by BRYAN CHAMBERS
The Parthenon

Drive-in restaurants, to some people, are a reminder of the 1950s when Elvis was king, crew cuts and poodle skirts were fashionable and drag racing and sock hops were popular things to do on the weekend. 

But in Huntington, drive-ins were open long before that time and three are still thriving today. 

"With drive-ins, a lot of people will look at them and say they’re nostalgic," John F. Mandt, Jr., vice president of Stewart’s Original Hot Dogs, said. 

Marilyn Murdock, co-owner and president of Frostop Drive-In, 1449 Hal Greer Blvd., said the restaurants are a welcome change. 

"They are nice breaks from the drive-thrus and everything that goes along with fast food restaurants," she said. 

Huntington’s oldest drive-in, Stewart’s, was established in 1932 by John L. Mandt. At that time, the park and eat restaurant, located on Fifth Avenue, only sold popcorn and root beer. Shortly thereafter, it was decided that hot dogs would be added to the menu. The item quickly became Stewart’s best-seller and still is today. 

Mandt, the fourth generation owner of Stewart’s which now has six locations, takes pride in the fact that the hot dog sauce recipe his great grandmother Gertrude made six decades ago has not changed. 

"I believe that if it’s not broken, then don’t fix it," he said. Jeff A. Smith, general manager and owner of Smith’s Midway Drive-Inn, 445 W. Sixth Ave., said he doesn’t cut corners when it comes to the quality of his business. 

Established in 1939 by Strobe Fullwiller, Midway started by selling hot dogs, popcorn and root beer. Fullwiller hired Smith’s mother, Evelene, in 1945, who originated the restaurant’s recipes for hot dog sauce and barbecue sandwiches. 

In 1956, Midway was leased to Smith B. Hart, who developed the idea of selling hamburgers that were made fresh. 

Midway was then sold to Smith and his family in 1989. After some remodeling and initial help from his mother and father, Smith said he has continued a sixty-year tradition. 

Frostop Drive-In, known for the giant revolving mug of root beer that overlooks its parking lot, is the youngest of the three restaurants. 

It was founded in 1957 by Murdock’s father, Rupert C. McGinnis, and William E. Warnock. Murdock’s mother then bought the business in 1980 after McGinnis’s death. After her mother’s death in 1996, Murdock and her sister took control of Frostop. 

Murdock said besides an additional kitchen being added in the early 1960s, everything about the restaurant, including the hot dog sauce has remained the same. "Our success comes from the fact that we haven’t changed through the years," Murdock said. 
 
 

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