Welcome to
the Lendy's
Web Page, part 7.
Welcome to
the Lendy's
Web Page, part 7.
Featuring Salem and Roanoke Va.'s most FAMOUS restaurant chain.
click image to see site today
A rare color photo of the "Mainliner" on Franklin road (1961). This Lendy's reflected the modern "Googie" architecture that was so popular at Drive-Ins and Coffee Shops across the country during that period.
Sadly, this building no longer exists. It was torn down in the mid '70s to make room for Lendy's 'Great Time Machine', a themed restaurant.
click images for enlarged views
A six foot tall "Big Boy" greets customers at the front walk of the Mainliner. Inside, two Lendy's employees strike a pose at the "Take Home" department, wearing Lendy's customary Col. Sanders style plantation ties.
Steve Stinson's poster featuring Lendy's and many other Roanoke memories is available at his website HERE.
click image for closer look
Friday November 2nd, 1955. The first Shoney's in the Roanoke area officially opens, and the Lendy's story begins. Hours of operation - 10:00 A.M. 'til 1:00 A.M. Week-ends 'til 3:00 A.M. Customers actually got a sneak preview the prior week, while the restaurant went through its shakedown (See top of page
one). According to owner
Leonard Goldstein, the crowds far exceeded his expectations.
click TeleTray menu for enlarged view
The original menu
insert from the Apperson Drive location.
The TeleTrays were unique, and one
of the first things mentioned by most people when reminiscing about
Lendy's. There was just something cool about using them. Originally
designed to speed service and reduce operating costs by requiring
fewer Car Hops, (or Curb Girls as Lendy's called them), they became an
attraction for the novelty of ordering through the speakers.
Teletray Trivia
Original model
'60s replacement
There were actually two different types of TeleTrays used at Lendy's
during its years of operation. The first had a smaller top cap and
menu display, while the replacement (actually a refit of the upper
half) featured a light bar across the top, and a larger menu display.
Also the speakers which had originally been detachable, were solidly
mounted to the edge of the tabletop, possibly to deter theft.
click image to view Big Boy comic
Lexington Lendy's
Big Boy restaurant franchises (like Lendy's) used to give out free Big Boy comic books to the kids. This issue, from 1963, came from the Lakeside Yoda's / Lendy's location.
click image to see building today
On US Route 60 entering Lexington (East Nelson Street), this little building still stands. Although it featured the "Kentucky Fried Chicken" motif, the street signage identified it as a Lendy's. This photo was taken in the late '60s.
Have a peek at the
BUCKETMOBILE
ad from 1961 roanoke times
Have you heard? Shoney's is now Lendy's - The day it changed
1961 was a pivotal year for the growing chain. Leonard Goldstein stopped using the Shoney's name for his restaurants and began operating under a new name, Lendy's*. In addition, Colonel Sanders' Kentucky Fried Chicken was introduced to the Roanoke area.
*named for one of Leonard's three daughters.
Harland Sanders visited
several of the Roanoke valley Lendy's in 1963, but he wasn't quite so famous
yet, and most people supposed he was just an actor.
...but the kids knew
better.
The Lendy's Billboards
Lendy's Radio Commercials, part II
click image for Fred's page
Fred Klein (air name Fred King) made these Lendy's commercials in 1968 while working as a disc jockey at WROV.
Spot #1 The Origin of the Onion
Spot #2 The Lendy's Drive-In Game - pt.1
Spot #3
The
Lendy's Drive-In Game - pt.2
All good things must come to an end..
click image for enlarged view
1980. After 25 years in business, Leonard Goldstein closed his Lendy's restaurants. Curb service had already been discontinued in 1975. Times and tastes had changed, people seemed to have tired of eating in their cars, preferring the comfort of indoor dining. And the new pizza establishments had largely taken away the youth market. I invite you to read the guestbook, and see how integral these places were to many people growing up in the Roanoke Valley throughout the '50s, '60s and '70s. Leonard Goldstein passed away in 2003. If you have any
Lendy's
photos or stories you'd like to share, send them here. Comments,
memories...drop a note in the guestbook.
Sign
The Guestbook
Links
USA Yesterday (Old Sites around the USA)
Roadside Peek (a yesterworld on the web)
Janie's Bob's Big Boy Web Site
Agilitynut's Roadside Architecture
Photographs Courtesy Leonard Goldstein
Ad's Courtesy Pat Dotson (Pat's Cafe)
Radio & TV Ads Courtesy Tommy Holcomb
Graphic Assistance, Kipp Teague
