It's Tuesday night. Mom had a bad day teaching school. She came home and went to bed. Dad's just walked in hungry and realizes that the kitchen is idle. What happens next?
We wake mom up, load everyone into the Plymouth, and head for the A&W drive-in!
In the mid 1960's it seemed that every town with at least 5000 residents had an A&W drive-in. The chain was an intriguing anomaly: the only thing they all had in common was the fact that they sold the most delicious root beer on the planet. Their food menus were strictly up to each franchise!
I guess that wasn't so strange. Franchise restaurants weren't the commonplace sight back then that they are now. The business was still busy reinventing itself.
It's hard to imagine, but McDonald's was a rare sight in small town America back then. So were all of the other chains we see in nearly every town today.
But you were always close to an A&W. And while the food might vary in quality, you knew you had something heavenly to wash it down with.
As A&W's ownership passed from one corporate giant to another, its identity changed. Many drive-ins either closed or dropped their affiliation during this metamorphosis. In 1978, a common menu was adopted for its franchisees. Also, A&W became officially known as a "restaurant," not a drive-in. Carhop service was quite rare by this time.
If you are fortunate enough to have a local A&W, you probably visit it regularly to savor the taste of that unique mead brewed with a secret recipe. But it's highly unlikely you get it carried to your car. However, if you remember JFK, I'll bet you have fond memories of a local A&W drive-in.
Comments (6)
Oh A&W! I may be a bit younger but my family ALWAYS stopped at A&W on I-94 on our way to and from Wisconsin (from home in Chicago).
My wife and I also stopped there on the way back from our honeymoon in Lake Geneva in '91!
Nothing like that root beer!
Posted by Scott Childers | January 6, 2007 12:04 AM
Posted on January 6, 2007 00:04
Unfortunately, I don't remember this franchise in our Maryland suburb? If we wanted carryout, we would go to the Hott Shoppes with the carhop service. You could get a Mighty Moe sandwich (precurser to the Big Mac). We did have McDonalds and Burger Chef, but no A & W? It has just been a few years ago that I started seeing A & Ws. I have yet been to one, but hope to some day! A & W has the best Root Beersb I understand the rootbeer floats are top rated!
Posted by Rivers End | May 27, 2009 4:25 PM
Posted on May 27, 2009 16:25
I remember th A&W drive in in my home town, Sioux Falls SD. There was the Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger & Baby Burger. They served up to drinks in a frosty glass mug - no paper cup. They had two sizes, baby mugs & regular sized mugs. I still have a baby mug from way back when. They began to get other drinks, grape & orange. These were in the paper cup.
As of this writing (June 9, 2009), there is an ad on the radio announcing the 90th anniversary of the A&W restaurant in Webster, SD. They do still exist!
Posted by Lynn | June 9, 2009 5:14 PM
Posted on June 9, 2009 17:14
I am now 49-yr.s old. My father was in the U.S. Army during the 1960's.
We lived in Ft. Leonard Wood,MO from 64'-67'. Then to Salina,KS from 67'-68' and then back to Ft. Wood,68'-69'.
We always went to A&W restaurants in both states.I remember the Root Beer very well! Something to always look forward to.
I had forgotten the names of their various burgers. "Thanks" to those of you who've mentioned the Burgers' names.
Us kids always enjoyed their food and root beer! I love nostalgia and always flashback to the 1960's.Remembering how things used to be all those years ago.
"Thanks for everything" and God Bless-Tim
Posted by Tim | June 28, 2009 11:54 PM
Posted on June 28, 2009 23:54
Tim:
Me too (50 y/o in 10/2010). I also lived in Salina KS from '66-'68, while dad taught at St Johns Military School.
Did you go to Schilling Elementary School? Remember any teachers? My favorite was Mrs. Peterson.
A&W Drive-In on Broadway is now a beer/liquor store, but not much is different besides. Really surprising...
Posted by Chuck Buttermore | October 1, 2010 8:00 PM
Posted on October 1, 2010 20:00
Chuck: I just checked back on this site last week.And it's been since the 28th of June,'09 that I last posted,talk about being behind...
Better late than never though.Yes I did attend Schilling Elementary in Salina,KS. I was there for the 2nd grade '67-'68. My teacher was Mrs. Lundean,i'm not sure if it's spelled correctly.I had forgotten the name of the school until I saw your post of it last week.I still have my report card from then,it's tucked away in an album.I'd looked at it some years back but I had forgotten the school's name until I read your post.
We lived very close to the school,we walked because there weren't any buses,I don't think there were anyway.The school had a lunch room,but it was only there for the people who'd brought their own,they didn't prepare food there.I always went home for lunch and then back to school afterwards.
There was a movie theatre close to our house,they had a fighter jet parked out beside the theatre.I think it was an F-100 Super Sabre,I can't remember really.You couldn't get in it of course.There was a staircase by it,you could walk up and look in the cockpit.
I can remember every movie I saw there during our stay.You know how it was then,some films were current and others were already old,but hey I was 7/8 yr.s old and did not mind at all.
I saw 'The Dirty Dozen','The Scalp Hunters'w/Burt Lancaster,'Planet Of The Apes','You Only Live Twice'(James Bond) and they were all new then,plus many other good movies.We went to The Fox Theatre in downtown Salina 2 or 3 times.I saw 'Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs','A Man Called Flinstone'(the only Flintstone's cartoon movie at the time,with Fred as a secret agent),plus a Cartoon Calvacade on another visit.
The Fox was really something,red crushed velvet carpet and on the walls as well.Plus the balcony and conductor's pits in front of the stages.It was built in the 1930's.I read on-line a few years back where they had restored the entire theatre.It was an awe-inspiring visit each time I went to The Fox Theatre!
Remember 'Wells' Dept. Store there in Salina? We used to ride our bikes to the local airport near our home.We would walk around the lobby and buy candy from the vending machines.Watch all of the different planes.My mom told me that it was the longest runway in the U.S. at the time.
Everyone in our neighborhood had a Mom or Dad in one branch of the Military. My dad was Army,another neighbor was Air Force,etc...
I was young and we were only there for one year, but I remember much.It was a lot of fun going to the 'Skate-A-Rink'.A bus would pick us up in the neighborhood,bring us there and back.And of course the local swimming pool near our house,we walked there or rode our bikes.
I am glad that I grew up in the 60's and 70's.It was a time I remember well.
Posted by tim franco | January 25, 2011 9:29 PM
Posted on January 25, 2011 21:29