Friday, July 11, 2025

Dog N Suds Carhops on Roller Skates – July 1967

Did you know that from time to time, Ilene's Dog N Suds drive-in out on North Ridge Road put their carhops on roller skates? 

Above is the ad from the Journal of July 25, 1967 announcing this only-on-Wednesdays promotional gimmick. It's a cute idea, right out of TV's Happy Days.

I'll have to ask Heather, the manager (who I interviewed for Leisure Living) if the drive-in had ever revived that particular idea in recent years. I don't recall ever seeing it.

But it's just as well. I would be cringing watching a carhop with a full tray of root beers and coney dogs rolling out to a car, anticipating a comical crash. 

Now, the promotion advertised below in a Journal ad from that same year is more my speed: a free Dog N Suds coloring book. The ad, which ran in the Journal on April 22, 1967, notes that "the book is full of pictures of Rover, that famous Dog "n ' Suds dog.

And here's the book that was very likely being given away that day.
I always thought Rover looked like Walt Disney's Goofy. Or perhaps Mickey Mouse's pet canine – Pluto Pup.
Anyway, this summer Ilene's Dog N Suds has had a limited number of root beer mugs for sale, bearing the current version of the Rover mascot. I picked up my mug last Sunday, when I stopped there to treat myself to a root beer float. It's a nice little souvenir of my many visits there this summer.

7 comments:

  1. As long as I lived in Lorain, I 've never been to Dog-N-Suds, although I 've heard that the food is really good.

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    1. The bride and I take our grandsons there every year when we take them on our "Staycation"

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  2. Frequented in the 70's the car hops wore this long ponytail like wig or a fall like Jeannie on I dream of Jeannie only longer for a short time and I swear they were on roller skates. It didn't last long. It was the place to eat before going to the Tower Drive in. Alan, they have a Texas burger basket that was my favorite. I would still order today.

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  3. Whenever I travel back to Lorain for a family visit I always get the big three…Yala’s pizza, Lake Erie perch, and an Oh Boy. Dan thanks to all your recent Dog ‘n Suds posts I need to work in a coney dog and root beer. Are the mugs still frosted? I haven’t been there since the mid 80’s.
    Todd

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  4. Dog&Suds, A&W Root Beer. Now these are real drive-ins! Food delivered to the car on a tray that hooks on the window and that is eaten IN THE CAR!!

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  5. in the early 70s I remember them being on rollerskates, but I don’t think that lasted very long

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