Sunny Side Hut, Fredericksburg, Texas. (original) (raw)

Walter and Mary's business model took advantage of 3 trends in American society: the end of prohibition, the country's growing fondness for convenience food and Americans' love affair with the automobile.

At least two large businesses were already catering to Americans' affection for automobiles and fast food. National restaurant chains A&W and The Pig Stand delivered burgers, sandwiches and fries to customers who preferred to eat in their cars. Both companies claimed to be the first to use car hops (a variation of "bell hop") since the1920s.

Walter and Mary Hollmig were travelers. It is likely they saw the "drive-in" concept on one of their journeys and brought it back to the Texas Hill Country.

The original Sunny Side Hut, a small wooden building where Broadway Bank stands today, had no indoor dining. Customers walked up or drove up and ordered through the window. Then in 1941 the Hollmigs added on to the building providing space for a small indoor dining area, restrooms and storage. Sometime in the evolutionary process, Walter and Mary hired car hops for the convenience of the drive up customers.

After World War II the dining area had a few tables, a Wurlitzer Juke Box and a Skee-Ball game. Adults played dominoes in the back of the building by the walk-in cooler.

But drive up customers were the heart of the business. Cars would pull up in front of the building in the shade of a large canvas awning. Car hops would take orders and deliver the food to the driver in his car.

Sunny Side Hut served what has become standard fast food fare including burgers, fries, hot dogs, sandwiches, enchiladas, fountain drinks and ice cream. Walter Hollmig created the ice cream in a room in back of the building that today houses the Nevins Law Firm. Sunny Side Hut offered a variation of a Coney Island hotdog after Mary Hollmig had a Coney for lunch on a trip to New York.

In addition to standard fast food fare, the kitchen turned out a mean T-Bone steak, and the bar served ice cold beer on tap or in the bottle.