Hillsboro’s popular Drive-In has enjoyed a long, successful, and delicious history, and now you can purchase the entire business along with one of those great burger baskets or cyclones.

Bridget Stowell has been at the helm since she purchased it in the spring of 1999 from Steve and Alisha Benish.  But she’s decided that’s long enough after constructing a new building in 2005, and building up a very good customer base that has folks returning often to enjoy a treat at one of the picnic tables or picking up dinner to take home.

Stowell has the Drive-In for sale and is looking for someone who enjoys serving great food to the public while directing a hard-working and enthusiastic crew of  nine or ten friendly young folks on the wait staff and in the kitchen.

Sale or not, the Hillsboro Drive-In on Vernon Ave. will be open for business on the Monday after Mother’s Day, just as it has been for years.

“That new building made a tremendous difference,” Stowell told the Sentry-Enterprise in a recent interview. “It just made it more inviting, and doubled or tripled business after the construction.”

The location originally was an A&W Drive-In and was built by former Hillsboro High School coach Claude Kaczmarek in 1956. He called it “Kaz’s A&W Drive-In.”

In 1958, it was purchased by Aldon and Avis Glimsdale, who renamed it “Al’s A&W Drive-In.”

Dan and Maureen Kouba purchased the business in the late 1970s and creatively  called it the “Kouba Kabana.”

Howard Martin bought it in 1987 and changed the name to “Hamburger Heaven.”

Apparently, the food was simply out of this world!

In the early 1990s, Julie Haugh bought the business and brought it back down to Earth with a name that pretty well defined it.

After several years, Steve and Alisha Benish bought and operated the Drive-In before selling it to Stowell, who is hoping that the business has another owner in the near future.

“It has developed into a good business, although it’s really seasonable,” she stated.

“It takes a good staff to wait on the many loyal customers who come often for a quick meal or snack. The most popular things are the burger basket with fries, along with the cyclones and cones.”

Anyone who is interested in purchasing the Hillsboro Drive-In should phone Stowell at 608-604-2768. She will be happy to discuss the details.