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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| Giant Mugs: Frostop Root Beer & Others (page 3) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| Drive In Restaurant Taylors Falls, MN |
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| The Drive In Restaurant opened as Allan's Drive-Inn in 1956, featuring Frostop root beer. The mug sign was installed in 1963. It came from another Frostop in Hastings, MN which had closed. This mug still revolves. [map] |
| Mark Twain Dinette Hannibal, MO |
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| The Mark Twain Dinette opened in 1942 in a Valentine diner with stools and a counter. It became part of the Frostop chain in 1963 and this mug sign was installed then. When the relationship with Frostop ended around the 1970s, the sign was repainted with the Mark Twain Dinette name. Around 2011, the mug was destroyed in a storm. It was replaced with this mug which had been saved from a closed Frostop in Monroe City, MO. It was repainted for Mark Twain and installed in 2018. It does not have the raised foam piece around the lip of the glass like the original mugs (e.g., see 2008 photos of the one in North Little Rock above). In 2020, the motor was replaced to keep the mug spinning. There is still a canopy with car hop service behind the building. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. [map] |
| Frostop Greenville, MS |
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| By 2007, this Frostop mug was no longer spinning. There was also another sign at that location in 2004 which was gone by 2007. Around 2011, the business moved to its current location. The mug was installed in the parking lot. [map] |
| Bob's Root Beer Fallon, NV |
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| Bob's Root Beer opened in Fallon in 1962. According to one account, the location was previously an A&W Drive-in which opened in 1960. I don't know when Bob's acquired this Frostop mug or if the restaurant was actually originally a Frostop and this sign was already there. Bob's closed in 2006 and the mug was moved here to Top Gun Raceway. These photos are from 2014. For more, see this website. |
| Frostop Salem, OH |
Benny's Pizza Marysville, OH |
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The Frostop in Salem opened in 1960. The building is still there but the business was closed for many years. This photo is from 2009. The giant mug on the roof was removed in 2019. It is now privately owned. The mug was restored in 2021 and is installed on a trailer. It revolves and is displayed during special local events. For more, see this website.
Benny's Pizza has occupied this former Frostop since at least 1996. [map] |
| former Frostop [gone] Springfield, OH |
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| This Frostop location opened in 1926. This building was constructed in 1955. The stand last operated as Root 41 Root Beer, a reference to its location on Route 41. The giant mug was removed from the roof in 2005. The stand was still open in 2007 but closed by the time of these photos in 2010. By 2012, the interior had been gutted and the building was in use as an antiques store. In 2014, the building next door began operating as the "Frostop Drive-Thru" selling beer, snacks, animal feed, gardening supplies, and "Frostop root beer floats." The actual Frostop building was fenced off. By 2018, the building had been demolished. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Larsen's Frostop (now Sip-N Drinks & Treats) St. George, UT |
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| Larsen's Frostop opened in 1965. This drive-in was originally part of the Frostop chain and had a giant spinning mug. When the franchise folded in the early 1980s, the mug was replaced with this neon sign. The mug was stored in the owner's backyard for several years and then was moved to a farm where it remained until 2020. It is now in Billings, MT where it will be displayed at Henry's Garage. In 2023, Larsen's closed and the building was being renovated for Sip-N Drinks & Treats which has three other locations in Utah. The Larsen's neon pole sign remains with the text panel covered with a vinyl sign with the new name. The other signs on the building were removed. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
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More Utah:
Bountiful [vintage; gone] Hurricane [vintage; gone] Sandy [gone] |
| Frostop Drive Inn Huntington, WV |
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| The Frostop Drive Inn opened in 1959. The original building design remains the same. In 2019, the bearings in the mug were repaired so that it could revolve again. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
| If you know of any other Frostop mugs or vintage buildings that are still around or have been adapted, I'd be thrilled to hear about them. |
| Lakefront Brewery Mug Milwaukee, WI |
Thunder Road Drive-in Lima, OH |
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This Lakefront Brewery Mug is about ten feet tall. It was originally located at the Milwaukee County Stadium where the Milwaukee Braves and Brewers played baseball from 1953-2000. Bernie Brewer, the Milwaukee Brewers mascot, would slide down into the mug after home runs and wins. The mug is now located at the Lakefront Brewery. Unfortunately, I could only shoot it from above when I was there in 2011. The Brewery also has Bernie's Chalet from which the slide descended. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The Thunder Road Drive-in was built from 2004-2009, entirely by the owner. I suspect that the rooftop mug sign was inspired by the Frostop mugs. The building bears an incredibly strong resemblance to Ritter's Frozen Custard stands. It has been closed since around 2018. [map] |
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More Mugs:
Del Norte, CO |
| Giant root beer barrels were used for Triple XXX Root Beer stands. For more about them and other root beer stands, see this section. |
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Frostop & Mugs page 1 |
Frostop & Mugs page 2 |
Giant Containers Main Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |
Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |