One of the favorite themes and memories of teen-age and family life of the post-World War II era is based on places once known as root beer stands and drive-ins.

Monday, July 16, 2001

One of the favorite themes and memories of teen-age and family life of the post-World War II era is based on places once known as root beer stands and drive-ins.

These stands or drive-ins in the 1940s and ’50s were small buildings set back from the streets or highways with room to park cars in the front and on the sides. These buildings served as the centerpieces for business ventures based on beverages (especially root beer) and easily prepared food items such as hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, milkshakes and packaged candy bars.

To serve the customers driving into the root beer stands and drive-ins to park their cars and eat and/or drink were a group of mostly teen-age girls known as carhops. They were the equivalent of outdoor waitresses. The concept intended for the drive-ins was for the customers to stay inside their vehicles and place orders based on menus painted on large signs placed on the sides of the buildings.

The carhops would go to the incoming cars as soon as possible after they were parked, obtain the orders, and go back to the buildings. The customers’ orders would be given to the people behind the counters. Then the carhops would carry the food and beverages back to the cars.

These orders were placed on special trays which hung on the outside of the glass of partially rolled-down windows on the side doors of the cars.

When the customers were finished eating and drinking, the drivers would flash their headlights on and off for a few times, or start the engines. This would be the signal for the carhops to come retrieve the trays and hopefully be tipped.

(First of two parts)