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North Dakota Eateries

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Scotty's Drive-in
Bismarck, ND
Scotty's Drive-in opened in 1964 and was originally part of a chain. By 1966, there were seven locations in at least six states. The chain disbanded in 1968 and the surviving locations began operating independently. At that time, this location changed its name briefly to Sandy's Drive-in. At some point, this location lost its rooftop sign. This sign originally had poles on top supporting backlit plastic "flying saucers" like the other locations. I believe thoses were removed in 2007 when the sign was renovated. In 1977, a Scotty's Jr. opened at the former DownTowner lounge and restaurant in downtown Bismarck. Scotty's Jr. moved to the mall the following year and closed soon after that. [map]

The other three surviving locations are in Aberdeen, SD; Idaho Falls, ID; and Scottsbluff, NE. There were other locations in Mitchell, SD; Sioux City, IA; Glendive, MT; Helena, MT, and possibly others. If you know of any others, I'd love to hear about them.

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