I work for PG&E (the electric co.) they might move our jobs to San Luis Obispo (near Paso) well while checking out property down there I ran across an ad that the old A&W drive in at the end of Spring St is for sale. The ad says, and I quote, " Located on corner of 21st & Spring St, 28,000 sq feet of C2 zoned property. Currently being operated as the 21st Street Drive In, BUT NO VALUE IS BEING PLACED ON THE BUILDING!!!!!!!!!!!! No value? Its just one of the cooler original style drive in buildings left in this area!!! Man I hope the folks in Paso realize what a cool piece of mid century architecture their going to loose......Paso weekend will not be the same with this Icon gone.. See: www.parksiderealtors.com
i could just see it now. the HAMB-burger stand an anti-hippie co-op comprised of the members of the Hamb
a 330 cat excavator could make quick work of that... that is alot of money for a hamburger stand, kiss it good bye. damn land is worth more than building, but i will bet that it is made of CMU. Though most of the spanners, signage and fittings are salvagable. corner lot to boot, i am thinking drive through ***ty bar
I'll take that one. it would make for a good central location, not a starbucks for atleat 2.5 miles in either direction. (Unless the aforementioned grocery store is a safeway, with a Starbucks inside)
reminds me of the Roys Drive-In here in Salinas... It was even in Hot Rod magazine... Now the Drive-In is going to be a seafood place... that was the coolest place to cruise to in Salinas.
How about an auto parts store that actually stock parts and supplies. Last year we had to head south to the OSH in the next town to find a bottle of Loc-***e. You would think that a town being over run with old cars, the local Kragens/Napa would stock up and extend their hours...
Long before what Paso has become now, The KKOA used to have it at like a school lot or something like that, that was like in the early 80's I cruised on over to that very A&W for a cool "Frosty Mug Taste" of root beer just like i did when I was a kid when we had one in San Gabe, long before the Asian influx took place. They had great little cheese burgers & used the very same hamburer relish that Bob's used,(they were both owned by Marriott). Well one by one we lost our drive-ins due to escalating property values. can count 3 in the imediate area. El Monte A&W, Peck Rd @ Lower Azusa Rd. demo'd 1981, Pasadena, A&W, Rosemead Bl. @ Del Mar Ave converted to presently a Del Taco 1982. & The demo of the San Gabriel one in 1976 for a dental office. Very sad time for patrons & a very good time for land owners If I were very wealthy,say like Bill Gates, who has stupid like throw away money (we're all making him richer) I'd try to preserve americana such as this & perhaps get richer by doing so. Look @ the Mel's Drive-American Grafitti effect. I mean the new versions are really just diners but ultilize the name drive-in. They make money hand over fist, whether it be Hollywood,Sherman-Oaks,San Francisco etc. Tell me again that there isn't money to be made off of us car guys I know that they want $1.6 mill for it, but done right such as posting signage as Andersens Pea Soup does or the Burma Shave people used to do. It could make that initial investment back in no time. A&W may want alot for it's right to be a franchise again & this factors into the re-start of this business. Hey Bill, Do you ever read these things that are making you a bilionaire C'mon & put out some coin to save a drive-in
The problem they have had in the last few months has been the opening of a real A&W on the other side of the freeway. The 21st Drive-In lost the "A&W" a long time ago, the new A&W/KFC (WTF!?) has been a threat I guess. I have to admit I love the Drive-In, while it'll never be a Bob's, it is within a few miles of my house, not four hours away. Love always, your sweetie 210
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