Legends of 661 State Street

Before there was a Starbucks, there was a Wendy’s, and before Wendy’s, Troia’s Steak House was a fixture in the 600 block of State Street. Wisconsin Historical Society

Madison’s State Street is an ocean of change, dotted with islands of stability. Even in the brief span that an undergrad might stay in Madison, many State Street storefronts go through two, three, or even four identities.

One of the steady islands — or steady-ish — is 661 State Street, a location that has been home to not just one but several long-lasting businesses. For the last quarter of a century, Starbucks has stood at 661 State — enough time for most students to believe that the coffee shop was there since dinosaurs roamed the land and will be there long after the human race is forgotten.

But Starbucks arrived in the late 1990s. Before that, 661 State was home to Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers for a couple of decades, dating back to the late 1970s. (Wendy’s made an attempt to return to State Street — in the 500 block — in the 2010s, but it only lasted three years.)

Before that, 661 had a couple of men’s clothing shops, but from 1955 to 1967, it was one of State’s swankier establishments: Troia’s Steak House.

Troia’s — opened by Joe Troia, nephew of Mateo Lombardino of Lombardino’s Restaurant — advertised steaks and martinis and live music. It had a Friday night fish fry (irrespective of the ethnicity of the restaurant, this is Wisconsin) and something foreign in modern Madison: plenty of municipal parking.

Troia also ran the adjacent Italian Village restaurant, and he attracted celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Vic Damone, and Liza Minnelli.

Troia’s and Wendy’s each must have seemed like permanent residents to the UW students of their day, just as Starbucks does to 21st-century Badgers.

Published in the Summer 2023 issue