George Lucas’ 1973 film, American Graffiti, depicted high school life in the 1960’s, hanging out at a favorite Friday night haunt with boys, girls, muscle cars, romance, burgers and rock and roll. The movie could have been made in Marple – where the first area fast-food joint, Scotty’s,
opened around 1962. It was an immediate hit with teenagers, who could afford the fast food prices. There was no indoor seating so you parked and ordered and took your food back to your car to eat. The menu was simple: 15-cent hamburgers and 10-cent fries, sodas and milkshakes. It is hard today to understand the impact of the first fast food places – they are everywhere today. But in 1962, Scotty’s was It!
When my father was out of town on business, my mother would pack four kids into her Buick Special and take us to Scotty’s. It was a treat, as before then, the go-to quick meals were those nasty TV dinners in aluminum trays. As kids, we loved Scotty’s.
The area high schoolers loved Scotty’s as well – there are ads throughout the 1960s in local yearbooks for Marple Newtown and Springfield. Haverford and Penncrest kids were close enough to come for the fights that broke out. But for Cardinal O’Hara, it was their home field – an easy walk across the street after school, and the main hangout on weekends.
Hoot Mon, Be Thrifty!
A Scotty’s Facebook post captures the routine: “Drink beer and head to Scotty’s to meet girls, show off my car, occasionally drag race, hang out, several minor tussles, always a blast, would wait all week until Friday night at Scotty’s.” The nearby Media Bypass, built in 1958, provided the perfect place for teenagers in muscle cars to race, and then return to Scotty’s for a victory lap. There was “turf” in the parking lot – hot rodders owned the side nearest the high school while the “hippies” gathered on the opposite side, and apparently had the better music from their 8-track players and FM radio. In the DMZ in front, families parked and ate. And if romance was in the air, the local make-out spot was nearby Reed Road.
All good things must end – and Scotty’s closed by 1975. Competition from McDonalds, Burger King, Ginos and Hot Shoppes made other choices more convenient. But you can still get fast food at Scotty’s old location, in the middle of the Y where Sproul and Springfield Road go their separate ways, currently occupied by Kentucky Fried Chicken.
For more on the history of Marple, visit the Marple Historical Society website and Facebook page, and join the Society to keep up to date on coming events: www.MarpleHistoricalSociety.org