Historical Timeline & Pictures

 

1918: Originally built by the Cunninghams as a Lubrite Service Station on 9025 Manchester Road at High School Drive, Brentwood, Missouri.  

1932: Several operators utilized the service station structure including the Walter Schuermann Filling Station 1932-37 and the M. Nezol Gas Company 1938-1942.

1943: The building was converted it into a summer time hot dog stand with outdoor seating only; The Foot Long Hot Dog Company. Property owners were and Chas. Hooten & Thomas Kohn.

1950: Walter Breeden establishes the Breeden’s Long Dog also known as the Good Food Drive Inn. The address becomes the present day 9033 Manchester Road. 

1959: A Tornado badly damages the roof, windows and contents of the building. Breeden quickly rebuilds and it was business as usual.

1959: Carl Meyer (25 years old) and wife Patricia purchase the drive inn and open Carl’s Drive In. Carl offered curb service.

1962: Major remodeling took place; enclosing the drive in and installing air conditioning thus creating indoor seating for 16.

1964: Frank Cunetto recalls his first time at Carl’s with his older brother that just got his driver’s license.

1969: Carl’s discontinued curb service. Good help was hard to find and patrons preferred the convenience of air conditioning.

1985: Antique Warehouse Curator Greg Rhomberg discovers Carl’s the morning after his initiation into the Sigma Chi Fraternity at St. Louis University.

1986: Frank Cunetto becomes a 50% partner with Carl Meyer, a short thirteen months latter Carl retires and Frank becomes the sole proprietor.

1992: Greg’s oldest daughter Virginia cuts her teeth on a single hamburger with Ketchup and a “baby beer”.

1997: Ron Ryan’s giant Ronnie’s Rocky MTN., a St. Louis handmade ice cream novelty item, is available at Carl’s.        

2004: Antique Warehouse is granted special permission to dispense Carl’s Root Beer using an original Multiplex Root Beer Barrel and a system perfected by Frank Cunetto and Ron Ryan.

2007: For the record book it’s “Carl’s Drive In”.

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