Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, there were quite a few Drive-in restaurants featuring car hop / curb service in the Greater Boston area, but these were short lived due to the short season of warm weather. One of the most famous was Adventure Car Hop on U.S. Route 1 in Saugus, Mass. It became famous due to the fact that they advertised on one of the most popular AM radio shows in the Boston market. The show was hosted by legendary DJ Arnie “Woo Woo” Ginsburg on WMEX, 1510 on the AM dial. These ad spots were immortalized on one of a series of oldies record albums that were put out in the 1970’s. The audio clips from Woo Woo’s shows with the Adventure Car Hop commercial was included on the Cruisin 1961 album.
I have more recently found out that there was more than one Adventure Car Hop and I am not sure if it was a chain or franchise concept. Another opened in Natick, Mass. on State Route 9 near the old Sherwood Plaza Shopping Center. This one operated for a few years before being renamed Galaxy Car Hop. Here is a newspaper ad anouncing the opening of this location (from natickmass.info)
Here is a so-so image from natick.wordpress.com showing it as the Galaxy Car Hop a few years later
I also found a reference to one on U.S. Route 22 in Union, NJ (from cranford58.com)
This image may have ultimately come from a source that had something to do with the design firm that designed these Car Hops because there was another one in Everett, Mass. called the Lasso Car Hop, and as you can see, this image is similar to the above one
I wish I knew more about these places and their connection to each other, but they are long gone except for the memories people have of them.
As the 1960’s progressed, fast food places that started to usurp the clientele that these Car Hops depended on such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Burger Chef and Carrol’s Hamburgers came more into vogue. Here is a photo from 1967 showing the Stoneham, Mass. location of Carrol’s Hamburgers.
The Carrol’s chain was started by Leo Moranz of Tastee-Freez out of the mid-west (his daughter’s name was Carrol) but really took off under the stewardship of Herb Slotnick from upstate New York who’s family had a chain of movie theaters. Slotnick became the largest francise owner of Carrol’s encompassing New York state and New England. He eventually bought out the chain from Tastee-Freez and was doing a decent job competing with McDonald’s and Burger King for a small chain. In the mid-70’s the Carrol’s Corp. made a major decision, basically they decided that they had brought the concept as far as it would go and instead swithed teams to became the largest Burger King franchiser in the country. They converted some of the Carrol’s locations to Burger King and phased out the other locations.
Other drive-ins I remember were the chain of Richard’s Drive-Ins. This was the first foray into food service by General Cinema Corporation. The company famous for their Drive-In theaters as well as “hardtop” theaters eventually ran a chain of 10-pin Bowling alleys called Holiday Lanes which also featured Amy Joy Pancake Houses (as the food concession). Here is a color photo from my collection of the Wellington Circle location (Medford, Mass.) of Richard’s, shot circa 1964 by the late Medford photographer, Charlie Phillips.
and another shot b&w (annonymous) from my collection of the same place
Here are some bonus images, cleaned up versions of both (inside and outside views) of an Adventure Car Hop menu as well as a Richard’s Drive-In menu…
Hi Larry
I just learned something tonight from your blog on Carrol’s Hamburgers Drive in. I had been told that there was a carrol’s hamburger drive in in south attleboro, ma. but never knew that it was a chain. Great article. Keep up the good work Larry.
Take care….Arthur
Arthur, I have seen a reference to a Carrol’s in South Attleboro as well. Other towns in Massachusetts that had them were Bedford, Billerica, New Bedford, Weymouth, Andover, Fitchburg, Leominster and Williamstown. There may have been more.
Susan Wells owned Cruisin’ 1960 and 1961 on vinyl, and we bought the CD re-issues which unfortunately did not have all the original tracks (”Beep Beep” did not make the cut- GRRR!!!) But we were very aware of that Adventure Car Hop commercial. In fact, we were driving I-95 and saw a sign for “Saugus” and Susan thought of it!
Your 1967 Carrol’s photo is from after the price of a hamburger went above 15 cents.They redid the top block of the sign, which originally had that price, to say “Home of the Club Burger.”
And the promotional tie-ins between drive-ins and radio stations reaching the youth market were common. The Carrol’s school book cover I gave you has some personalities from Albany’s WPTR (1540 AM) from close to the time of Arnie “Woo Woo” Ginsburg.
Yes Glenn, you are right about the radio station tie-ins. That particular Carrol’s (Stoneham, Mass.)being one of the earliest stands in the area in fact did have the 15 cents sign at the top in the beginning. The stand was enlarged and updated to the final building style in the early 70’s when I started frequenting it.
That Carrol’s also was known for having a racing club as I recall. The guys who belonged to it used to cruise Carrol’s with their cars. I don’t know where they raced. I hope to meet someone someday who actually belonged to this club and maybe they can enlighten me as to the specifics.
By the way, that Carrol’s was never converted to a Burger King because there was already one across the street. It became a Papa Gino’s, which it still is today.
Great article Larry! Always enjoy reading about the drive ins over on your side of the country. Thanks for sharing the menus.
Jeff
Well just to let you guys know Adventure Burger wasn’t a chain. It was started by my grandfather Nicholas Sfugaras and his 2 brothers. My grandfather owned and operated the one in Union, NJ on route 22 and his brothers operated the ones in MA. I don’t know much more about them. My grandfather passed away when my mom was only a teenager. But we still have a few of the menus and little things from Adventure Burger which are some nice reminders of what it was like back then. Well i hope this information helps
Thanks
Have a Great day!
For Kim Kornecki -I would love any info on The Adventure on Rt. 22 in union that may be available. pics, menus, advertising ect. Thanks Bill G. I spent my High School days in that car hop and cant find any info on it.
Great site looking into the vintage car hops
Regarding the Adventure Car Hop on Rt. 22 in Union N.J. there was another one just down the road on R.t 22 called The Garden of Eatin. We ( those of us that had cars ) ran from the Adventure west to the Garden then used the turn around and ran east back to The adventure, the winner ate for free or sometimes big money was bet. These Car Hops were on what was a center island with many other business and Rt.22 ran west on one side and east towards Newark on the other. Would love to hear from Kim Kornecki about her Grand fathers “Adventure”. Thanks BIll GEE
I use to go to the Adventure Car Hop in !957-1958, The name of the carhop west of it was The BIG TOP, I use to date the CarHop DOLLY
I’m sure you will remember her
Harry Wells
harrywells 88 @ aol.com
My email address above has no spaces, Just send it that way so it’s not blocked
Hey Bill, thanks for checking out Diner Hotline! I am very familiar with Route 22 thru the Springfield/Union, NJ area. It is a very dangerous road to travel, especially trying to get in or out of any of the businesses that are on each side of the road. No one will give you a break if you are trying to get onto the highway from one of the businesses. I stayed at the Colonial Motel in Springfield one weekend in 1987.
Hi All,
We spent a lot of time at the Adventure Car Hop on Rt. 22 in Union, NJ from 1956 – 1959. Kim if you could post some of your menus etc I can assure you it would be appreciated but a great number of folks. As already mentioned there were many drag races from the Adventure west bound to the Big Top Car Hop about 3/4 of a mile away. The 1/4 mile was marked by a white line across the highway and it was not uncommon for traffic to be stopped while a race was flagged off…. When a couple of drag strips were opened in the early 60’s most of the racing moved there.
As for me and my wife we are still cruzin our custom candy apple red 51 Merc… too bad the Adventure is long gone..
Bill, Do you remember Me, Harry Wells
Had 57 ford convertible Powder blue, Continental kit
The Adventure Car Hop Rt. 22….Home of street drag racing legends and big money runs. Mr. Clean, the Prospector, Biscayne Bob, MacKenzies Raider, Stu Rogers, Billy Isokowsky, Jack Everett and many more. The fastest cars in the Jersey area gathered here. I can still hear the Four Tops on the jukebox singing “Can’t help Myself”…..It was the place to be and be seen……no posers allowed!
The Lasso in Everett changed its name to Big Burger as I remember it. The building is still there on the corner of Everett Ave and the Revere Beach Parkway.
Thank you for posting the photos of Richard’s in Medford. I can still say that their chocolate frappes were the best ever – at 35 cents!
What a great write up with fantastic photos!
I had no idea that Carol’s was started by the same person who started Tastee Freeze. (One of my favorite ice cream places)
Regarding Richard’s Drive In, they had locations in the midwest. If anyone can shed light on exactly where, specifically around the Chicago area, I’d lvoe to know.