The strange tale of how a Star Wars X-wing Fighter landed outside a Kent restaurant

There was never supposed to be an X-wing Fighter from Star Wars parked out front.

Nor was there ever supposed to be a castle complete with a catapult protruding from the roof.

And a bus was supposed to be parked in parking lot − not smack dab in the middle of the restaurant.

But Mike Kostensky's dream of owning his own restaurant where food is made from scratch and served hot and fresh has taken a lot of twists and turns over the years.

Back in 1987 he thought he found the perfect spot for his Mike's Place restaurant.

The old Dutch Pantry restaurant sat empty at the busy intersection of state routes 43 and 261.

He figured it would be a sure win.

Why is there an X-wing Fighter in Kent, Ohio?

Kostensky said from the start, the restaurant just didn't stand out.

"It seemed like people would just drive by," he said. "I wanted something for people to see and hopefully stop."

May the Fourth Be With You, but it wasn't with Kostensky when he first started dreaming up ways to make his restaurant stand out.

Initially, he wanted to build a replica of a giant B-17 bomber crashing out of the side of the place.

Aside from it looking "really, really cool," it would also be a nod to his grandfather, who worked in a factory that helped build the warplanes.

But those grandiose plans were grounded when zoning officials squawked at the idea.

Since the plane would have technically been a part of the restaurant, it was subject to a myriad of rules and regulations and proved to be too costly.

So he decided to pivot and build something equally cool that wasn't attached to the restaurant.

Kostensky said it was back to the drawing board and, in this case, the chicken coop/workshop at his Brimfield Township farm where the X-wing Fighter was built.

Since there aren't exactly blueprints for a fictional aircraft, he and his helpers had to use their imaginations.

"We used everything we could get our hands on that was cheap," he said.

This explains the beer kegs that are the aircraft's thrusters, the PVC pipes and the old water cooler door as the ship's hatch.

Where did all the stuff inside Mike's Place come from?

Mike's Place is about as well known for the stuff that covers just about every surface inside as it is for its eclectic menu that ranges from pancakes to burgers to liver and onions.

Kostensky will readily admit he's a collector and some of his own treasures are on display.

But many of the items, in his words, simply found him.

It all started with a plate.

One day, someone gave him an Elvis Presley plate to put up on display.

To one up that donation, he said, someone else dropped off a box full of Ohio scenic plates.

"The stuff just started coming," he said.

An example is the large old, wooden boat docked inside of the restaurant.

Kostensky said it showed up in the restaurant's parking lot one day.

He figured a customer had trouble with the trailer and left it behind and would later return to retrieve it.

But there it sat.

Eventually, Kostensky said, he moved it inside and made it part of the restaurant's décor.

Not long after that, a regular chuckled and told him he was glad he was finally doing something with the boat he had left behind.

"The stuff seems to find me," he said.

Over the years, the collection continued to grow, including the recent acquisition of signs from the old Geauga Lake amusement park.

"We have a lot of junk," he said. "But I love everything."

What's the future of Mike's Place?

Kostensky said he is beginning to step back from the business and letting others run it day to day.

He's also wrapping up his term as a Brimfield Township trustee.

Although he's not there every day, he still comes in a couple days a week and can be seen making the rounds, greeting longtime customers or making cabbage rolls in the kitchen.

Kostensky said they have been quietly making improvements inside and outside of the restaurant to make it easier to operate and maintain and this effort includes a new entrance.

And this love will include the X-wing Fighter out front.

The airship is now 25 years old, Kostensky said, and is in need of some TLC.

"It's all fun."

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: How Star Wars X-wing Fighter landed outside Mike's Place in Kent