Chalet Suzanne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Chalet Suzanne
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Chalet Suzanne
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3800 Chalet Suzanne Drive Lake Wales, Florida |
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| NRHP reference No. | 90001085 |
| Added to NRHP | 24 July 1990 |
Chalet Suzanne is a very special and historic place located in Lake Wales, Florida. It's known for its unique history and charming buildings. On July 24, 1990, this interesting spot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the U.S., which means it's recognized as an important historical site.
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A Unique Florida Landmark
Chalet Suzanne started as a dream called the Carleton Club. It was first imagined as a fancy resort for people who loved golf and tennis. A cheese maker named James L. Kraft and a couple, Carl and Bertha Hinshaw, had this idea. Mr. Kraft later left the project.
From Home to Hotel
When Carl Hinshaw passed away in 1931, Bertha Hinshaw decided to open her home to travelers. She turned it into a restaurant and an inn. She served amazing recipes from around the world on beautiful dishes she had collected. Many famous people visited and helped make the restaurant well-known. These guests included Burt Reynolds, Dinah Shore, Robert Redford, Johnny Carson, Kevin Costner, and Don Johnson.
Rebuilt After a Fire
In 1943, a big fire badly damaged the Chalet. But Bertha Hinshaw didn't give up! She quickly rebuilt it using parts from other buildings on the property. She used pieces from the horse stables, a game room, servants' living areas, and even a chicken house. This creative way of rebuilding made the Chalet very unusual, with 14 different levels!
Soups That Went to the Moon!
In 1956, Bertha's son, Carl Hinshaw Jr., opened a factory on the property. Here, they canned the restaurant's famous soups, like their special romaine soup. These soups became super popular and were sold all over the world. Guess what? Chalet Suzanne soup was so special that it even went to the moon with astronauts during the Apollo 15 and 16 space missions!
Featured in Famous Magazines
The Chalet Suzanne has been written about in many well-known magazines. Some of these include The New Yorker, Vogue, Life, Better Homes and Gardens, Cosmopolitan, National Geographic, Forbes, and Time. Bertha Louise Hinshaw lived to be 90 years old and passed away in 1973. The Hinshaw family continued to own and manage the Chalet for many years after that.
The Chalet's Future
On July 10, 2014, it was announced that the Hinshaw family would retire. Because of this, Chalet Suzanne closed around August 4, 2014. The property and business were put up for sale. As of May 2016, the owners, Eric and Dee Hinshaw, had turned down offers from people who wanted to build houses there. They hoped someone with a "grand vision" would buy the property and continue its unique story.
