By Michael Perna
Contributing Writer
WORCESTER – In 1943, Paul Aboody, who was the son of Lebanese immigrants, purchased a small barbershop in a three-decker house at 73 Wall Street on what is now called Grafton Hill in Worcester.
Restaurant origins
Aboody, who had unsuccessfully tried running a number of small coffee shops around the city while working full-time at the Wyman-Gordon Company, used the former barber shop location to house a small restaurant on the first floor, which he named the El Morocco. His wife, Helen, made delicious pastries which quickly became popular with local residents. This was followed by a selection of various Lebanese dishes, with the “El,” as it became known, being the first restaurant in the area to offer this type of food.
Despite its tiny size and the fact that patrons had to bring their own alcoholic drinks, the “El” became a well-known spot. Helen continued to play an instrumental role in the business, while still raising the nine children the couple eventually had.
Jazz haven and star magnet
Within a short time, the “El” began to feature jazz musicians, which only added to its popularity. It became a hot spot for local nightlife, with patrons routinely staying until five a.m. In 1945, the cellar of the building was dug out, which allowed eighty-five more patrons to visit. Soon entertainers from all over, who had performed in the city, would stop by after their shows. Looking towards the future, Aboody purchased a parcel of land across from the business in 1948.
Over the years, famous patrons included Dolly Parton, Wayne Newton, Al Pacino, the Beach Boys, Harry Belafonte, Nat King Cole, Dizzy Gillespie, Neil Sedaka, and Bette Midler, in addition to Worcester’s own Abbie Hoffman. Many of these celebrities joined the local jazz groups for impromptu late-night performances, to the delight of the local patrons.
In 1972, Al Pacino, then a little-known actor, was in Worcester to attend a screening of his new movie and help promote it. The film was “The Godfather,” which became one of the most acclaimed movies of all time, and catapulted Pacino to stardom. The theater manager, Johnny Dee, took Pacino to the El Morocco after the screening for a party in his honor. Joe Aboody even baked a special cake for the occasion.
Photo/Courtesy of the Aboody family
Second location
By 1976, business had grown tremendously, and a liquor license was finally secured. By the next year, construction began on a brand-new restaurant that was built across from the old “El.” The new restaurant opened in December 1977, with a crowd estimated to be 5,000 people waiting for the doors to open.
The new restaurant, although still popular, was never quite the same hot spot as the little place across the street. Late night parties and appearances by celebrities dropped off over time. When Paul Aboody passed away in 1983, operation of the “El” was turned over to his eight surviving children (one had passed away years earlier).
Decline and legacy
As sometime happens in such cases, financial troubles began, despite business still being good—revenue in 1992 reportedly was more than $1 million. By 1994, the building was sold, due in large part to the continuing problems between family members.
New owners made an attempt to open a restaurant/night club, named Il Palazzo, in January 2000, however by May of that year, an attempted robbery resulting in the murder of the manager effectively marked the end of operations. The building was foreclosed upon in 2001.
The building housing the original El Morocco was torn down in 2003. A proposed development of the “new” El Morocco building property into housing was initially opposed by people in the local area, although by 2016 the building was torn down and the housing complex built.
The El Morocco, which had been such a popular late-night destination for thousands of local patrons and nationwide celebrities, is now just a fading memory.
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