K’s Hamburgers opened their doors on Sunday, January 17, for the second time in its 80-year history for a 50’s Revival and Sockhop. Although the restaurant does not usually serve on Sundays, a young adult group called Advance from First Grace church in Dayton requested K’s permission to host a 50’s themed event. The only other time the Hamburger restaurant has welcomed guests on a Sunday was during Mitt Romney’s visit in 2012.

Restaurant manager Michael Scheib saw the mission and theme of the event as one that aligned with that of K’s. “Not only was this great exposure for us with a young crowd who had never heard of us but the morals and values of the Advance group fits with the vision the Kleins had when they began K’s,” Scheib said.

Advance is a group of unmarried young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 who gather on Sunday nights to enjoy time with friends, fun activities, and teaching on Biblical values. Thirty of them converged on K’s for the event, where they enjoyed Scheib’s old record collection which played over loud speakers and free hamburgers and fries provided by K’s. Vintage-style clothing was worn by all and a best-dressed competition and games were played surrounding the theme of the evening. The restaurant was alive with sights and sounds reminiscent of a time warp, even as a couple of the young adults started to swing dance in the entryway to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon.”

Although much of the evening was centered on the style of an era, the 50’s Revival focused on the necessity to renew an understanding of the need for God in this generation. In a day when many young adults are stepping away from faith in God, Advance is resurrecting old-fashioned values. Looking back on revivals of the past, they reflected on how God used young adults to inspire positive change in America during critical times in our history as a nation. One of the leaders of Advance, Chris Placke, felt like this event put the group in a mindset to think selflessly about their role in society. “A lot of young adults are really focused on getting what they want, making money, and having a good time,” Placke said. “The thing that’s awesome about this group and what this group encourages is that they have fun while they’re living selflessly, serving Jesus Christ, one another, and their communities.”

At the end of their evening at K’s, the young adults prayed together for “revival to start with us.” They honored Michael Scheib for his commitment to maintaining the mission set forth by Mr. and Mrs. Klein and his mentor, Marcia Bodmer. Scheib talked about the history of K’s and the faith of its owners. “They would have loved this,” Scheib told the group.

Advance Young Adults is currently comprised of individuals from Troy, Dayton, Tipp City, Pleasant Hill, Huber Heights, Vandalia, Centerville, Kettering, etc. They often host events here and enjoy the atmosphere of downtown Troy. For more photos of the event, see facebook.com/FirstGrace. For more information on this group and upcoming events in the area, please contact Chris Placke at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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