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Morristown Elby’s Opened 65 Years Ago This Week. 

Ultra-Modern Unit Located at Morristown

𝟯𝗱 𝗘𝗹𝗯𝘆’𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲-𝗜𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱

Elby’s Drive-In Restaurants home of the Big Boy Hamburger today announced the formal opening of its newest unit, the ultra modern No. 3, located at Morristown, 0.9 miles west of St. Clairsville on U. S. Route 40.

Designed by Boury, Inc., and famed Chicago industrial design consultant Robert O. Burton, this newest Elby’s Drive-In Restaurant joins sister units currently in operation at Thedah Place in Wheeling and on Rt. 2 in Moundsville.

The land, buildings and equipment of the new Big Boy represent an investment of more than $200,000, according to a spokesman for the fast-expanding chain of restaurants.

Reached via the new Interstate Route 70 section between the top of Blaine Hill and the west end of St. Clairsville, the Morristown restaurant has a spacious parking lot capable of parking 125 cars. Sixty ordering speakers are located strategically around the parking area.

The manager of the new unit, which employs 25 persons, is Jack Miklas of Wheeling while the assistant manager is Bud Headley, formerly of Moundsville now residing in Morristown.

Some 60 persons can be served In comfort inside the restaurant while 300 persons are capable of being accommodated in cars parked at the speakers outside.

The addition of the Morristown restaurant to the Elby’s chain plus the expansion of existing units has caused officials of the firm to set a goal of serving meals to at least 2,000,000 persons.

Last year at the Moundsville and Thedah Place units alone, more than 1,000,000 patrons were accommodated.

For the design of the exterior of the Morristown unit, Burton who serves as industrial design consultant for Boury, Inc., of Wheeling, chose a California type building with large beams and into a natural brick face for front.

The exposed beam type of construction was carried as a theme into the interior design. The lighting fixtures selected for the Morristown unit are one of its features. Over the main serving counter is a decorative, W-shaped canopy with special type lighting fixtures.

Boury, Inc, of Wheeling provided the layout, equipment and furnishings for the new restaurant. Most of the dining room surfaces are covered with Formica. The restaurant features an all stainless steel kitchen and fountain area.

A major improvement in restaurant sanitary facilities has been included in the construction of the Morristown Elby’s. A refrigerated refuse room which improves sanitation, retards bacteria growth and eliminates all trace of odor have been built into the rear of the unit.

The new Elby’s at Morristown is located on a spacious tract of land the other part of which is scheduled to be used eventually for the construction of a shopping center, featuring a large supermarket.

Featured at the new unit will be such Elby’s specialties as the famous Big Boy Hamburger, fresh strawberry pies and other featured items like homemade pastries including 12 different kinds of pies prepared in Elby’s Commissary in Wheeling—onion rings, popular, complete dinners like shrimp, chicken, seafood platters and oysters in season and the newest addition to the specialty of the house dinner menu, the Elby’s Half Pound of Ground Round dinner. All food can be packed to take out.

This new unit opens for breakfast at 7 am daily and closes at 1 a.m., weekdays, 2 am, Friday and 3 am on Saturdays. During the summer, breakfast will be served from 6 A.M. daily.

Wheeling News-Register • March 27, 1960   

The Morristown (Ohio) store operated from March 1960 to September 1965, when a fire occurred. It would reopen in St. Clairsville the following year.

The Woodsdale, Moundsville and Morristown restaurants were true drive-in restaurants. After this, stores had larger dining rooms and diminishing curb service.

Source Elby’s Big Boy Fans Facebook Group.