A retro looking Checkers drive thru restaurant is set to open in the Regal Cinemas Plaza on Elmwood Avenue towards the end of the month. What makes the Checkers franchise so unusual (especially in Buffalo) is that there is no indoor dining area. That means the restaurant relies solely on the drive-thru concept, and patio seating in the summertime. In the winter, Checkers is pretty much automobile dependent, unless a customer feels like walking up to the service window on the patio side.
Checkers’ chrome styling and red neon signals a throwback to an American generation that invented the drive up service (think Happy Days), with the automobile playing a big part in what was the start of fast food culture. Now Checkers is appealing to the burger-crazy public with its nostalgic look and traditional all-American menu.
The first Checkers opened in 1986 in Mobile, Alabama. Today there are over 800 Checkers open in the US, and the business is considered one of the fastest growing franchises today. Checkers serves up burgers, wings, hotdogs, chicken and fish sandwiches – a selection that sets the restaurant apart from most other quick service burger joints.
