Turn the headlights on for service: Swensons to celebrate 90 years in Akron on Saturday

This party is 90 years in the making.

Akron's landmark drive-up burger and shake place − Swensons Drive In − will mark its milestone anniversary this weekend with a special reunion of cooks and thE runners whose fast feet over the years have delivered food and treats on trays to just about anything on wheels from a 1934 Chrysler Airflow to a Tesla Cyber Truck.

It all started with Wesley T. "Pop" Swenson and Guy Whitt flipping burgers and selling them out of the back of a car near Akron's Buchtel High School.

The Saturday reunion will be at the location of the first Swensons at 40 W. Hawkins Ave. in Akron.

The family-owned chain has since expanded beyond Akron and now has restaurants with its signature curb service in Cleveland, Columbus and Indianapolis.

What's planned for the Swensons anniversary party and reunion?

The original Swensons on West Hawkins plans to open early at 10 a.m. and the special anniversary events will run through 1 p.m.

Aside from former and current workers sharing stories, Swensons has some events planned for fans, too.

The event highlights include:

• A DJ spinning tunes.
• A 50/50 raffle and Food Truck event raffle, with all money raised donated to Akron Children's Hospital.
• Food trucks serving up a taste of nostalgia with variety of samples, including the Birthday Boy Burger, the Birthday Cake Shake and more.
• Classic Swensons competitions like the legendary Sprint & Smile race, a ”Know Your Code” contest, a ”Tray of K Challenge” and the “8 Minutes or Less” kitchen contest.
• Kids’ stations with facepainting, temporary tattoos, a coloring station, chalk art and more.
• A photo booth, historic menu item displays, vintage Swensons snapshots, a signature banner for team members to sign.
• Exclusive commemorative merchandise, including lapel pins for all former team members, T-shirt, hats, key chains, coffee mugs and other items.

For more, visit swensonsdriveins.com .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Turn the headlights on for service: Swensons to celebrate 90 years in Akron on Saturday