Today in Williams County history (1946): Brownies Drive-In in Bryan opened for business.
When Grant Brown opened Brownie’s Drive-In on June 6, 1946, it was the first of its kind in the area—a fast service restaurant where patrons could dine inside or be served in their automobiles. The building was erected on the site of the Yates boarding house, and contractor Perry Struble utilized salvaged material from the boarding house in Brownie’s construction.
Concrete was poured under a large elm tree behind Brownie’s, where many young people enjoyed dancing to the music of a jukebox on summer nights. Brownie’s was a Bryan institution when Grant Brown retired in 1975 after 29 years in business. The former Brownie’s Drive-In building was razed in 1999.
This vintage image of Brownie’s Drive-In is from the Williams County Public Library’s Photographic Archives–Courtesy of the Williams County, Ohio, Local History Exchange.
