Mel’s Drive-In restaurants, which includes a location at the actual western terminus of Route 66 in Santa Monica, marked its 75th birthday on Dec. 14 at its eight locations in the San Francisco and Los Angeles regions.
On its birthday, the regional chain offered 75% off classic food items, including the Mel burger, country eggs, pancakes, milkshakes, coffee and soda.
According to the Santa Monica Daily Press:
Colton Weiss and his brother Chasen Weiss are co-owners of the business which has grown from the original San Francisco drive-in opened in 1947 to eight restaurants in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, all while staying in the family.
“We’re third generation Mel’s and fourth generation restaurateurs,” Colton said. “It’s just a big milestone for us and we couldn’t have gotten here without our customers and our loyal employees that have got us to where we are today.”
The Weiss brothers said they think Mel’s ongoing success comes from the restaurants’ friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
“It’s just an easy place to grab some food and have fun,” Colton Weiss said. “You don’t have to make a reservation, people know we’re there and open and they can come in and really enjoy themselves and bring in their families and friends and have a great time.”
The Weisses also credited the restaurant’s retro architecture and iconic locations — particularly the Santa Monica one at the western end of Route 66 at Olympic and Lincoln boulevards. That one opened in 2018 at the former Penguin Coffee Shop, built in 1959.
They said they get Route 66 travelers from all over the world at that location, and those customers receive a certificate upon the completion of their journey.
Though Mel’s long has been associated with L.A., it started in 1947 in San Francisco and was featured in the 1973 iconic hit film, “American Graffiti.”
A bit of clarification: Though the famous Santa Monica Pier about a mile away has been reported as the western end of Route 66, the highway never officially ended there.
The official Lincoln and Olympic terminus once was so dull, travelers sought a more exciting and symbolic ending at the pier and the Pacific Ocean.
The pier still remains iconic for Route 66 travelers, but the recent addition of Mel’s makes the official terminus much more enticing.
(Images of the new Mel’s Drive-In in Santa Monica, California, via Facebook)