For the generations who grew up in Franklin before the chain-restaurant boom, trips to the Dog n Suds drive-in are special memories.
Dog n Suds originated in 1953 in Champaign, Illinois, when two high school music teachers started selling root beer and coney dogs as a side gig. Rapid success led them to forgo their teaching careers and concentrate on their fast-food franchise. Known for world-famous root beer, Dog n Suds still has 20 locations, primarily in the Midwest including the Lafayette location.
In 1959, Franklin resident John Campbell saw an advertisement in the newspaper seeking franchise opportunities, and soon he and his wife, Marcia, opened their own restaurant. Located in the V-shaped piece of land between U.S. Highway 31 and North Main Street, the Dog n Suds was a bustling hot spot for 23 years until the Campbells closed its doors in 1982. Inside dining was trending, and the odd-shaped building could only accommodate curbside service.
However, due to those years between 1959 and 1982, they remain in the memories of many Franklin and neighboring residents. And as those memories surface, mouths began to water at the thought of the sweet root beer, crispy onion rings, steaming coney dogs, pizza burgers and more. The crispy onion rings involved a two-step, two-day process. The staff made their own special sauce for burgers, coney sauce and chili recipes from scratch, prepared with real ingredients, and cooked each day on-site.
The root beer was a sweet concoction created from syrup, sugar and water, stirred slowly in a large vat daily to produce a one-of-a-kind taste. It was served in frosted glass mugs, which became a favorite souvenir to those who “accidentally on purpose” kept their mugs.
Craig Campbell is the son of the late John and Marcia. Campbell was around 12 years old when his parents started up their franchise.
Opening day was in June of 1959, and the drive-in soon became not only a popular teenage hangout, but also a favorite spot for families and grown ups. Campbell recalls one dapperly dressed schoolteacher who would pull up every day and order a Society Burger. It was described on the menu as “Deliciously Bar B Qued Ground Beef” and sold for 30 cents, according to a printed menu. Regular customer Joseph Healy, who owned the local John Deere dealership, became known as Coney Joe.
One memory for Campbell took place in the early years of the restaurant. He was at the restaurant before opening time and before the lunch crowed arrived. His father was busy preparing for the day, when a man walked in and asked if he could interest them in a business venture. He talked John into letting him cook his own fried chicken recipe for them right then. Campbell recalls the chicken being especially tasty. The Campbells could not accept the offer to franchise within a franchise. Later they would realize it was Colonel Sanders who had cooked the chicken for them, and went on to earn fame with his Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain.
The uniquely shaped restaurant sat in the middle of the north and south parking lots. Customers would pull into a parking spot, and when they were ready to order, they would turn on their headlights. That gave the car attendants the go-ahead to come out to the vehicle to take their order. Marcia (Foley) Campbell was a car hop during the 1960s. She recalls the restaurant was open year-round, and during the winter months, walking out to serve customers in the parking lot was a cold job. Deanna (Allen) Knox worked there in the 1970s, and recalls walking out to a car to deliver two frosty mugs of root beer, only to slip on a snow-covered curb. Despite the fall, she proudly recalls keeping the mugs upright and full of root beer.
Driving by or “cruising” the Suds was a popular pastime for teens during the ’60s and ’70s. Cars would loop by the Dog n Suds, past The Big Cone and The Steer restaurants, and then buzz around the courthouse square only to repeat the pattern. Friendships and romances began at the drive-in. For coworkers Kenny Frazier and Bev Stinson, their high school romance led to what is now 48 years as husband and wife. The Fraziers worked there in the 1970s, Kenny in the kitchen and Bev as a car attendant. Kitchen cooks were paid $1.75 per hour and car hops were paid 35 cents per hour plus tips. According to Knox and Frazier, a good tip was $1.00, and an average tip was 25 cents. Car attendants wore a standard uniform of black pants or shorts, a white blouse and head covering. An apron held bills and a metal coin dispenser was worn at the waist. This required mental math without a calculator or machine to do the work for you.
After high school games ended, business would boom that evening as students flocked to the drive-in to grab their favorite menu item. Working there was fun because often your customers were your friends. Past employees pointed out, however, that hanging out after finishing your meal was not an option. The girls recalled having to inform a car that lingered too long to move along, according to the shift manager’s orders.
The Campbells made sure they gave back to the community that supported them. At Christmas time they would deliver pots of chili to the local fire stations, and any Little Leaguer could get a free root beer with a home run. Windows were painted with holiday greetings or good luck wishes for the local sport teams. Those who worked there appreciated the family atmosphere created by the Campbells, who looked after them as part of their own family.
The back side of an original menu reads: “Our kitchen is always clean and neat, no filler in our sandwich meat! For food that’s always good to eat – the DOG-N-SUDS just can’t be beat.”
Today, people who recall Campbell’s Dog n Suds drive-in would wholeheartedly agree with that statement, and say nostalgia tastes so “doggone good!”
