A first after 92 years: The Varsity opens a drive-thru

ATLANTA — Midtown Atlanta’s iconic Varsity restaurant has made a move some thought they’d never see.  They’ve opened a drive thru.

Along Spring Street, loyal customers like Ricky Brown can’t believe their eyes.

“First time in 92 years? A drive-thru?”

The Varsity’s classic car hop has switched gears.

“In the history of The Varsity, this is definitely unprecedented.  We’ve never done anything like this,” Varsity President Gordon Muir said.

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Muir has armed his staff with hand-held devices. The cars come in, place an order, circle around the parking deck, and runners bring out the food.

“It moves a little faster.  So, this is a little better,” carhop Chasmine Welch said.

“Everybody is very pleasant, and I get to overeat.  Which is wonderful,” longtime customer Barry Garofalo said.

It’s a product of the pandemic. Managers say some patrons are uncomfortable about ordering or eating inside.

The car hop line was closed because business is down by more than 50 percent.

“This is just something The Varsity has never seen before. We’ve never struggled like this. So we hope everybody will be understanding and give it a try. We hope they’ll like it,” marketing director Ashley Weiser said.

Customers told Channel 2 Action News they hope things will return to the way they were.  But until then, they’re willing to drive-thru.

“We need The Varsity and we need to be safe. So, I’m glad they have something up and going,” customer Thomas Reese said.

The drive-thru concept actually dates back to 1947.

The Varsity opened way before that in 1928.

A break in tradition, but they plan to bring the car hops back as soon as they can.

Sanitation next level: How The Varsity is working to ease COVID-19 concerns

Cox Media Group