Oliver's Supper Club

Giovanni (John) Raffaele Oliver (1903-1985) was born in Cordovada, Italy.  He immigrated from Italy in 1917 settling in Michigan. He and Genova (Jennie) Bellini (1910-1992) married in 1929 and had two children, John Ralph, Jr. and Nancy. They moved from Michigan to Gary, West Virginia, where he worked in the coal mines. In 1942 they moved from Gary to Princeton and opened Oliver’s Supper Club on the Bluefield-Princeton Road. He and his wife ran the supper club until 1973 when they sold the building to Dr. Jim Bailey, a local veterinarian.

Guys remember Oliver’s Supper Club in the early 1950s and 1960s as a good place to take a date. They could eat good food and dance. The jukebox was always playing. Restaurants weren’t serving alcohol back in those days but Oliver’s had a BYOB event to celebrate New Year’s Eve to ring in the New Year.

The restaurant was  a stone building with steps up to the front door and a canopy over the door. As customers came in there was a small room where they could pick up carry-out pizza or sit at the bar and have a beer, a slice of pizza or just enjoy good food. There was a large room to the right where most of the food was served. The jukebox was in this room. There were booths around the walls with an open dance floor in the middle.  It was a great place to meet friends for a night out. The atmosphere was warm, peaceful and relaxing. It was the kind of place to sit and enjoy a beer and a good meal without feeling rushed, it had a welcoming feeling of home.

A query on Facebook received several comments from people who remember Oliver’s Supper Club very well. Several people said they never went inside to eat, only picked up pizza to take home. Oliver's pizza was some of the best. Some claimed it rivaled Freeman Brock’s (Brock’s Restaurant) pizza and several thought it was even better. Although it’s been years since Oliver’s closed, people still rave about the pizza and wish for the sauce recipe.

Dr. Jim had the club demolished and built a veterinary clinic in the location. A Facebook responder said  his dad was hired to do the demolition and build the clinic. He said he was angry with both his Dad and Dr. Jim for taking away such a great pizza restaurant.