 | The property was purchased in 1933 by Joseph J. "Chubby" Stafford, a local prominently-known amateur boxer. As a boxer Stafford was undefeated and was a one point the National AAU Bantam Weight and SJ Champion Title Holder. In the 1930s, after the end of prohibition, Stafford used the Haddon Township location, a "wet" town amidst many dry ones to set up Chubby's Cafe, also known as Chubby's Cocktail Bar and Tropical Room. The establishment was in a prime location at the crossroads of a major throuoghfare in West Collingswood region of Haddon Township, where the laws also allowed for seven days of operation. Philadelphia had restrictive laws regarding Sunday performances; so many big names went to Camden and nearby Chubby's to do Sunday performances. This allowed for many famous entertainers to be featured there over the next several decades. Among those that performed at Chubby's include: Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Patti Page and Nat "King" Cole, among dozens of others. As Chubby's evolved it also developed a reputation for its food and in later years was styled Chubby's 1 1/2 Hearth with charcoal-grilled steaks and shrimp, larger (1-1/2 shots) drinks, and a reputation for service that kept Chubby's a popular destination for 62 years. In 1995, the property was finally sold and a CVS was built at the location. The local needs and the most profitable use of the land had changed. Camden, its neighbor had changed and the live entertainment circuit had long since changed as did the restaurant business with the spread of retaurant chains aimed at adults which carried liquor licenses. Chubby's liquor license was sold and transferred to an upscale restaurant on Haddon Avenue in Westmont. Joseph J. "Chubby" Stafford died on February 18, 2006, age 97.
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