Some Local History From Days Past: The Lawndale Snack Shop Operated From The 1950’s To About 1965
About three years ago, Debbie, Sophie, and I were riding through Lawndale when we passed what was once the Lawndale Snack Shop. As we went by, it occurred to me that someday this little building, along with the stories and memories associated with it, might simply be lost to time. We stopped to take a photograph, and I began putting together the story as I remembered it.
I’ve been writing about local history and sharing personal memories on my blog for almost 10 years now. I feel it’s important to preserve these stories, because once they’re forgotten, a small but meaningful part of our local history disappears with them.
In our small town of Lawndale, one of the local favorites was the Lawndale Snack Shop, a place that brings back many fond memories. Yes, I was young in those days, but the memories remain surprisingly good, even after all these years.
The Lawndale Snack Shop, which operated from about the mid-1950’s through ~1965.
During a bicycle ride this morning, October 31 (2026) there was a mention of the 1973 movie American Graffiti. I shared how our local area resembled the setting of the movie in so many ways, when I was really young.
There was curbside-service restaurants, high-performance cars, drive-in movie theaters, and many other familiar sights of that era.
In our small town of Lawndale, one of the local favorites was the Lawndale Snack shop:
This was a popular gathering spot for local teenagers. The parking area out front was pretty rough, with washed-out ditches and mostly red dirt. There was no gravel—just plain dirt. The Snack Shop was best known for its hamburgers and french fries. However, since writing this, I’ve learned that livermush sandwiches were also a local favorite and quite popular also.
Orders would be taken at a small window. And curb service was available, for those that chose not to get out of their car. A server would then bring the food out via a tray, that would attach to a partially rolled down window.
I remember going to the Snack Shop occasionally with my mom and dad. One thing that has always stuck in my memory is the exterior, which I recall being painted mostly yellow, with yellow lights glowing beneath the overhang.
When driving up the hill from Lawndale at night, you could see the Snack Shop from a distance. That little burger joint seemed to shine like a welcoming beacon. It’s a fond memory that has stayed with me over the years, as well as so many others.
I remember seeing a pink and black 1956 Ford parked out front with fender skirts, which I can see in my mind even to this day. If only I had a photograph of the parking lot in the late 50’s or early 60’s, especially on a Sunday afternoon. It might have been possible to see a 1960 Chevrolet 409, a Ford Fairlane with a 406 engine, a Studebaker Hawk, both a 1957 and 1958 Plymouth Fury and there were always plenty of 57 Chevrolets.
Guys would often stand outside their cars, talking and socializing, while the sound of “Sherry” by The Four Seasons played in the background from a car radio. It was a scene that captured the spirit of another time.
If you’ve ever watched the movie American Graffiti, you might recognize a similar atmosphere. The Lawndale Snack Shop represented that same kind of gathering place, with many of the same experiences and memories—not in California, where the movie was set, but right here in our own small town of Lawndale, North Carolina.
In my opinion, this little building is more than just an old building. It’s a landmark that represents a special era when a guy’s car was more than just a means of transportation—it was an extension of his personality, a source of pride, and often a reflection of their identity.
All the while during the heyday of the Lawndale Snack Shop, the world was changing, and not for the better:
During my fourth-grade class in 1963, the Cuban Missile Crisis was happening, and even as kids we were afraid. We were being taught what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. If a missile struck near our school, we were instructed to get under our desks. At home, we were told to take cover under a table and, if possible, place a blanket over it for added protection. These were the precautions we were taught to take in a world where the threat of nuclear war was frighteningly real. Many families would build fallout shelters.
There would be magazine articles for those interested in building an underground fallout shelter. There was even a display model at the Cleveland County Fairground, just beside the waterwheel.
Many buildings throughout the area were designated as public fallout shelters in the event of a nuclear attack, and signs like the one shown below would be displayed to identify them. I specifically remember one posted on the side of the Roses Department Store in Shelby. It remained there until just a few years ago, and although the sign is now gone, the mounting bolts are still visible on the side of the building.
We were also learning about the dangers of socialism and communism:
I can still remember Mrs. Warlick talking about Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and his widely repeated warning that the United States would eventually become a communist nation without a single shot being fired.
Meanwhile, the Vietnam War was escalating, the use of illegal and psychedelic drugs was spreading in other parts of the country, in particular California. Yes…America was on the brink of extraordinary change. The events that followed would shape an entire generation and become one of the most defining chapters in our nation’s history. And the rest, as they say, is history.
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