Robert Delius, a frequent and much welcomed contributor to this site has provided yet another unique piece of Sandy's history. He is the first to reveal an advertisement from one of Sandy's two Atlanta, Georgia locations!
GEORGIA #1, 2900 Buford Highway, (Dekalb) Atlanta, Georgia is thought to be the Sandy's in which blues star James Brown frequented. It brought the great taste of Sandy's menu along with its twin location at GEORGIA #2, 205 S. Cobb, Smyrna, Georgia. Both Sandy's remained Sandy's, along with ten percent of all locations, after the Hardees in buy-out in 1973!
5/6/06 UPDATE! Rob Delius has found the 7th anniversary ad for Sandy's! On first appearance, it looks like Atlanta Sandy's had been opened at the point of this clipping (8/7/65) for seven years. A quick check, however, reveals that the company's anniversary is that which is being celebrated! Cake was provided at many locations across the country. The first location was the legendary Sheridan Road, Peoria Illinois location which opened on 8/7/58!
Huge special thanks to Rob Delius for providing this Buford Highway Sandy's advertisement!
Auctioned by birdhouse-to-your-soul on ebay in May 2008. This is a vintage high school football program.
High schools: Cross Keys Indians vs. Druid Hills Red Devils
Date: October 2, 1964
Great photos and listing of team members, cheerleaders , coaches , etc. in program. Also has lots of retro Atlanta ads including: Sandy's Thrift and Swift Drive In - Old Buford Highway at North Druid Hills Road.
11/13/2008 ... Robby Delius uses Live Search to show us an shot of the Sandy's Atlanta Buford location as it stands today in 2008. It appears that the frame to the original Sandy's sign on the roof is still there!
01/31/2009 ... Presenting the images of Buford Sandy's from the google maps satellite
03/20/2009 ... From the May 1969 Drive-In and Carry-Out magazine, featuring the manager at that time Olaf E. Robinson. - Robby Delius
01/08/2010 ... Sandy's manager Bob Sammons wrote;
What a great website! In regards to the Ga. locations, I was manager of the Buford Hwy. location in 1967 and worked with Mr. Olaf Robinson. His son, Frank, was the owner of the franchise.
In 1966, I transferred from the Summer Ave. location in Memphis, TN to take the management position in GA. Early in 1967 I received my draft notification and had to leave Sandy’s to fulfill my military obligation. I was wrapping burgers at time, when my wife ran in across the back of the restaurant crying. She had my draft notice in hand which she had retrieved from the mail that morning.
After my two years of service in the Army was through, I was given the manager’s position in the South Cobb Dr. location in Smyrna, GA. Frank Robinson’s brother, Torch, was the manager of the Atlanta store and Olaf was still working there.
Back to the GA. locations. Mr. Frank Robinson owned both the Georgia locations up until 1970. At that time both locations became low volume units and eventually he sold his interest to Sandy’s Systems. I was in the Smyrna store at that time and hung in with the new changes for a few months and then left Sandy’s. My wife and I moved to Texas and I really don’t know what became of the two stores in Georgia after that. Ironically, when we got to Texas, I found a Sandy’s building in Plano, TX on Avenue K, which had been converted into a Mexican fast food eatery. The building has since been torn down, however.
I have so many memories of Sandy’s. I am happy to have found the website. If you are one of my old buddies from Sandy's, please click here to email me.
Thanks,
Bob Sammons
If you have any memorabilia, pictures or stories of Sandy's in Atlanta, Georgia or elsewhere, please email me!
