In the summer of 1949, Danny Snyder and his father opened an ice cream shop in Centralia, Pennsylvania.
Their location, that they referred to as the "cup" building, sold strictly ice cream. The location was picked out by Danny, while his father thought they needed a location closer to Ashland Hospital.
In the Fall of 1950, Danny eventually listened to his father and moved the business to where his father suggested, the current location on Hoffman Blvd. in Ashland. This is when the business received it's new name "The Boulevard Drive-In". The new location would begin to offer takeouts.
7 years later, the location needed to expand as they were running out of room for their customers. A new addition was built in the Spring of 1957 to allow more seating with more booths and stools. This was also the time they added a PA system to announce orders to customers waiting in their cars. Customers still to this day order their food or ice cream at the takeout window, then eat in their vehicles.
The business grew as people loved his signature "Hot Sauce" (created by Danny's mom) and great location to park your car and just meet up with friends. The restaurant would begin to be known as a "landmark" of the Ashland Area.
30 years later, in 1989, Danny eventually decided to retire and sell his business to his oldest son Randy, who still owns the business today.
While the name of business was the "Boulevard Drive-In", customers and locals would always refer to it as "Danny's". In 1990, the name was officially changed to "Danny's Boulevard Drive In".
After Danny's retirement, he spent his time between Pennsylvania and Florida. You may have even caught Danny riding his bicycle around the restaurant's parking lot.
Sadly, this past Monday, March 23rd, 2015, Danny passed away in Florida at the age of 88.
Thank you Danny for all you've done and the memories you've helped create.
What's your favorite item to order from Danny's? What's your fondest memory? Share your thoughts below!
http://www.dannysdrivein.com/
Danny's Obituary
http://kullheizenroth.frontrunnerpro.com/book-of-memories/2093508/Snyder-Daniel/obituary.php