I do remember how fast our smiles went to frowns when the pharmacist made out chery cokes. I don't remember how long its been since I saw a drug store fountain. Yvonne we were in a major southern city, 'Atlanta' who had one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, so we got modern fairly soon. We also had one of the largest most popular restaurants, who several leaders visited the restaurant.
We had an independent soda fountain in our town, owned by neighbors. They were terrific to us kids. Opened up the back room, put in a juke box that didn't cost us to play. Also, some booths where we could chat or do homework and a center floor where some kids loved to dance. Small town folks who all knew each other, and we got along just fine. Most of our students went on to higher education after graduation from a great public school. I got a superb counselor who encouraged me to do lots of research and learn all I could on my own. Best advice ever.
Blue Island, IL had a drugstore /soda fountain and made Vanilla/Chocolates I drank a million of them. We had a White Castle and occasionally the local paper had coupons for five "sliders" for 25 cents. We had an A&W with great root beers in frosted mugs and great double cheeseburgers. There was a Dog & Suds. We had a food truck named Wee Willies Weenie Wagon that came in the summertime that made hotdogs Chicago style and to this day none have ever been better. We had The Campus Grille across the street from the junior/senior level high school much like the TV show Happy Days.
Wow, that is a LOT of places, @Steven Stanick ! I grew up in a small town, and we really did not have any kind of an actual soda fountain, but I remember the Greyhound Bus station had a little food bar where you could buy hamburgers and pop and milkshakes. It was basically for travelers, but a lot of the local people would go there for a quick and delicious burger when they were out shopping. Later, we had a drive-in theater (it was called the Motor Movie), and they had a hot dog stand inside, with popcorn and the usual movie treats. There was also an A&W drive in , and they had the very best root beer and delicious hamburgers. On weekends they stayed open late, so people who had been to the Motor Movie could stop for a burger and root beer afterwards.
Yep, root beer was the king in Indiana. We had the Dog n Suds, A&W for root beer and places like the Parkeat, The Pole, and other drive-in hangouts for everything else. A root beer and a tenderloin pork sandwich and you were in Hoosier Heaven.
We still have a drive in theatre although it is a couple hours away but we do drive slower than most. https://ocaladrivein.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cropped-DRIVE-IN-MAY-2022-1.jpg
One little town here has a soda fountain, but we haven't visited it. And the drive in seldom has movies we would want to watch. But it was fun just being there and watching the people and their kids walking down to the front screen playground while they watched the movie. We took the dogs with us too. it was a Mark Warburg movie about adopting 3 kids. It was a good movie. Most are cartoons or violent or R rated.
Yes we had those. Juke box blaring, burgers and fries - cherry cokes or root beer floats. My first job was with my mother at a place called the Mini Bowl and we had a juke box, soda fountain, tables, and the miniature bowling games. It was a new concept back then went over really well. Yo small bowl lanes with balls a bit bigger than a base ball, and not real heavy. Cost 25 cents a game. Awe those were the days
The drive in now ask to buy from concession stand .He told us that that is where the bulk of the income is, so they ask everyone to buy at drive up entrance. We take certain foods but always spend money there to help keep doors open. Which reminds me its past time to donate to Ken to keep web going we spend so much time one.
Soon as they allow a fairly good movie, we will visit the drive in again. Shame is that most entertain themselves at home now, so its hard to stay in business for this type of entertainment. This drive in ask to buy ticket that includes snack bar items.
Marinette, Wisconsin, had an A&W. It was near the city's southern border, so there wasn't much walk-up traffic, given that it was at the edge of town. I think they had a couple of tables inside, but people placed their orders with the carhops (on rollerskates) and ate in their cars. I don't know that I ever ordered food at A&W. It was usually ice cream or rootbeer floats. It was still open 10-12 years ago when I was home, but no rollerskates. I didn't check the last time I was there, and the A&W website doesn't list a Marinette drive-in anymore. Oconto, Wisconsin, and Iron Mountain, Michigan, are the nearest ones.
We had a Dog'n'Suds or maybe several. We never went there though, too many kids and too little money. There was a cheaper drive-in hot dog joint though. No idea what the name was now, but it was really cheap. There was a Wimpy's with a drive-in back lot, colored lights ringing it all year round. When I was very little with just the one sister we went there a few times. Opened in 1937. There was also a chicken place called "Chicky's" - we did the drive-through a few times. It had a big chicken statue out front. There was also a diner called "Red Lion" or something. And of course downtown there was a block of Woolworth's, Kresge, Jupiter "dime stores" but by High School only the Woolworth Lunch Counter was still open. We had a few small grocery stores where the meat counter also had a "deli" operation. I remember being sent there to buy fried shrimp and bring them home. I couldn't have been more than 8 years old. Kids just weren't babies up to 30 years old back then.