Another North County landmark is about to be taped into our memory's scrapbook.

Chuck-a-Burger, 9025 St. Charles Rock Road, famous for its carhops and more recently a destination for showing off a cool set of wheels, will be closing it doors at year's end. For owner Ron Stille, the price of leasing the site in St. John has become too high.

"I didn't want this to happen," Stille said at the Chuck-A-Burger diner he opened recently in St. Charles, "but I had no choice."

The closing strikes a sad chord for St. John resident Rick Hussey, who is not only as a longtime customer but also an acquaintance of Stille. v "I've known Ron for I don't know how many years," Hussey said.

One of his more vivid memories of the diner's earlier days is when Stille's father, Ralph, was running the place.

"He didn't like people putting their feet on the (booths') benches," Hussey said. "He'd come by and say, 'Get your feet off the bench.' After he took over, Ron wasn't too worried about that."

Ralph Stille, who died in 1999, bought the Rock Road Chuck-A-Burger - there were several in North County in the 1960s - in the late 1970s after being the diner's first manager. Ron purchased it from his father in 1995.

But the Stilles never were able to purchase the land, Stille said, although several offers were made.

It's not clear what will become of the Chuck-A-Burger site. It is a good location for development, said St. John City Administrator Terry Milam.

"I don't think it will stay vacant for long," he said.

Originally published online here: http://overland-stannjournal.stltoday.com/news/sj2tn20070608-0608ovl_chuck.ii1.txt