‘You feel like family’: Mount Prospect’s Mrs. P & Me celebrates milestone

Mount Prospect officials paid tribute this week to Mrs. P & Me, the bar and restaurant that’s been a downtown mainstay for more than a century and this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary under its current owners.

If you grew up in the village, chances are you set foot at least once in Mrs. P & Me, 100 E. Prospect Ave. The establishment has weathered two pandemics and Prohibition.

Henry Behrens opened the bar and restaurant at the corner of Emerson Street and Prospect Avenue in 1902. With the arrival of Prohibition in 1920, the restaurant pivoted by focusing on candy, cigars and ice cream.

The Kruse family took over as Prohibition ended. Their Kruse’s Tavern was taken over in 1977 by Pittsburgh native Dennis Miller, who renamed it to reflect his hometown pride — the “P” stands for Pittsburgh.

Current co-owners Chris Bozonelos and Chris Figaro took over in 2004 and have remained faithful to the establishment’s traditions, maintaining the original bar and hanging vintage photographs on the walls.

Mount Prospect Mayor Paul Hoefert was among the guests at a ceremony Tuesday marking the owners’ 20th year.

“This building, this restaurant, this bar has been a mainstay of our downtown for 122 years,” Hoefert said. “And they’re so welcoming to everybody who comes through the door. Before you know it, you feel like family.”

Hoefert — who emphasized he doesn’t drink — recalled celebrating his son’s 21st birthday there, when the bar tab reached $700.

“We have celebrated so many family events here ourselves. Birthdays, anniversaries. We celebrated my election here,” he said.

Bozonelos and Figaro also own eateries at Mount Prospect Golf Club and Oak Brook Golf Club, but the Mount Prospect natives said Mrs. P & Me is special.

“We’ve got a loyal customer base,” Bozonelos said. “It’s the epitome of your local neighborhood tavern.”