The Woolly Bear Forecast: the Drive-In is Closing

The busy scene at the restaurant on snowy Saturday, December 29.

Although I only ate there once or twice, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the closing of the Woolly Bear Drive-in on this blog. (Special thanks to Mark Hicks for the tip.)

The small restaurant at the intersection of State Route 60 and State Route 113 dates back to the days when Dick Goddard's Woollybear Festival was still held in Birmingham (before moving to Vermilion in the early 1980s).

It opened on May 9, 1981 with Zelma Hughes as the owner-operator.

What first lured me to eat there was the fact that the Woolly Bear was the only place besides Midway Oh-Boy that used the secret Oh-Boy mayonnaise-based sauce on their burgers.

The Woolly Bear Drive-in had its devoted legion of fans (just read some of its online reviews), and it's always sad when a family business shuts down. It's still open today until 4:00, so if you are hankerin' for a Big Bear sandwich, you'd better hurry!

The restaurant's mascot