March 28, 2024

60 years of drive-in treats celebrated Friday

GREENFIELD — “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!”

Lots of people were screaming for ice cream Friday as Greenfield’s drive-in ice cream shop celebrated its 60th anniversary. For 60 years, a drive-in ice cream shop, also featuring sandwiches and other menu items, has been located at 610 SE Kent St., across from the hospital.

Tiger Drive-In, the latest name for the place, celebrated that anniversary Friday complete with discounted cones and lots of history that was on hand for guests to look at. The store also still has the original money drawers intact.

“To play a part in the history of this place is a pretty awesome accomplishment,” said Katie Huff, who currently manages TDI. Her parents, Dave and Kendalyn Huff, own it.

“One building has housed the same business for 60 years. I think that’s what is the coolest part of it,” she added. “It’s not one building that has been five different things, it’s been one thing.”

Humble beginnings

The Huffs are the sixth family to own the shop, which was first owned by Dale and Byrlee Jensen as a Tastee Freez. The original building was 32 feet wide and 32 feet deep, built by Betts and Beer of Adair.

Its parent company, Tastee Freez, opened in 1950. Its founders were Leo S. Moranz and Harry Axene. Axene had worked for Dairy Queen while Moranz had invented a soft serve pump and freezer which enabled their product. The pumps and freezers were later produced by the company and sold to future franchisees.

The first Tastee Freez was in Keithsburg, Illinois, but by 1957, there were 1,800 locations. Now there are just eight.

Beside Tastee Freezes in eight to 10 flavors, Greenfield’s store sold self-serve milk, bulk ice cream, frozen cones, ice cream sticks and sandwiches, a line of toppings, and breads, rolls and more, the Adair County Free Press of the day read.

Future owners of the store would be Gene and Karen Schlieffarth in the late 1970s, Dennis and Sally Corcoran from 1979 to 1992, Mike and Emily Miller from 1992 to 2006, then Monty and Sherri Kramer from 2006 to 2016.

Then the Huffs bought it.

The Huff era

Katie Huff worked for the ice cream shop in a couple of different stints. She worked there as part of an internship with her hotel and restaurant management course of study at Iowa State University when the Millers owned it, but she worked there later when the Kramers owned it.

Huff worked in other avenues, but one day, her mom asked her what she thought of becoming her own boss and running Tiger Drive-In. She liked the idea, and five years later, she’s still at it. Her dad does all of the bookwork while her mom, when she’s not busy with children, grandchildren, or her full-time job, will come help run the restaurant when needed.

Through the years, Tastee Freez became Tiger Drive-In. The kitchen was also moved from where the seating area current is to an addition in the back.

Whether it’s in the kitchen or in the ice cream prep portion of Tiger Drive-In, many high school and college-aged students are employed by the shop.

“A lot of the kids who have worked here havegone on to work in other restaurants,” Huff said, explaining that each one gets a certificate in food management training that lasts five years.

“We want them to learn about the responsibility of being in charge, time management and communication skills are huge. If someone has the wrong order, they have to problem solve that,” Huff said. “I think they’re better human beings for that. To say ‘I’m sorry’ to someone you’ve never met before is really hard, but it teaches them to get off their phones, put down the game controller and see people face to face.”

60 years more

Huff hopes Tiger Drive-In can thrive for 60 years more. One of the values Tiger Drive-In holds is carrying a “come down, sit down” attitude where service is more about the people coming in to eat or visit than how many customers they can serve in a day.

“If it takes you an hour to eat french fries and an ice cream, it’s just nice to have you here,” she said. “We’re not here to push you out or turn over tables. It’s come, take a break and relax. It’s the nostalgia. It’s taking a step back in time. It’s as quick of service as we can do for what we make. It’s that family style that you come in and we’ll make you feel as welcome as we can.”

Caleb Nelson

Caleb Nelson

Caleb Nelson has served as News Editor of the Adair County Free Press and Fontanelle Observer since Oct. 2017. He and his wife Kilee live in Greenfield. In Greenfield and the greater Adair County area, he values the opportunity to tell peoples' stories, enjoys playing guitar, following all levels of sports, and being a part of his local church.