Chuck Kerls from Wichita Kansas has become a legend. He has provided pictures of the second Sandy's building still known to exist! This location was Sandy's which switched to Hardees followed by Bosley tires. With minor restoration, one can see that it is ready to go as a Sandy's! Outstanding!
and another angle!
For comparison, here is a picture of Sandy's in Peoria, Illinois in the late 1960s. This is the second to last version of the classic Sandy's drive-in building as it had morphed from a walk-up to sit inside and eat dining. The fins are still visible retaining the classic Sandy's image!
Here is what the original late 1960's Wichita Sandy's prototype sign looks like today in February 2005. Next to it for comparison is the Geneseo, Illinois sign on the day which Sandy's was gone forever.
Chuck also discovered that the original tile is still under the now white-washed walls! He wrote this photo is of the wall on the south side of the original building where it was painted over. The paint is wearing off and you can see the original tile that Sandy's used! The plaid bleeds through!
Sandy's fan Chuck Kerls was not only fortunate enough to remember Sandy's in Wichita, Kansas, he also worked there! Sandy's opened two of their early 1960's locations in Wichita and became a favorite of the area. By 1968, Wichita had quickly exploded to seven Sandy's serving the city. Chuck also found a classic unique piece of memorabilia from the 29th Street & Seneca location!
I just found your threads on Sandy's Hamburger Drive Ins. We had one in Wichita Kansas on South Seneca in the late 60's. While I dont have any information as to who owned them, I did work for them for a short time in high school. I remembering working for Sandy's in 1965 and in particular I remember the potato machine. Sandy's had what many considered the best french fries and this machine was a sander belt that you put the potatos on before they were cut into fries. I also remember how bad you smelled when you got off work! I guess that was when I decided that I was not cut out for fast food.
If my memory serves me correct there was a location at Kellogg and Woodlawn which I think was the oldest location in the Wichita area, but that building has long been torn down. There was also a Sandys at Douglas and Grove and that was the busiest in the town as it was where the drag took place in Wichita. The cruise was from Sandy's west on Douglas to Main Street, go around the block and cruise back east to Sandy's again. That was where most of us met the girls we dated!
I never forgot the great memories of Sandy's and just a couple of months ago the business that took over the building when Hardees closed gave me an original parking lot sign that hung on a pole in the lot for 50 years! It reads ...
15 MINUTE CUSTOMER PARKING
NO LITTERING
LOITERING
ALCOHOL BEVERAGES
STRICTLY ENFORCED
SANDYS MANAGEMENT
It sure brings back memories of a simpler time!
Here is the sign. This sign hung on a pole at the Sandy's at 29th Street and Seneca right here in Wichita for many years, most likely from the mid 60's. The sign painter was a local and I have talked to his son and he thought it was 1964.
The Sandy's building became a Hardees and when Hardees closed it became Bosley Tires. They were in the building for several years. When Bosleys closed I asked Mr. Bosley for the sign and he told me that if I could get it down it was mine! The sign is rusted and the letters are bleached but it is a neat sign to have and it now proudly hangs in my kitchen!
The building itself stands empty at this time.
Chuck Kerls
Chuck also updated with the following; here is another little bit of information for you regarding the old Sandys Building on south Seneca here in Wichita. Just this week the building has been sold and I have talked to the new owners and they are going to use it as an office and warehouse. The good news is that they have no plans to change the outside of the building at all in fact I told them about the wood that had been painted and they may even restore the wood. I will keep you posted if I get any more information. Also attached is the photo of the Sandys at Douglas and Grove appx 2400 e. Douglas in Wichita. As you can see it looks nothing like the Sandy's building.
10/21/05 update.... 3006 South Seneca. That location has been destroyed and is now a Sedgwick County building. The original building there was a Sandy's converted to a Hardees, and then torn down. The downtown location at 201E. Douglas was torn down years ago, in fact I think that it never was a freestanding building but I will check on that. The 5207 E. Kellogg was at Kellogg and Woodlawn and it is now a car lot and has been for many years. The Ken-Mar location at 4601 E. 13 th Street which is 13th and Oliver is long gone and is now a Quick Trip. Then location at 1909 E. Pawnee is currently a Burger King and the building does not look like a Sandy's. I will, however, get by there in the near future and make sure that nothing of the original building exhists. I dont have a clue about the 9111 West Central location but in the future I will check it out.
Regards Chuck Kerls
Chuck Kerls is not the only one who has great memories of Sandy's in Wichita. Curt Baltzley is not only the outstanding sports copy editor of the Houston Chronicle, he is also a Sandy's fan. He wrote....
I was reading a newspaper story about Hardees, and I remembered that they took over Sandy's. I worked at Sandy's in Wichita, Kansas in the late '60s before going to Vietnam. Our Sandy's looked just like the one atop your web site except while I worked there, they built a store front so the customers could get out of the elements. The Sandy's buildings had a really cool design. Like you said, those were fierce burger war days. Our competition was McDonald's and Griff's (remember them?). Hey, there's another nostalgia web site! P.S., I still have the '65 Mustang I bought while working at Sandy's…Thanks for the memories!
Curt Baltzley, sports copy editor at Houston Chronicle.
Dave Lester not only worked at Sandy's but was promoted to manager of one of the Wichita locations!
Dave wrote... I worked in the Stillwater, OK Sandy's from the age of 16 through 20. At one time, I was the youngest employee in the place, but had been there longer than anyone else, including the manager! I also worked at the Sandy's of Douglas, Inc (I think that was the name) in Wichita, KS during my management training... and the Sandy's Downtown location in Wichita. I then managed the Sandy's of Seneca, Inc. in Wichita, KS (Senaca and Payne streets). Not all happy times, but for the most part, I have fond memories! I can't wait to share this site with some of the guys I worked with! Good memories! I could tell some stories, but it would take some bandwith. Keep this site growing!
UPDATE!!! 06/03/06... Here are recent pictures I took of the former Sandy's hamburger building on S. Seneca. It still stands!
Some original small tiles are showing through the paint. The interior shot shows a familiar sight if you take away the automotive stuff. Also attached is the current sign.
Glenda Campbell 
Great Job Glenda and you are correct, the interior appears to be close to the original. Even though the paint on the outside has been changed, THE PLAID STILL BLEEDS THRU!!!! It appears that Bosley Tires has now switched to XADO and the blue roof fin trim of the old Bosley layout is still in use. The incredible part is the new fin color of red is similar to how this location most likely looked as Sandy's!!! Now to remove the paint from the beautiful wood beams that hold up the roof fins and we are ready to go! Incredible! Thank you for the update Glenda!
We need some help here! If anyone knows the answer to this, please email me!
Awesome site!
I was born in 1962 in Wichita, KS and lived there through 1978.
Great memories of Kip's Big Boy, Sandy's, Griff's, Sonic Drive-In, A&W Drive-In, Toc's Coffee Shop, and Henry's Hamburgers (and Peter Pan and Mister Swiss in nearby Derby, KS).
Hoping you can help answer a question.
If you are familiar with the Wichita, KS of the late 60's-early-70's, there was a big department store (kind of what would pass for a Target today) called: "GIANT." Across the street from GIANT, was a hamburger restaurant with a space-age theme, painted mostly orange.
I'm wearing myself out trying to remember the name of that place. They may have had another location near Twin Lakes.
I seem to remember the logo featuring a young boy with a space-suit on with a big glass bubble for a helmet over his head.
I keep thinking of names like "GALAXY BURGER" or "ASTRO BURGER" but none of them sound right.
Any idea?
Or maybe some person or website that might know?
If you have any books to recommend, that might be helpful, let me know, too.
Thanks in advance,
Mark
If you have any memorabilia, pictures or stories of Sandy's in Wichita, Kansas or elsewhere, please email me!