Ted Drewes Route 66 St Louis MO_7R2_DSC0441_16-08-21
by Greg Kluempers
Title
Ted Drewes Route 66 St Louis MO_7R2_DSC0441_16-08-21
Artist
Greg Kluempers
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Ted Drewes is a chain of frozen custard shops in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The frozen custard franchise was founded by Ted Drewes, Sr. in 1930. The shop on Chippewa Street (designated as a section of historic U.S. Route 66) is open much of the year, while the South Grand Boulevard location is open from mid-May through late August. In 2014, a third location was opened at St. Louis Ballpark Village next to Busch Stadium.
Ted Drewes started making frozen custard while working for a carnival and opened his first fixed location near St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1929. The first St. Louis shop began serving in 1930 on Natural Bridge Avenue near Goodfellow Blvd. Less than a year later, it was moved westward along the avenue. A second location was opened at 4224 South Grand Blvd. in 1931. In 1941, a third location opened at 6726 Chippewa Street, on one of the alignments of U.S. Route 66 through St. Louis. The Natural Bridge and Florida locations had closed by 1958.
For decades, the Grand Avenue location was the flagship store, serving what was then a densely populated urban area in the neighborhood of Dutchtown and near the neighborhoods of Tower Grove South, Gravois Park, Bevo Mill, Holly Hills, and Carondelet. Each year, it would open in April and close on October 31. The Chippewa location served as an outpost near the city limits for travelers heading to or returning from an Ozark weekend getaway. In those days, it was open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
As the population shifted west in the city and to the suburbs, the Chippewa store became the flagship location. Its season extended to more of the year, while the shop on Grand shortened its seasonal operation. In the wake of the transition, the Chippewa Street store expanded its building and bought a neighboring property to accommodate parking. As dessert eating habits have changed, the Chippewa store has stayed open later in the year. It is now closed for the winter only during the month of January. In 2013, it closed briefly owing to a minor electrical fire. The South Grand location now opens only for the summer months.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Ted Drewes sells live Christmas trees.
Uploaded
August 23rd, 2016
Statistics
Viewed 1,881 Times - Last Visitor from Beverly Hills, CA on 03/27/2024 at 7:38 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet