After 77 years slinging steak burgers and fries, Taylor's Drive-In closes — for now

Susan Szuch, Springfield News-Leader
·1 min read

Taylor's Drive-In, 139 Memorial Plaza, is closing temporarily after 77 years of continuous operation, says owner Darlene Collins. Collins said the closure is due to illness.

Collins is the third owner of Taylor's Drive-In and has operated the restaurant since 1979, according to previous News-Leader reporting.

Bob Taylor, a basketball coach at St. Agnes High School and Conway High School, and his brother Harry opened the restaurant in 1947. In 1976, they sold the drive-in to Bill and Mary Gericke, according to News-Leader reporting.

The small drive-in on the corner of Benton Avenue and Trafficway Street is known for its steak burgers and milkshakes, as well as all the memories people have made at it.

“Almost weekly we hear, ‘I met my husband or wife here,'” Collins said in a 2019 interview.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Owner: Taylor's Drive-In, opened in 1947, closes temporarily