Jack Swerman holding plans to Shooster’s Resturant.builders.1951 Inset photo - Inscription on back of watch, “To Jack Swerman in apprecia- tion, The Shoosters, Feb.19, 1952
Neon was a new thing during those years. The interior had a Hollywood themed dining area. It gave an air of excitement for our guests. A custom-built counter outlined the working area with a bank of sparkling new Hamil- ton-Beach milk shakers sitting on top. Every- thing was new. We still had outdoor carhops But now we also had indoor service and every- thing that goes with that. The new place encompassed the old build- ing as an extension of its design. Throughout the remodeling, we didn’t skip a beat, remain- ing open during the entire construction. The architect that guided us through the transformation was Jack Swerman. His design ended up on the front cover of the November 1952, issue of American Restaurant Magazine , complete with a multi-page article. This maga- zine was considered the bible of the industry. During the build-
DRIVE-IN TO RESTAURANT
Herman Shooster - My Father and Harry decided to enlarge the restaurant. I was against this idea, but he already had an archi- tectural plan drawn up. I preferred to make a few small restaurants in other locations. Those were the years before McDonald’s fast-food restaurants. Imagine what that could have been today. In the end, I agreed with the plan and construction started in 1951. The expansion brought us into a new, different business. Until then we were just selling hamburgers and shakes. Young people would drive-in and hang out. The new place was a full-scale restaurant with indoor seat- ing designed for a different sort of clientele. In many ways, it mirrored our growing sophisti- cation as a family. My brothers and I were all born in America. We were making our place among the wider community, interacting and attracting business executives from the near- by factories for lunch or dinner. The remodeling completely transformed the place. A giant redwood tower with a neon sign flashed, Shooster’s. It lit up the night sky.
ing of the tower for the sign, I picked up a piece of scrap redwood and carved a horse’s head on it. That’s the only piece of the old building that still exists today.
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