Owner of Petaluma's First Drive Through Remembered for Good Food, Simpler Times

Edgar "Steve" Stephenson, the owner of the town’s first drive-through restaurant that left an indelible (and greasy) mark on an entire generation of Petalumans, died Wednesday. He was 95.

From 1952 to 1976, Stephenson and his wife, Marie, ran The Snack Bar, a tiny hamburger and shake diner on the corner of D Street and Lakeville that came to be known for its tasty food and ridiculously low prices.

At the Snack Bar, which patrons lovingly called the “Scarf ‘n’ Barf,” customers could get six burgers for just $1, along with fries, hot dogs, shakes and sodas that were made the old-fashioned way, that is, out of syrup mixed in with seltzer water.

There was so much nostalgia for the diner, where kids would head after football games and on weekends before cruising the boulevard, that last year one local resident started a Facebook page devoted to memories of the place. So when Stephenson died Wednesday, the page began to hum with activity as well wishers paid their respects to the family.

“Scarf-n-Barf was the pulse of Petaluma to us kids of the 70s who had the fortune to have a buck in our pocket and a Schwin,” wrote Martin Bernard, one of the page’s 718 members. “We would tie a fishing pole to our bikes, grab burgers and fries and spend the afternoon fishing near the D St. bridge.”

Others recalled the greasy fries that, along with the cheap, but tasty burgers, became synonymous with the restaurant.

“They double bagged the fries, in lunch sacks, and by the time you got to the D street bridge the grease was coming through already,” said Judy Buttke, a longtime Petaluma resident. “The burgers had no lettuce, tomato or anything, just a special relish sauce....and were 100 percent beef.”

The Stephenson family says they are surprised by the outpouring of comments and shared stories about their days working at the diner long before Jack in the Box and McDonalds arrived in town.

“My husband had worked at a bar, but every night drunks would come in,” recalled his wife, Marie, who at 95, is still going strong. “So someone suggested that he open a hamburger place. And he did.”

Edgar Stephenson was born in Iowa and joined the Air Force Army, which stationed him at the Hamilton Air Force Base south of Novato in 1941. That’s where he met Marie, a Petaluma girl who worked as a secretary.

“I thought he was very cute, so every morning I said 'Sergeant, can you help me clean my typewriter?'" Marie said, chuckling at the memory. The couple married the same year and had three children, David, Dennis and Ardis, who all worked at the restaurant while growing up.

“I remember picking up trash in the parking lot, washing windows; I used to hate that,” recalled Dennis Stephenson, 68, who still lives in Petaluma. “We’d have to get up on a Saturday morning and go work.”

And work they did, to keep up with the constant demand from the crowds, that were not only teenagers but also train operators stopping in for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. On an average day, Marie peeled some 100 pounds of potatoes, she said, cutting each one into fries by hand. The meat came from Studdert’s and the buns from Lombardi’s Bakery down the street.

Another trademark of the diner was the Wurlitzer jukebox, well-stocked with Elvis Presley records. But because of the odd location--right by the train tracks--The Snack Bar never became a hangout spot. And after Jack in the Box arrived to Petaluma in the mid ‘70s, Edgar Stephenson decided it was time to close up shop. His last day in business was New Year's Eve 1976.

He purchased in Girardo’s Fish & Chips in San Rafael the following year, but after three years, sold it and retired for good. He loved traveling or just going out for a drive, recalled his children. He was quiet, but also social and loved people.

Stephenson is survived by three children, seven grandchildren and nine grandchildren. No services have been scheduled.