How did A&W get started in Modesto? Here’s a look back at the graffiti-era drive-in
A&W Restaurants — possibly the best thing since before sliced bread.
On June 20, 1919 (sliced bread was invented in 1928), founder Roy Allen served the first mug of A&W root beer at his walk-up stand during a homecoming parade for World War I veterans in Lodi, 41 miles from Modesto.
Three years later, Allen partnered with a former employee of his root beer stand, Frank Wright. Then came the name — A&W.
The pair leased their first two walk-up root beer stands to other operators so they could expand to Sacramento, according to the company’s website. The first A&W drive-in restaurant opened in Sacramento in 1923.
In 1925, when Allen was the sole owner of the company again, he started selling franchises. A&W became the first franchise restaurant chain in the country.
Food stand opens in graffiti-era Modesto
Modesto became home to an A&W food stand on G and 14th streets in 1957.
In 1963, the chain became the first-ever to serve a bacon cheeseburger. Dale Mulder, an A&W franchisee in Lansing, Michigan, created it, according to A&W.
When the food stand became a drive-in in March 1958, it advertised its grand opening in The Modesto Bee with 5-cent drinks, 25-cent long dogs, 50-cent submarine sandwiches and a 10-cent coupon.
The next phase for A&W in Modesto took shape when husband-and-wife duo Johnny and Tammy Matthews took ownership in 1996. They were the fourth owners of the site since it opened.
When the Matthews took over, they upgraded the plastic sheeting that covered the windows with glass. They also added a children’s play area with The Burger Family figurines, according to Modesto Bee archives.
Johnny Matthews hosted a classic car event in the parking lot of the drive-in about a year after taking over, which inspired him to start the Friday night cruise-ins hosted by singing Elvis impersonators — complete with roller skating carhops.
Over the years, the restaurant also has been a magnet for international visitors, many of whom have found it in guidebooks referencing “American Graffiti” and “Star Wars” creator George Lucas’ hometown, according to previous Bee reporting. Johnny Matthews previously said he used to keep a guestbook for people to sign, but lost count of all the countries represented.
The restaurant has even hosted weddings.
“(We have) people come in and say, ‘We just love, love the ambiance of this place instead of all these different strip malls where they’re all the same,’” Johnny Matthews previously told The Bee.
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Classic Modesto A&W drive-in shuts its doors
After 27 years of running the drive-in, The Matthews put it up for sale in July — but the doors would close before an offer was put in.
The historic restaurant spent its last day serving burgers and root beer Wednesday, after an Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit filed against the property in October proved too much for the owners to battle while working on a sales deal.
“You think of the hundreds of thousands of people who have visited the restaurant over all these years and it’s never been an issue,” said Johnny Matthews, according to previous Bee reporting. “It’s the law, but it’s a stupid law to allow these complaints to get rewarded over and over again.”
An 81-year-old man filed 15 ADA suits against building owners of national and local businesses in Modesto in the past 13 months — mostly alleging inaccessible or inadequate disabled parking access in addition to some other violations.
The downtown A&W does not have any posted or dedicated accessible parking spots, as required by state and federal law.
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Other Central Valley drive-ins open for business
A&W was one of only five remaining drive-ins still operating from the 1950s and 1960s, around the time period that Modesto native son George Lucas’s ode to cruising, “American Graffiti,” was set.
Four other restaurants from the era are still operating in Modesto:
Web’s Drive-In, 625 Seventh St.
Fast Eddie’s Meal-On-A-Bun (MOAB), 1228 Tully Road
Scenic Drive-In, 1151 Scenic Drive
Sno-White Drive-In, 1841 Yosemite Boulevard
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