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Root Beer Stands (page 3)

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Triple XXX Family Restaurant
West Lafayette, IN

Triple XXX Root Beer
Issaquah, WA

Big Daddy's Drive-in [gone]
Auburn, WA
La Placita
Houston, TX
Triple XXX Root Beer was developed around 1908 in Galveston, TX. The XXX represents a rating system, similar to three stars, with the XXX indicating excellence. In the 1920s, Triple XXX Root Beer was distributed nationwide and about 100 "Triple XXX Thirst Stations" were built. Some of the early locations featured giant barrels as part of the building design. A location in Waco, TX was known as Harry Lewis Triple XXX. It was apparently remodeled as Bill Wood's Famous Foods. Some other examples were the Triple XXX Root Beer stands in Seattle, WA and Walla Walla, WA. There are now only two XXX stands still in existence (see below). There are two surviving Triple XXX barrel buildings in Montana.

The Triple XXX Family Restaurant in West Lafayette was built in 1929 and was the first drive-in in Indiana. The stand still uses the original Triple XXX root beer formula. For more, see this website. [map]

The first drive-in and Triple XXX Root Beer stand in the Northwest was built in Renton, WA in 1930. The first Issaquah location was built in the 1930s or 1940s. It featured a barrel shaped building design. It operated until the 1950s. In 1968, the giant sign was moved to its current location and the stand reopened. Today, the stand gets its Triple XXX syrup from the Coca-Cola Company. [map]

The Big Daddy's Drive-in building shared the same design as the Triple XXX in Issaquah. I don't know when it was built. The stand closed in 2014 and the property was surrounded by chain link fencing when these photos were taken in 2015. The building was demolished in 2016.

There is still a former Triple XXX Root Beer building, possibly from 1927, in Clarkston, WA. It was later known as Smitty's Barrel. It now houses Sinaloa Mexican Restaurant. There was apparently another location in Seattle, WA.

Inspiration, coincidence, or possibly a former Triple XXX, there is a similar root beer barrel shaped sign in Houston. The building has housed La Placita since at least 2007. I'm pretty sure it's the same sign and remodeled building as this Weber's Root Beer. [map]

Root Beer Stands
(page 1)
Root Beer Stands
(page 2)
A&W B&K Dog n Suds Stewart's Weber's

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