Oberlin’s Dog ’N Suds

I traded emails recently with the webmaster of the Oberlin In The Past Facebook page, and that reminded me of something she told me a few years ago. 

While growing up on Hamilton Street, she had a ringside seat for the long-gone Oberlin Dog ’N Suds. 

It was located on Route 58 just south of that Hamilton Street intersection. As she noted in an email, “It was across the field from me in the 1960s and we use to go there a lot.”

Here’s her photo of that field, showing the Dog ’N Suds off in the distance. That’s Hamilton Street in the foreground.

And here’s a closeup view of the restaurant in which you can see the iconic Dog ’N Suds sign.

Back in 2012, I posted the  Grand Opening ad at the top of this post, which ran in the Lorain Journal on April 23, 1962. Since then, I found the corresponding ad which ran in the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram (below) on Tuesday, April 24, 1962.

Unfortunately, the Oberlin restaurant lacked the staying power of the Dog ’N Suds outlet that’s still open in Elyria Township to this day. Although the Oberlin store was still running ads for carhops in the September 1973 Chronicle-Telegram, by 1976 things had changed.

A small article in the February 11, 1976 Chronicle-Telegram mentioned that during a recent meeting, the Russia Township Zoning Board discussed the “preliminary plans to convert the Dog ’N Suds Restaurant on Rt. 58 into a meat store.”

The Oberlin In The Past webmaster confirmed to me that the restaurant did indeed become a meat store. As she also pointed out in an email, "Since then, it has mostly been a drive through for beverages. It looks nothing like it did since an addition was added to it."

She added wistfully, “ Sure wish someone would buy it, get the original blueprints and convert it back to what it was.”

I drove by there Sunday to see what was going on. Currently the building (below) is called Ohio 58 South Center, with Drive Thru Beverage & More listed as one of the businesses.

Courtesy Google Maps

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Anyway, until someone buys the building and converts it back to its original glory, you can always visit the last Dog ’N Suds in Ohio out in Elyria Township on N. Ridge Road. By the looks of things, it’s been open but a phone call confirmed that it’s now closed on Sundays. (I’d give them a call at (440) 324-3636 to find out their new hours if you head out there during the week.)

Be sure to also visit the official corporate Dog ’N Suds Facebook page.