The Very First Drive-Thru Restaurant In Missouri Still Has Cars Lining Up Around The Corner
By Beth Price-Williams|Published April 02, 2021
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Beth Price-Williams
Author
A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.
Strolling down Memory Lane to the good ol’ days really doesn’t require all that much effort sometimes. For a taste of yesteryear, for example, we only need to pull into the drive-thru lane of Red’s Giant Hamburg in Missouri, the very first drive-thru restaurant in the state and, if history is correct, in the world. However, before you head over to the old school restaurant, work up a hearty appetite.
Feel as though you’ve driven straight back through the decades when you visit Red’s Giant Hamburg, in Springfield, which originally opened in 1947. It served countless Missourians and…
Travelers until it was forced to shut at the end of 1984. The building sat empty and abandoned for years, and it was finally demolished in 1997, seemingly ending the journey of the first drive-thru restaurant in Missouri.
However, little did anyone know at the time, that that certainly wasn’t the end of the story of the restaurant that Red and Julia Chaney opened and spent years cultivating into a beloved neighborhood eatery.
Have you ever wondered how Red’s Giant Hamburg got its name? The Chaneys ordered a sign for their brand new drive-thru but quickly realized it just wasn’t big enough. Thus, the name transitioned from Red’s Giant Hamburger to Red’s Giant Hamburg.
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Fast forward to 2019, more than three decades after the original drive-thru restaurant shut down. New co-owners Greg Iott and David Campbell rebuilt the restaurant, only this time it was…
Quite a bit bigger, so more people could sit inside and enjoy a classic meal. It, of course, still sits in Springfield and features its famous 21st century drive-thru.
A burger (the menu even features a vegan burger) or a hot dog pairs oh-so-perfectly with a hearty helping of chili cheese fries or cheese fries. (You can get ‘em plain, too.)
Have you been to Red’s Giant Hamburg in Missouri? Does it still remind you of yesteryear? Share your experience in the comments! If you’re a fan of old-school drive-in restaurants, you’ll definitely want to add Mr. Ed’s Drive In in Urbana to your culinary bucket list.
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