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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| Giant Mugs: Frostop Root Beer & Others (page 3) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| Frostop | |||
| 2008: North Little Rock, AR |
2011: Carlisle, AR |
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| The Frostop in North Little Rock had this giant mug on a platform in front of their building. In 2008, the restaurant moved to a shopping center nearby and the mug was sold. When these photos were taken in 2011, the mug was in storage and was about to be restored. It is installed on a trailer and will used for parades and special events. |
| Shipley Donuts Conway, AR |
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| This Shipley Donuts sign was built as a modern Frostop sign. This shopping center Frostop was short-lived. By 2007, the location had become a Shipley Donuts and the sign was adapted with a new paint job and the addition of a donut. This photo is from 2010. By 2017, the mug had been repainted for the store's new name, Shimmery Donut. [map] |
| Mark Twain Dinette Hannibal, MO |
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| The Mark Twain Dinette opened in 1942 in a Valentine diner with stools and a counter. It became part of the Frostop chain in 1963 and this mug sign was installed then. When the relationship with Frostop ended around the 1970s, the sign was repainted with the Mark Twain Dinette name. Around 2011, the mug was destroyed in a storm. It was replaced with this mug which had been saved from a closed Frostop in Monroe City, MO. It was repainted for Mark Twain and installed in 2018. It does not have the raised foam piece around the lip of the glass like the original mugs (e.g., see 2008 photos of the one in North Little Rock above). In 2020, the motor was replaced to keep the mug spinning. There is still a canopy with car hop service behind the building. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. [map] |
| former Frostop Tucson, AZ 2008: |
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| This former Frostop was here by 1972. The building housed the El Cachanilla Mexican restaurant when the first two photos were taken in 2008. The mug was painted as mug of Corona beer then. When the second two photos were taken in 2012, the building housed Three and a Half Brothers. The mug had been repainted as a mug of Hires Root Beer then. The restaurant closed and, by 2013, the building was housing the Wild Garlic Grill. The mug was repainted to resemble a mug of beer. Most of the front of the building was covered up. This mug is much smaller than those shown above. The handle is flat and the bottom is sealed. There is also no evidence of the attached foam piece on top. It may have been a local build based on the style of the other mugs. Or this may have been a later style of Frostop sign. In 2018, the building began housing Asian Sofrito. By 2022, the building was housing the Buendia Breakfast & Lunch Cafe. The building had been repainted and the mug is now orange. [map] |
| Frostop Tell City, IN |
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| This Frostop opened in 1955. It closed shortly after the top rows of photos were taken in 2006. The building was sold and some work was done to it, yet the restaurant remained closed. It reopened in 2011. I don't believe this location ever had a giant mug. The giant barrel that was there from when it opened is now gone. The barrel was outlined with neon and featured animated dripping. A peaked roof has been added to the building. The lettering on the side of the roof and the boxy structure on top are similar to the stand that was in Portage, MI. [map] |
| Larsen's Frostop (now Sip-N Drinks & Treats) St. George, UT |
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| Larsen's Frostop opened in 1965. This drive-in was originally part of the Frostop chain and had a giant spinning mug. When the franchise folded in the early 1980s, the mug was replaced with this neon sign. The mug was stored in the owner's backyard for several years and then was moved to a farm where it remained until 2020. It is now in Billings, MT where it will be displayed at Henry's Garage. In 2023, Larsen's closed and the building was being renovated for Sip-N Drinks & Treats which has three other locations in Utah. The Larsen's neon pole sign will be adapted. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
| former Frostop mug South Lake Tahoe, CA |
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| This former Frostop Mug is located at the Burger Lounge. This mug was a slimmer version of the Frostop mugs shown above. I don't know if this mug came from somewhere else or if there was a Frostop here originally. [map] |
| former Frostop Twain Harte, CA |
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| This former Frostop has another skinny mug. It was built in 1961. The building style is like those shown on the first page. The building now houses Caffe Blossom. The mug has been restored and repainted by the Twain Harte Cabin next door. It now reads Twain Harte, Heart of the Sierra. [map] |
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More Frostops, former Frostops, and Frostop Mugs:
Birmingham, AL [photo thanks Tim Hollis] [vintage; gone] Greenfield, CA [vintage; gone] Baton Rouge, LA [vintage; gone] Bountiful, UT [vintage; gone] Hurricane, UT [vintage; gone] Salt Lake City, UT [gone] Sandy, UT [gone] If you know of any other Frostop mugs or vintage buildings that are still around or have been adapted, I'd be thrilled to hear about them. |
| Lakefront Brewery Mug Milwaukee, WI |
Thunder Road Drive-in Lima, OH |
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This Lakefront Brewery Mug is about ten feet tall. It was originally located at the Milwaukee County Stadium where the Milwaukee Braves and Brewers played baseball from 1953-2000. Bernie Brewer, the Milwaukee Brewers mascot, would slide down into the mug after home runs and wins. The mug is now located at the Lakefront Brewery. Unfortunately, I could only shoot it from above when I was there in 2011. The Brewery also has Bernie's Chalet from which the slide descended. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The Thunder Road Drive-in was built from 2004-2009, entirely by the owner. I suspect that the rooftop mug sign was inspired by the Frostop mugs. The building bears an incredibly strong resemblance to Ritter's Frozen Custard stands. It has been closed since around 2018. [map] |
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More Mugs:
Del Norte, CO |
| Giant root beer barrels were used for Triple XXX Root Beer stands. For more about them and other root beer stands, see this section. |
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Frostop & Mugs page 1 |
Frostop & Mugs page 2 |
Giant Containers Main Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |
Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |