This April 3,1956 ad was placed for the season opening of Tommy's Snack Bar at 1455 South Queen Street in Spring Garden Township, York, PA. This business was established during 1954 in the former Dairy Queen that began at that site in 1952. (The York Dispatch, April 3, 1956, page 16)
Tommy’s Snack Bar on the Queen Street hill
Tommy’s Snack Bar was in business at 1455 South Queen Street from May 1954 until October 1966. A Dairy Queen was originally opened at this location on May 8, 1952, however when it was no longer allowed to use the Dairy Queen franchises tag in May 1954; Warren G. Thomas opted to instead continue the business as Tommy’s Snack Bar.
My post about the sequence of four Dairy Queen store openings near York, Pennsylvania, resulted in many Dairy Queen memories, plus comments and questions about the association of Tommy’s Snack Bar with the Dairy Queen lot at 1455 South Queen Street. Some thought Mr. Thomas lost the franchise because each year his store’s offerings were to a greater extent different that those of the Dairy Queen standard. It turns out there might be another contributing reason.
Why did Warren Thomas have his Dairy Queen franchises tag pulled in the Spring of 1954? His Dairy Queen opened normally for the third year, on March 19, 1954. Most Dairy Queen businesses in the 1950s were walk-up locations, where in northern states, they only operated during the Spring, Summer and Fall.
Warren G. Thomas was a rising star in the Dairy Queen organization
“Warren G. Thomas has been appointed Vice President in charge of merchandising and advertising for the Pennsylvania Division of Dairy Queen, Inc., per The York Dispatch of February 14, 1953. The article continues, “He has also revealed plans to move the state Dairy Queen office from Harrisburg to York in the near future. Thomas’ territory includes 60 stores throughout the state with about 20 more to be established in the Spring. At present he operates a Dairy Queen store at 1455 South Queen Street, and is also operator of an Atlantic Service Station at Queen and Jackson Streets.”
Not long afterwards, Warren Thomas began dabbling with putting soft ice cream machines in panel trucks to take ice cream sales directly to customers. Did Mr. Thomas have a major disagreement with Dairy Queen corporate management about such an idea, or was it a conflict of interest that caused the franchise rift? Warren Thomas made plans to try out the concept in Havre de Grace, Maryland, under the business name Mobile Ice Cream, Inc.
However by 1956, Warren Thomas teamed up with the MISTER SOFTEE organization in Philadelphia to further his vision of putting soft ice cream stands on wheels. He was in charge of the Mason-Dixon Division of MISTER SOFTEE, with responsibility for sales of franchises and distribution. The York Dispatch of February 26, 1958, reported on the growth of that division, with the appointment of additional sub-distributors:
“Warren G. Thomas, president of MISTER SOFTEE, with offices at 110 South Beaver Street, has announced the appointment of four sub-distributors in the Mason-Dixon Division. They are: Gene Sutherland, owner of United Dairies, Pittsburgh, who will be the distributor in 16 counties in western Pennsylvania; Michael Waligorski, owner of Plymouth Foods, Plymouth, Pa., who will be distributor in seven counties in northeastern Pennsylvania; A. W. Whitehouse and A. R. Caldwell, former owners of Tru-Ade Company, Chicago, now of Richmond, Va., will be the distributors in southern Virginia, and George V. Riley, Washington, D.C., formerly with Howard Johnson, will be the distributor in northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.”
Warren Thomas sold his interest in MISTER SOFTEE in 1965 and acquired Brewery Products, which then operated out of a small garage with six employees. In 1988, employing 43 workers, Brewery Products had expanded to a 69,150-square-foot facility at 1017 North Sherman Street.
Tommy’s Snack Bar is established May 17, 1954
The following May 17, 1954 Fictitious Name filing is for Tommy’s Snack Bar at 1455 South Queen Street, Spring Garden Township, York County, PA. The owners are Warren G. Thomas and Josephine M. Thomas, of 804 Glendale Road, Spring Garden Township.
From various newspapers articles and ads, it is evident that Warren Thomas leased out the operation of Tommy’s Snack Bar. One comment that proved correct was that during a year, or two, official Bury Hamburgers were sold at Tommy’s. Per the following article, one year was definitely 1955, when Joseph Bury, Jr. operated Tommy’s Snack Bar.
The illustration from 1956, at beginning of this post, indicates, that year, the proprietors are “Dot” and “Ernie.” In 1957, the following photo shows three of the employees: Marilyn Herman, Beulah Schenck and Joseph W. Cook.
In 1957, Warren G. Thomas sells Tommy’s Snack Bar to Warren E. Townsend (Deed 44S-447). For another decade Mr. Townsend continued to operate Tommy’s just as Mr. Thomas had done. One of his long time operators is Paul Warntz.
The following 1966 ad indicates the used equipment that is for sale at Tommy’s Snack Bar, 1455 South Queen Street, after Tommy’s final closure at end of the 1966 season.
On April 7, 1967 the new Dairy Queen at 1455 South Queen Street opens, with Wallace T. Townsend the manager. He is a son of Warren E. Townsend, who owned the franchise for that location. That year Wallace Townsend was elected a director of the Dairy Queen Association of Pennsylvania, Inc.
Wallace T. Townsend would go on to own and operate the Dairy Queen stores at 1938 West Market Street and 1455 South Queen Street in York County. He was also franchiser of Dairy Queen stores in Snyder and Lycoming counties.
Click on this LINK for a yorkblog.com Full View of the photos and illustrations in this post.
Links to related posts include:
Dairy Queen sequence near York, PA
Clash of Stan’s Dairy Queen with Bury’s Ice Cream
Melvin’s Ice Cream Bar opened along Lincoln Highway East
The Cherry Top ice cream place on South Queen Street
The Amber Light drive-in on Queen Street featured Warner’s Ice Cream
Reading the Headlines: A Quick Index to All YorksPast Posts
