Dog ’N Suds Ad – Jan. 9, 1971

It’s always kind of sad when the local drive-in restaurants and soft serve ice cream businesses close for the season. Not only because their shuttering is a harbinger of cold weather, but also because in these challenging times, there’s always the possibility that the business might not reopen.

Ilene’s Dog ’N Suds is one of those seasonal businesses. Covid-19 (as well as the passing of co-owner Thomas Hampton last May) contributed to the early closing of the beloved drive-in in July. 

The drive-in been a longtime favorite topic on this blog, especially as I tried to determine how long it had been around. (I finally concluded that it opened under its original ownership in 1963, closed, and re-opened in 1966 under the present ownership.)

Anyway, back in January 1971, Ilene’s Dog ’N Suds surprisingly was open in the winter. Here’s an ad that ran in the Journal on January 9, 1971.

Gee, there’s no Rover in that ad – just a kid with the same hairdo my brothers and I had.

Here’s looking forward to the planned reopening of the restaurant in April. I can just taste that Texas Burger (and see its sauce dripping in my lap) right now.