I grew up in the country about 5 miles south of Rochester,
we lived off what was then Highway 52 south.
About a mile up Hwy 52 from our home was
"The little store" & "The root beer stand"
"The little store" & "The root beer stand"
I remember as a young child going to get cold root beer in
frosty mug after our little league baseball games.
(yes I played boys baseball and was the only girl that did)
frosty mug after our little league baseball games.
The coaches would order up a gallon and pour it into our mugs after a big win.
No win = no root beer
Jump a few years ahead...
This root beer stand became my first real job.
The parents of a friend of mine owned it at the time and I was originally hired to go out to the cars to take orders, then give the order to the cook and deliver the food back out to the customers in their cars.
No, I was not one of those girls on roller skates, although that would have been fun :)
It wasn't long after I started working there that I was promoted to cook.....
WHAT, me a cook, I had no idea what-so-ever what I was doing.
I still don't know how this came to be, but somehow I "cooked" at age 15.
I was a quick learner, we battered our own cheese curds and corn dogs,
I grilled sandwiches and burgers....I did it all.
One memory I have of that late summer, a few months before I turned 16...
I had just met Rick, (then 17), he knew I worked at the root beer stand,( he lived about 3 miles closer to town), I told him never to come when I was working, you see I had to wear a nerdy looking bandanna scarf on my head when I cooked and I didn't want him to see me that way. I was very particular about my hair and well.....I had a major crush on him. I wanted to look my best when ever I saw him. It did not stop him.... he showed up one evening, on his bike, I think I wanted to DIE, I felt awkward, but he soon put me to ease as he always does, little did I know then he would be my husband 6 years later. I miss that little root beer stand, I would have loved to take our kids and grandkids there for a frosty mug root beer!
Who else remembers the good old root-beer stands?
The parents of a friend of mine owned it at the time and I was originally hired to go out to the cars to take orders, then give the order to the cook and deliver the food back out to the customers in their cars.
No, I was not one of those girls on roller skates, although that would have been fun :)
WHAT, me a cook, I had no idea what-so-ever what I was doing.
I still don't know how this came to be, but somehow I "cooked" at age 15.
I was a quick learner, we battered our own cheese curds and corn dogs,
I grilled sandwiches and burgers....I did it all.
One memory I have of that late summer, a few months before I turned 16...
I had just met Rick, (then 17), he knew I worked at the root beer stand,( he lived about 3 miles closer to town), I told him never to come when I was working, you see I had to wear a nerdy looking bandanna scarf on my head when I cooked and I didn't want him to see me that way. I was very particular about my hair and well.....I had a major crush on him. I wanted to look my best when ever I saw him. It did not stop him.... he showed up one evening, on his bike, I think I wanted to DIE, I felt awkward, but he soon put me to ease as he always does, little did I know then he would be my husband 6 years later. I miss that little root beer stand, I would have loved to take our kids and grandkids there for a frosty mug root beer!
Who else remembers the good old root-beer stands?
Photo's used from google images except me in my baseball uniform :)
This is one fantastic story with all those interesting details woven into its telling.
ReplyDeleteI remember the A & W root beer stand in Redwood Falls. On occasion, Dad would stop there and we could each order a frosty baby mug of root beer delivered to the car on a tray. I can still hear the jingle of coins in the change maker. Sometimes Dad would order a BBQ for himself and he always said they were the best BBQs.
We have an old-fashioned A & W in Faribault. I'll need to stop next summer and take pix. Too cold now.
I loved those A & W baby mugs, I'm pretty sure there was one of those in Rochester....I vaguely remember :)
ReplyDeleteWhat sweet memories:)
ReplyDeleteSeems like forever ago Jen, Good thing I still have my "long-term" memory :)
DeleteI really had to think about where this "root beer stand" was...couldn't picture it at all, and then I remembered...right by the Little Store, by Traci R's turn off....right? I mostly remember it as an auto body or car dealer type thing, but I do vaguely remember going there when it was a root beer stand! Boy, long time ago...and I have no memory AT ALL that you worked there. I thought Radisson was your first job. Also, memories of the A&W by Grandma and Grandpa Erickson's in Cresco...we would get to go there sometimes and get the frosted baby mugs...that I remember!
ReplyDeleteIt was a major part of our childhood, cant believe you dont remember it, especially since you would have been 8 when I was working there. Cant remember when it no longer was a root beer stand, mom would probably know.
ReplyDelete