King|Don King]] and local champion boxer [[Roy Jones, Jr.]]

The H&O is currently managed by [[Michael Grier]] (owner Dorothy Grier's son) and [[Christa Grier Holmes]].

On [[July 18]], [[2007]], the building was temporarily closed by a fire that started around 9:45 a.m. when a pot of lima beans boiled over and ignited cooking grease. (A similar fire had damaged the building in [[1972]].) The cost of damages was initially estimated at $30,000.<ref>"Fire closes H&O Restaurant." ''Pensacola News Journal'', July 19, 2007.</ref> Grier had previously announced a 65th anniversary celebration for September 2007, during which they would roll back menu items to their original prices, but the restaurant remained closed.<ref name="pnjprofile"/>

After renovations were made, the restaurant reopened on [[January 11]], [[2008]].

==Hours of Operation==
Prior to the late 1990s, H&O operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The restaurant remained open 24-hours on weekends until [[Hurricane Ivan]] struck in [[2004]]. Before the 2007 fire it was open 8 a.m. to 5 or 5:30 p.m. seven days a week. Its new hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.<ref>"H&O Restaurant plans December reopening." ''Pensacola News Journal'', November 29, 2007.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Eastside]]
[[Category:Diners]]