Peter and Josephine Ghidella, bought Pedeflous’ Restaurant and Hotel in 1933 from John Pedeflous. He was the son of Henry Pedeflous, who had owned it dating back to 1888. A photograph of the elder Ghidella couple and three other photos about Pedeflous’ Restaurant appear in the “Images of America: Watchung” book, published in 2001 by Arcadia Publishing of Charleston, S.C. Rino Ghidella was just 10-years-old when his family bought the building and the business. The restaurant remained in the Ghidella family as Pedeflous’ Restaurant until 1953, being owned and operated first by Mr. Ghidella’s parents until 1948, and then by his sister, Elda Vanola, and her husband, Peter, until 1953.

There were a number of owners and uses for the building between 1953 and 1971. The structure was thought to have dated back even before Henry Pedeflous owned it. It was thought to have been a popular stagecoach stop on the way from New York to Philadelphia, and points south and west. From 1933 to 1948, the Ghidellas lived on the second and third floors in space that had once been the hotel part of the operation.

From: New Jersey media: “Couple remembers when it was ‘Pedeflous’ Restaurant’“ Nov 14, 2006”

Pedeflous Restaurant 1950s View Postcard from ebay

Image 8 of 48 from NJ.com “Vinage Photos:Biking in N.J.” with caption
A large cycling club is seen stopping by the Pedeflous Hotel and Restaurant in Watchung in this 1910 photo. The hotel was a popular stop for celebrities including Laurel and Hardy, Mae West and Jack Dempsey. Courtesy of the Historical Committee of Watchung

Ad for Pedeflous Restaurant, Watchung.
Photo from 1950 from facebook March 16, 2019 The Paper Boy of Somerset County NJ