A new drive-in opened in Des Plaines last week, and, while Des Plaines has been home to a number of drive-ins, Rand Red Hots, 1441 Rand Road, is the only one that still looks like a drive-in.
Rand Red Hots has a very brief menu, reminiscent of the limited-menu, fast-service model perfected by McDonald's, whose first corporate restaurant is just around the corner on Lee Street.
Rand Red Hots has given the building a major makeover, with new blacktop and concrete, a rebuilt restaurant area, removed car shelters, new lighting outside, and more. Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., business has been brisk in the first days.
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There were once numerous drive-ins in Des Plaines. The River and Rand area was the first auto-oriented shopping area with individual parking lots to flourish in the post-World War II boom, and so had the most drive-ins.
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Rand Red Hots was a classic drive-in restaurant. As , it opened in 1964 as a Cock Robin ice cream stand, serving square scoops and small burgers, then became a Top's Big Boy for several years before becoming a car dealership until now, except for a short stint as J & J Sliders, another fast food restaurant.
There were other drive-ins scattered around town. The Point was located at Busse and Northwest highways, and the Highlander, which is now , was at River Road and Oakton Street.
Earlier:
Henry's Hamburgers was located at , Kelly's Jet System, a McDonald's imitation, was on Lee Street, which is now parking and Burger King on Lee Street.
Dog n Suds and Dairy Queen was near Algonquin and Wolf roads, and there was a Dog n Suds near Wolf and Central roads, which is now .
The River and Rand shopping area also had McDonald's, a drive-in toy store, , four gas stations, Well's Drive-In and Howard Johnson, the site of McDonald's, Dairy Queen, which is now and Robert Hall Clothiers, which is now U.S. Cellular.
There was also a drive-in cleaners, , Kinney Shoes, which is now , the oval-shaped Jim's Drive-In & Sinclair, which is now , Berkey Photo Service, now , and more.
