Ron's Michigan Memories

The Michigan Dog 'n Suds story actually begins in Champaign, Illinois. In 1953, Jim Griggs and Don Hamacher, who were music teachers from the University of Illinois, decided to try the drive-in business. They pooled their money and put up a simple hot dog and root beer stand, naming it Dog 'n Suds. The first store proved to be extremely popular in Champaign, and they were soon asked to build another store for a wealthy local resident. A franchise business developed very quickly, leading Griggs and Hamacher to leave teaching and become full-time restaurateurs. The partners created a national headquarters in Champaign, along with a facility for training new franchisees. This facility would become known as Rover College, named after the mascot on the Dog 'n Suds sign. The new drive-in chain spread like wildfire throughout the Midwest and beyond. Nationwide, Dog 'n Suds eventually reached over 700 units. Visually, the drive-in's were unmistakable. Red and yellow were the company colors, along with the familiar neon sign featuring the mascot Rover wearing a chef's hat and carrying a tray with a hot dog and a frosty mug of root beer. Rover is surrounded by a large curved arrow with chasing lights above, and a wood fence with the Dog 'n Suds name in neon below. The original Rover design looked very similar to another famous dog character, Pluto. When Disney took notice of this, they quickly persuaded Dog 'n Suds to change the design of Rover. Most locations utilizing a red brick building with either a short 2-car, or a long v-shaped canopy, which accommodated about a dozen cars. Above the canopy were the large red neon-lit "Root Beer" letters. Under the canopy were the back lit menu boxes, where you ordered your food via a speaker system. A waitress would bring out your order on a tray which mounted on your car window. You could then enjoy the tasty meal in the comfort of your car.

Despite Michigan's harsh climate, the drive-in chain thrived here for many years. Many locations had indoor seating to accommodate wintertime cravings. The first known Michigan Dog 'n Suds Drive-In opened in Lansing in 1961. It was located at 1629 S. Washington Avenue, it survived as a Dog 'n Suds until 1975. It then continued as the Washington Drive-In, which closed after two years and the building was demolished. A now-closed Little Ceasers stands on the former site today. The Lansing area would eventually have six locations, including E. Michigan Ave., N. Grand River, W. Saginaw. East Lansing, and Mason. The West Saginaw store lasted until 1989. The original building remains today, minus the canopy, home to an A&W. Statewide, Dog 'n Sud's Drive-In's sprang up from Coldwater to Sault Ste. Marie, from Pontiac to Muskegon, and all points in between. Michigan locations eventually totaled 55, most being built in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Curiously, Metro Detroit had only one Dog 'n Suds, located at 1045 Baldwin in Pontiac. The original building remains today, it is currently occupied by an Oriental restaurant.

The downfall of Dog' n Suds occurred in the mid-70's. The overwhelming growth prompted the owners to merge with a small company that operated drive-ins on the East Coast, and produced their own bottled root beer. This company's staff took over control of Dog 'n Suds and proceeded to eliminate management and field staff, and discontinued advertising and promotional activities. Oddly, they also changed the famous Dog 'n Suds root beer formula. Dog 'n Suds owners and patrons disapproved and the slow death of the chain commenced. New store openings ceased, and many existing stores either closed or became independent. Dog 'n Suds also faced stiff competition from rival drive-in A&W, and fast food giants McDonalds and Burger King. Gradually, the franchise quietly faded away. Over 700 stores dwindled down to just 15 independents left in 2008. While most have been torn down, many original Michigan Dog 'n Suds buildings remain. Some are still being used as eateries, some have been converted for other uses. Original buildings with canopies intact include a Lake City site which is now Suzy Q Drive-In, a Grand Rapids site is a used car lot, a North Lansing site is now Olympic Broil restaurant, a Jonesville site is now Coney Hut Drive-In and a Jackson site is a hair salon.

Most of the 15 remaining Dog 'n Suds are scattered throughout Indiana and Illinois. Until recently, Michigan had but one survivor. This site opened in 1963 in Montague, on a picturesque lakeside location on White Lake. It was purchased by the Hosticka family in late-1965, who reopened it in the spring of 1966. The Montague drive-in has been continuously operating ever since. Second-generation owner David Hosticka continues to operate it today as a seasonal drive-in. This unique lakeside site was originally equipped with a short 2-car canopy. An amazing project was undertaken in 2001 which involved raising the entire building up and rotating it 90 degrees. It was then secured to a new foundation, and a new longer multi-car canopy was added. The lot was enlarged, increasing capacity considerably. Lakeside dining was also added, with picnic tables and menu boxes near the water.

After this enormous undertaking was completed, David Hosticka looked for his next big project. Just down the road from Montague, he found an old neglected Dog 'n Suds on Grand Haven Road in Norton Shores. It had opened as an original Dog 'n Suds Drive-In in 1967. It closed like all the others, eventually becoming a restaurant called Kordecki's Kitchen. The site was purchased in 2006, and David began an incredible restoration project. Most of the original features were intact, including the Root Beer lettering on the canopy, and the neon sign. All new menu boxes were added, the canopy was repaired and repainted, and the neon signage was restored. The interior was completely redesigned, with a new kitchen, and booths and a counter for year-round inside dining. A vintage jukebox was restored and installed for customers use. Another part of the project is the adjacent ice cream stand, which looks like a mini Dog 'n Suds with it's v-shaped roof. The ice cream stand was appropriately named Twist 'n Shake. The newly restored drive-in opened for business in November, 2007. Both Michigan locations feature all the tasty favorites you remember; Texas Burgers, Char-Co Burgers, Coney Dogs, Shrimp, Corn Dogs, Fries, Onion Rings and more. And, of course they have the original recipe "World's Creamiest Root Beer."

Visit Michigandriveins.com for more photos & a complete list of Michigan Dog 'n Suds locations. Visit Dog-n-suds.com for more info on the two remaining Michigan stores. Visit Dognsudsbrand.com for links to out-state stores.