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Drive-Ins: America Embraces the Drive-In
Appears in
Published 2004
As the carhop replaced the soda jerk as the new hero of recreational dining, the reputation of the Pig Stands spread. As the stands were propelled beyond the borders of Texas by one of the first franchise arrangements in the industry, the number of locations quickly multiplied. Between 1921 and 1934 more than one hundred Pig Stand drive-in restaurants were constructed in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Innovation followed growth. In 1931 California Pig Stand Number 21 achieved a milestone when it pioneered the concept of “drive-through” car service with the first drive-up window. The customers eased their cars up to the window, issued their food orders, grabbed their lunches from the cook, and returned to the roadway. With its year-round sunny climate and car-filled boulevards, California proved to be particularly well suited for dining with one’s motor running. During the 1930s surface streets like Sepulveda Boulevard, Cahuenga, and Sunset Strip emerged as a haven for restaurants that catered to the car crowd. By the time Pig Stand Number 27 opened in Los Angeles, savvy restaurateurs saw the opportunity to make big money with a proven format. Featuring multilayer ziggurats, rooftop pylons, and miles of neon, new drive-ins like Bob’s Big Boy, Carpenter’s, Dolores, Herbert’s, Simon’s, Stan’s, McDonnell’s, Mel’s, Roberts Brothers, and Van de Kamp’s trumped the Pig Stands with the architectural styling of art deco and streamlined modern.