Sandy’s Souvenir Glass – Nov. 1971

Back in November 1971, the Sandy’s chain of fast food restaurants was featuring a special promotion for its customers. For only 59 cents, the purchaser received a 14 ounce, reusable plastic glass filled with a milk shake, along with a cheeseburger and an order of ‘golden brown French Fries.’

Above is the ad that ran in the Journal on Nov. 17, 1971.

It’s appropriate that the glass is referred to as a souvenir, because the Sandy’s era of the hamburger chain was winding down and soon the Hardee’s name would replace it. 

According to this Wiki page, “On November 30, 1971, a Hardee’s purchase of all of Sandy’s stock was announced, and Sandy’s plaid berets were soon to be seen no more.” As originally planned, the Sandy’s restaurants were supposed to retain their own identity, but they eventually were all converted to the Hardee’s brand.

I never felt the same way about Hardee’s as I did about Sandy’s. Chalk it up to the Scottish lassie, I guess.

By the time Hardee’s took over a year or so later, McDonald’s and Burger King already had a strong presence in Lorain County. Their national advertising campaigns helped them to completely overshadow the smaller burger chain.

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Unlike the small glasses with the original blonde Sandy’s lassie, the souvenir plastic cups with the brunette version mentioned are much harder to find. But a few exist today and found their way online. There are a couple on eBay right now.