Another interesting note is the classic late 1960's tube lighting hanging from the ceiling in the dining room area. The picture below shows an excellent view of what it was like to enter, order and eat at a Sandy's restaurant near the end of its existance. No one could have guessed that within five years, Sandy's would no longer exist.
Tim Freehole worked at Muscatine Sandy's and remembers putting on a new Sandy's hat every day that he went to work there. Sandy's was located within blocks of Muscatine High School's football field. Tim said that Sandy's was the best after a football game as the kids would pack into the restaurant and its parking lot. My first job was flippin' burgers at Sandy's he recalls... Rich Schmitts' dad open the one in Muscatine, but I worked for Ollie Olsen. A couple of friends and myself came up with a new shake and name; The 'Moka'delite, all three flavors of ice cream together, vanilla, chocolate, & strawberry...mmmmmmmmm good !!
Tim's experience was identical at nearly every Sandy's location. Sandy's was the hang out place for high school kids especially on the weekends and was an incredible place to go for families, not only because of their great tasting food but because it was an affordable place to go as well. If you were a kid growing up with your first car, you and your friends could hang out there and be able to afford it. Being one of the original American drive-ins makes Sandy's a classic.
Muscatine Sandy's hold-out is a tribute to the restaurant itself and how deeply imbedded into the community it was. Today in 2004, a Hardees still stands in its place some 35 plus years after Sandy's laid the foundation for it to survive. In 1972, Brick Lundberg, the founder of Sandy's, had come out of retirement to convince the franchisees to switch all Sandy's over to Hardees for the good of the company. Not only did Sandy's need additional cash flow during this time of expansion but they would also benefit from the combined buying power and expense control. Hardees started to become the darling of the food industry during this time as Sandy's had given them what they needed, the key midwestern locations in areas where there was very little competition. Sandy's had laid the groundwork for the 1970's and 1980's success of Hardees so it unfortunately most likely made sense in 1977 to switch over to the new brand and name. Sandy's would be gone forever not only to Muscatine but to the nation as well.
UPDATE 07/16/05!
This picture of the young high school men eating at Muscatine Sandy's includes one of the owner's sons!
The year is 1977. Sandy's in Muscatine, Iowa is now one of the last, if not the last Sandy's in existence. Amazingly, almost twenty years after the corporation's beginning, Muscatine Sandy's adds a food item to the menu! Roast beef sandwiches are now being served!!!! Undoubtedly, the owner had heard from his buddies who owned Sandy's which were now Hardees that roast beef was the hottest item on the menu and followed suit! Incredible!
Lee Staak, owner of Iowa City, Iowa Sandy's, provided a document from Hardees which accounts for all Sandy's and list one last Sandy's still operating as Sandy's in 1979. Ted Vlahos, owner of Moline, Illinois Sandy's, as well as others, believes that Muscatine was the last Sandy's to ever exist. The following picture was taken in 1978, notice the Sandy's cups with the Sandy's girl head icon upside down next to the soft drink dispenser. This is one of the last pictures of Sandy's while it still existed! Muscatine Sandy's, holding the torch as long as it could for one of the greatest fast food restaurants of all time! Muscatine Sandy's finally switched to Hardees but sadly shut its doors in the summer of 2005.
04/12/06 DONALD DREW F remembers Sandy's in Muscatine!
I remember when my brother and I went out one late evening after dark
and
the sky was clear but full of stars. We suddenly saw just a few blocks
east
of our house several really bright lights up in the sky. WOW.
Spotlights!!
We had never seen such a site before in Muscatine. Being kids on
Schwinn
banana seat bikes we tore out towards the lights. 1st block... second
block... third block and across Park Ave we could see this awesome
super
modern building glowing from the inside out, with its high fins and
roof
line and neon lights light lighting the sidewalk up as tons of people
waited
in line all the way out side and stretched around the building just
waiting
to get in. We hunkered together and reached deep in our pockets. 25
cents, 2
dimes, 3 nickels and 23 pennies. We had enough to get a Sandys cheese
burger
and fries. We didn't mind we couldn't afford a soda pop. It was SANDYS
and
it was open and we got to cross the big highway and get a new hamburger
and
fresh french fries without Mom and Dad. As we rode our bikes home that
evening we felt like we really accomplished something .. we were apart
of
the history of the GRAND OPENING of a brand new SANDYS hamburgers
restaurant
on opening night.
Later, at age 14 1/2, I was determined to get my first job at Sandys. it
was
the coolest place in MUSCATINE. Even though we had moved over to west
hill, I
was willing to get there any way I could to get to work if they hired
me. I
walked into the lobby and asked the lady at the counter if i could apply.
She
told me to go outside and around to the side door and knock on it and
the
manager would let me in. Ole Olson with his Mr. Magoo like nose and
sweed
styled hair cut, blondish brown hair, wearing a Sandy's paper cap
slightly
tilted to one side, asked me to come in to his office. It was really
small
with barely room for 2 folding chairs. I interviewed for what seemed
like
forever, but he hired me (thinking I was 16 years of age) I was to
start the
following Wednesday. I would receive 2 shirts, had to wear black pants
and I
would get free lunch OR SUPPER AS A BONUS FOR WORKING THERE on my 15
minute
breaks. Ole was fair and fun to work for. He was great with all the
people
even thou he had his favorites. Namely one, Susan, whom was to
become
my girlfriend for over three years and who eventually taught me how to drive a 3 speed on the column CHEVY VEGA 4 cylinder.
I remember getting hurt on the job one afternoon cleaning the grill. To
clean the grill one had to use "soda" water and a powder abrasive to
scower
down the grill top to get off all the burnt fatty residues left over
from
the day shift. On the very end of the grill was a deep trough that was
only
a few inches wide and as deep in length as the grill. This is where one
would scrape off the fat liquid and burgers bits after cooking 6, 8, 10,
12
or so patties. I was really scrubbing that grill top as I was heading
with
two hands firmly pressed into my scotch scratch pad when I went over
the
edge, into the trough and the spatula magnetized to the top back edge,
flipped and jammed my third finger knuckle on my right hand, as the
momentum
carried me into the grease pit. I sliced open my knuckle and man did it
ever
bleed. Ole and Sue took me to MUSCATINE GENERAL HOSPITAL TO GET IT
LOOKED
AT. NO STITCHES BUT IT WAS A MESS AND TODAY I HAVE THE SCAR AND DEAD
NERVES
JUST BEHIND MY KNUCKLE AS A BADGE OF MY YOUNGER DAYS AT SANDYS
HAMBURGERS.
And you don't want to know whom did what in to the 55 gallon drum of
fresh
made Scot sauce and didn't tell anyone until weeks later after his
firing...........
Thank you for making a web site dedicated to Sandys and including
Muscatine
Iowa. From my child hood up thru my teens Sandys and all the people
that
worked there played a significant role into whom I am today. GOD BLESS
every
one of you!
SINCERELY,
DONALD DREW F