Rich Ecke, feature writer for the Great Falls Tribune and David from the Greaterfalls page on Flickr have become legends on this website. They have provided pictures of not only an original Sandy's building but also pictures of the only known original first generation Sandy's sign still known to exist!
This incredible sign is THE original sign from Sandy's #14 which was Sandy's Great Falls Montana location! Most likely opened in 1960, Sandy's Great Falls was located at 1111 Central Ave.
When 90% of all Sandy's sold out to Hardees in 1973, Great Falls Sandy's became a legend in and of itself. It bucked the trend and remained Sandy's. By 1979 it had changed to another name and today it remains a classic drive-in now known as Zandy's! (Folks, it doesn't get much better than this!).
In David's picture, you can see the mighty Sandy's sign with the classic blinker lights still functioning in the cursive Zandy's writing near the top of the sign. The only part of this section that is not original is the letter "Z". Sadly, little Miss Sandy is now missing at the top, no longer twirling in circles beconing the hungry to stop by for a Hi-Lo burger. Thankfully, the original post remains and she could easily be restored!!!
Also missing is the classic neon trim which surrounded the giant triangle which forms the main section of the sign. The "thrift and swift" section of the triangle has been replaced with a readerboard which in this picture is announcing the arrival of the Red Horse troops as they returned home from Iraq.
The pole appears to be in excellent shape for its age and has a new paint layer replacing the original Sandy's scheme and the classic neon Hamburgers part of the sign is still going strong now some 46 years after Sandy's brought incredible food to the Great Falls area.
Rich Ecke, feature writer for the Great Falls Tribune, has provided pictures not only of the sign but of the building as well. THIS IS the original Sandy's #14 building! How incredible that it even exists much less as a fast food drive-in some four decades later!
Notice the proud original Sandy's sign attached to the roof, now reading "Zandy's" which is the centerpiece of the building. This is THE original sign, the only one known to exist and it is still operating! Absolutely unbelievable. Even the hamburgers-shakes section still remains and is blazing neon!
Also shown are the Sandy's roof fins which now barely make their appearance. The original Sandy's buildings were first built as walk-up locations where one would park their car and then walk up to the window to order fast-food. In the winter, a winter-cover was developed by Sandy's which was a glass enclosure so patrons could at least stand out of the elements while they were ordering. Eventually Sandy's Drive-Ins became enclosed and as a result the classic trademark roof fins along with the icon wood beams which held them up disappeared as well. By the time the late 1960's arrived, a new style called the third generation building was being built to maintain the integrity of the design. An example of this new building can be seen on the Hays, Kansas Sandy's page. The state of the building as we see here includes added white siding, squared off walls and a few windows as well.
Sandy's in Great Falls was certainly THE place to hang out at during the 1960's.
Great Falls was not the only Sandy's in the area to remain Sandy's after the 1973 buy-out! Sandy's #7 which was Billings, Montana Sandy's #1, located at 511 Grand Avenue remained Sandy's after 1973. Grand Avenue's twin location Sandy's #174 located at 215 - 24th Street W. in Billings remained Sandy's as well!
10/17/2006 ... Sandy's fan Charolotte Gittens Jones remembers Sandy's in Great Falls!
Hello,
I remember going to Sandy's when I was a kid with my mom and sisters - usually right after church. As a teenager - Crusing the Drag- included eating my share of the hamburgers and LOVED the french fries. On cold winter nights you could get hot chocolate.
But the best story is about my sister - Claudia Gittens - about 1963 or 1964. She had a date who needed to get the family car home for his mom so my sister suggested that they go get my mom's car. Of course - my mom always left the keys in the car so Claudia hopped in the car (without telling anyone at home) and followed the date to his home. Off they went to Sandy's and while enjoying Sandy's hamburgers the Police pulled up and started asking question. My mom had reported the car stolen. It was soon cleared up - but that was a date at Sandy's to remember.
I now live in Mesa, AZ and whenever I am in Great Falls and go by Sandy's or Zandy's I have a lot of pleasant memories!
I hope they find the girl and put her in her proper place on top of the sign.
Charolotte Gittens Jones
10/17/2006 ... Sandy's fan Mike Morris of Buffalo Appraisals remembers cruisin by Sandy's
It was cool to drive down from Choteau to Great Falls and cruise Central from Sandy’s to Fords Drive Inns, swing out to the then sparsely business covered 10th to Boyd’s Burgermaster, and back to Central, and if early enough in the day, stop by Jacobson’s Handy Dandy Automotive and check out the new Mag Wheels, Crome valve covers, and coolest ever crome acorn nuts to cover the bolts on a flathead. Good times! Shakes, Fries and Burgers Rule.
Mike Morris
10/17/2006 ... Sandy's fan Aline Christenot remembers Sandy's!
I remember my Uncle (who was a chef in the USAF) telling me to be sure that I got a FRESH burger was to ask for a CHEESEBURGER as they had to cook it THEN.
I ended up working at the DeMolay, but I lived near Sandy's and ate there a lot. When I married, my husband joined the submarines in the USNavy, and we spent 28 years on the East Coast. When we returned to Montana, I was sad to see the Sandy's sign was different, but happy to know that I could still get some of my favorites.
Yours truly, Aline V. Christenot
Love, Aline
11/26/2007 ... Cathy Field is not only a Sandy's fan, she is the General Manager of Zandy's! Hello, this was emailed to me by a wife of one of my employees. My name is Cathy Field. I am the current General Manager of Zandy's. I would be more then happy to answer all the questions that you may have concerning Zandy's. I also have in my possession, still at Zandy's the last known Sandy's paper shake cup. It is quite tattered however I will never dispose of it.
Very little has changed in the drive-in. The fries are still made the same way that they were when Sandy's was first opened. Two years ago I did a slight update to the kitchen. However I do have pictures of the update and the old warmer system that was pulled out of the drive-in.
Unfortunatly the Zandy's sign and most of the Neon was damaged this summer during the horrible hail storm. However it will be repaired as soon as the insurance company gives us the go ahead.
Awhile ago I promised to send you pictures of the interior of Zandy's. The above photo was taken before the update to our kitchen was done. The square prep table known as the walt was original equipment and is no longer a part of our drive-in. It was replaced with a refrigerated prep-table to keep up with health department codes.
This next photo shows the updated prep-table that replaced the old warming prep-table.
The overhang (which you can see in the outside shot of Sandy's attached to the building) is the original carhop cover. It was only moved to accomidate the drive-thru. It still has the old numbers on it!
I grew up on Sandy's (Zandy's) burgers. I can still remember the huge "S" that spun on the roof. That is no longer there.
Special thanks to Robby Delius who found the Sandy's sign on flickr!
08/23/2009 ... Sandy's fan Mike Nichols remembers Sandy's in Great Falls! My name is Mike Nichols, I was raised in Great Falls from when my family moved there from Billings in 1957 when I was 2 years old til we moved to Seattle in 1968.
I have many memories of Great Falls from hanging out after school at KUDI radio station and fetching green rivers from the Burgermaster on Smelter Ave for DJ Jack Grant , ice skating at Gibson Park, roller skating and slot car racing at the De-Mo-Lay, swimming at Mitchell pool, movies at the Twi-Lite Drive-in, bowling at the Pin n Cue to many anticipated family meals at Sandy's drive-in.
In particular I remember the times I and a couple friends would sneak away at lunch time from 6th grade at Largent school a few blocks away to go have burgers and fries at Sandy's....particularly on Wednesdays, I think, when the burgers were 10 cents instead of 15. This went on for a while until we were finally busted and made to stay after school and write "The rules are made for me as well as others" 1000 times..lol.
I've been back to Great Falls 3 or 4 times in the last 40 years and each time a trip to Sandy's (Zandy's) and Tommy's 3-D club in Black Eagle was always a must.
LONG LIVE ZANDY"S !!!!!!
Mike Nichols
Sandy's fan John Davis wrote; Here is an old photo, a bit blurry, that shows what the view was like looking past the old Sandy's sign and some of the clientele and out across the street. The sign has the doo-dad up on the top, like in the oldest picture you already have, but it doesn't have the reader board and the column appears to be different than any of the other photos. Taken sometime during my stay at Malmstrom AFB, 1962-1965, while I was there working on the very first Minuteman missiles. Sandy's was one of our favorite stops, that's for sure.
After my friends and I turned 21 we included among our favorite places the J bar T, the Cimarron Club, Rusty's in Black Eagle, The Carriage House on 10th Avenue South, Murphy's, the Montana Bar, and lots of great pizza places, which were so abundant back then. Also remember my old friend Don Nay, the Midnight Madman, spinning the records on the night shift at KUDI radio while I hung around trying to learn the control panel and FCC rules in anticipation of pursuing a career in radio broadcasting that I later chose to forego for other pursuits. Still, plenty of good memories of places and people I once knew.
John Davis
If you have any memorabilia, pictures or stories of Sandy's in Great Falls, Montana or elsewhere, or can get interior shots of Zandy's including the kitchen and dining areas, please email me!
Elgin, Oregon
