Above: Two images of the Ithaca A&W Drive-In from the 1960s. First, a very early photo from the early 1960s; below, a June 9, 1966 newspaper advertisement.

For three decades, a familiar landmark sat east of the US-27 overpass on Washington Road near Ithaca. Today, you can see only bushes in front of a small ditch next to the highway. However, this spot once contained a popular place to eat known as the Ithaca A&W drive-in.

The A&W story began in 1957 when the State of Michigan appeared on the front steps of the Hayes Farm east of Ithaca. On that day, the agent told Ken Hayes that the state needed to purchase fifteen acres of land for the new highway, which would cut across the northwest part of the farm. After hearing the agent’s offer, Mr. Hayes, who previously worked for the state highway system, knew that he could not fight eminent domain and immediately agreed to the deal. After encountering many landowners along the new US-27 route who resisted the state’s land purchases in the 1950s, the shocked agent could not believe that Hayes accepted the offer so readily. That transaction helped open a new highway interchange on July 1, 1960, but it radically affected traffic around Ithaca.

Soon, something else happened when John (Jack) Nault from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, came to Ithaca and wanted to buy a small parcel of ground near the interchange. After purchasing the property from Ken Hayes, Nault built and opened the Ithaca A&W sometime in 1960. Nault began with a small building surrounded by an asphalt parking lot. By the start of the first full year of operation in 1961, a metal canopy appeared overhead, along with a raised roof that sported the A&W logo.

At this new Ithaca A&W, the enticing aroma of cooked hamburgers traveled across the parking lot. Business was so good after opening that the supply of hamburgers and buns frequently ran out. The owner then called Winget’s grocery store in Ithaca for an emergency delivery, even on a Sunday. The A&W Root Beer, made from two vats, was a unique mixture of water, carbonation, and concentrated mix. Customers immediately loved it for its refreshing taste. Customers also loved the unique way the frosty mugs, which came in three sizes, looked when filled with root beer. The restaurant used a tank filled with frigid water to hold the mugs so they looked frosted when they hit the air.

Waitresses were also part of the Ithaca A&W story. The waitresses had to manage the weight of the five-pound change machine around their waists while balancing trays loaded with food and drinks. They also had to pay for all broken and stolen mugs and trays, which customers sometimes took as souvenirs. Once, Renee (Barton) Smith remembered a time in the early 1970s when she had to pay for thirteen missing or broken mugs and two trays. The waitresses then made only $1.25 per hour, plus the frequently poor tips. However, there were other lighter moments at the A&W. Once, while working out in the parking lot, Smith heard a loud noise coming up toward the US-27 off-ramp. Suddenly, a Corvette raced down and across Washington Road, circled the nearby gas station, then drove back up the exit ramp and headed north again on US-27 – all without stopping! Another time, Smith recalled taking a phone order for three papa burgers, two mama burgers, five fries, and a gallon of root beer. After being asked how many cups the man needed, he replied, “I don’t need any. I’m going to drink it all here.” A regular customer, he consumed the entire order by himself.

Following Jack Nault’s ownership, others like Don Anderson, followed by Dick and Nancy Kimmel, owned and operated the Ithaca A&W. After the drive-in closed in the early 1990s, a Mexican restaurant operated there, followed by a hairstyling shop. When the new Beacon and Bridge gas station opened, it tore out the last remains of the old A&W parking lot. Yet memories remained of frosty mugs, tasty root beer, delicious hamburgers, and what was once an early drive-in restaurant for people around Ithaca.

Copyright 2026 James M. Goodspeed