How Swensons Drive-In Shaped Akron Food Culture

Wesley T. “Pop” Swenson’s drive-in empire started at Akron’s Buchtel High School in 1933 when he began serving burgers from the back of his station wagon. A year later, he opened his South Hawkins Avenue location, a small building with plenty of parking around it for customers to cruise in, order food and enjoy it from the comfort of their vehicles. 

Over 90 years later, motorists are still rolling onto the lot, particularly on this sunny Sunday in June to be among the first to get a taste of the drive-in’s collaboration with James Beard Award finalist and Akron native Vinnie Cimino. 

The executive chef and operating partner at Cordelia on Cleveland’s East Fourth Street is here for the kickoff event, dressed in the same attire as Swensons’ curb servers and helping them take orders for the new limited-time menu items. They include the Cordelia Pimento Burger, which features the chef’s pimento cheese recipe and is topped with Kool-Aid Pickles. 

The creation is a riff on Swensons’ famous Galley Boy and is indicative of how the burger chain (which has 20 stand-alone locations across Ohio) is merging fun and modern collaborations with the classic drive-in experience that has made the place a pillar of Akron food culture. A handful of other local drive-ins popped up and still operate today, but Swensons stands as the most well-known, with locations across the region, each having become part of the fabric of life in the region.

“I do think Goodyear and Firestone had a lot to do with that. It created such a car culture,” says Swensons Drive-In Restaurants CEO Dan Mesches. “Were there drive-ins around the country? Sure. But people weren’t so vehemently supportive as they are here.”

Swensons has evolved with the times, meaning innovations like ordering via app have become an option for those who desire it. But the heart of the Swensons Drive-In experience is the same as it has been for generations. It’s all about parking the car, turning on your lights for service and enjoying classic menu items like the Galley Boy (two patties with cheese, two special sauces and garnished with an olive), milkshakes and Potato Teezers — all served on a tray perched on the edge of a rolled-down car window. 

“What I love about this business is we’re like the theater,” Mesches says. “... Every day you start from scratch, and that’s a big responsibility but also a wonderful opportunity.”

40 S. Hawkins Ave., Akron 44313, 330/864-8416, swensonsdriveins.com

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Drive Time
These four Summit County drive-ins arrived after Swensons and still serve loyal customers to this day. 

Skyway Drive-In Restaurant: The original opened in Fairlawn in 1952 and still operates there. A Green location opened in 1997. skywayrestaurants.net, skywaydrive-in.com

Dilly’s Drive-In: Home of the Double Dilly Burger, this drive-in has been around since 1985 and has locations in both Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. doubledilly.com

B&K Root Beer: Open since 1953, this Cuyahoga Falls spot is known for its burgers, coney dogs and root beer. It also serves an Akron specialty: the sauerkraut ball. bkrootbeer.com

Wink’s Drive-In: Open since 1991, this 1950s-style drive-in in Barberton is known for its variety of burgers. It got new owners in 2021 and a makeover two years later. winksdrive-in.com

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