COPLEY — Say goodbye to the giant hamburger-eating bunny.

The iconic bunny sign that has stood along Copley Road for decades is coming down as part of the township's plans to demolish the vacant Charlie's Ribs & Chicken and turn the blighted property into greenspace.

"It's all part of neighborhood beautification, cleaning up blight and trying to improve property values," said Matt Springer, township director of community and economic development.

The township is buying the land and buildings from Jeannie Kalos, whose late husband Charlie's family founded the restaurant in 1961 as the Bunny Drive-In. It later became Charlie's Ribs.

The restaurant closed shortly after Charlie Kalos died in February 2016 of complications from diabetes. The building has sat vacant ever since.

The township recently agreed to purchase the 1.5-acre property, which sits on the border of Akron at the intersection with Collier Road, for $65,000.

The big question for many Bunny and Charlie's fans is what will happen to the white bunny, which is holding a hamburger and has a napkin around its neck. The sign, estimated to be 8 feet tall thanks to the rabbit's large ears, has faded over time but still serves as a landmark.

People already are calling the township to ask about its future. There's no demolition date set.

Jeannie Kalos has one request.

"I don't want to see it in a scrap heap somewhere," she said.

Springer said the bunny won't face the wrecking ball and the goal is to preserve it. The township just isn't sure what it will do with an 8-foot-tall bunny sign.

History

The Bunny Drive-In, 1860 Copley Road, was named after Bob Kalos' wife Delores. Hamburgers sold for 15 cents, while a fish sandwich was 20 cents.

The Summer Bunny — which featured its own giant bunny sign and specialized in ice cream and floats — was added in 1963. Bob Kalos also opened a miniature golf course there in 1965.

The Bunny became Charlie's in 1988, with an addition and remodeling. By then, Bob Kalos had garnered a reputation for tasty barbecue, winning first place at a rib cook-off in Cleveland in 1986.

He decided to change the focus of the business to barbecue and named the new restaurant after his son. Bob Kalos died in January 2005 at the age of 71.

"My father-in-law was such a dynamic, fun, interesting person," Jeannie Kalos said. "I want people to remember Bob Kalos and remember my husband. Charlie was such a giving person."

So giving, in fact, that he and Jeannie closed the restaurant, packed a U-Haul with canned goods, diapers, bottled water and clothing, and drove to New Orleans in 2005 to deliver supplies to victims of Hurricane Katrina. He made it as far as Biloxi, Mississippi, where he handed off the donations to the Salvation Army and a Baptist church.

"I can't save the world, and I wouldn't try to, but if you can help a few people, that makes you feel good," he said at the time for a story that appeared in the Beacon Journal.

The Kalos family has a sentimental attachment to the property. Jeannie Kalos said she still remembers the first time that her husband brought her to the location on a date to show off the Charlie's sign.

Despite its reputation, Charlie's, in part because of its reasonable prices, struggled to compete with chain restaurants popping up in the Montrose shopping area. Jeannie Kalos said she kept the restaurant going for a little while after Charlie's death.

The property, which has been appraised for $209,860 by the Summit County Fiscal Office, had been for sale for several years and there was a possibility of it becoming a Dollar General. Jeannie Kalos said the restaurant has become an eyesore since sitting vacant for so long.

"I'm very pleased that Copley is making it parkland," she said.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.