04/15/2011 ... Sandy's alumni Don Schilling wrote; Ha! Small world.
I cleaned out my attic this last weekend and came across the Sandy's Show Stopper album I bought in 1965-66. My wife and I are having a patio sale and I was wondering if it would be worth anything, so I searched for Sandy's.
My Sandy's story:
Phoenix had two stores. Indian School & 51st Ave and 32nd St & McDowell Rd. Bill Smith was the owner (or maybe managing partner - I just know that he would throw on a hat and apron whenever we needed help if he was there). He had another store in Mesa, AZ and I believe one in Tucson, AZ.
I was hired by the Sandy's store on Indian School Rd in late 1964 when I was 17. I fell in love with the Hi-Lo, which became my meal of the day for years. I worked my way up the food chain and by 1965, I became one of the assistant managers by the age of 18. The store was between two rival high schools, and fights broke out all the time at night on my watch, which affected the business. I made it a point to befriend the "bad boys" of both schools, which helped turned around the evening profits once again when the fights stopped (I was a big boy and so was Bill). 6 - 7 days a week were not unusual, as well as working lunches under the manager and then coming back to manager the evening shift.
Our biggest competitor in that area was Burger-Chef, but they really didn't hold a candle to our products or service.
10 cent Tuesdays were a bear. If you couldn't turn 30 hamburgers and toast the buns in 3 minutes...you were out. We sure had fun and 90 cents an hour then was pretty good for that time, and assistant manager was 95 cents.
In 1966 my draft number came up when I turned 19, so off to the military I went. I always wondered what happened to Bill Smith. He must of been in his 60's then. I just remember I saw him again in 1969 before I went to Viet Nam. He gave me a big hug and as tears began to drip from his cheeks he told me to take care of myself and please come home safe. Good man he was...and always - always set an example for his people.
I don't know what year the stores finally closed, but two of the shells are still there...just different businesses.
Well, if you happen to know what the album is worth...drop me a line (and a coupon for a Hi-Lo!).
Don Schilling
