Site of Mr. Fifteen drive-in. Click to enlarge.
photo by Harmon Jolley
Before the arrival of nationally franchised restaurants, Chattanooga’s’ choices included many locally-based eateries. One of my early favorites was the Mr. Fifteen Drive-In at 3501 Brainerd Road at Tunnel Boulevard. I recall their very tasty hamburgers and fries.
The Mr. Fifteen Drive-In opened in 1963, during the rapid-growth years of Chattanooga’s first-ring suburbs and shopping centers such as Eastgate. On-the-go families were a hungry market for fast food. Mr. Fifteen – so named because of its 15-cent hamburger - was a venture of Robert L. Kelley, Jr. and Richard Bethea, an insurance agent who also owned Bethea’s Restaurant. Thomas Carey, a twenty-year veteran of the food business, was the first store manager. The Mr. Fifteen was to be the first of five stores in the area, with plans to expand to Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Kentucky. However, I don’t know if there was ever more than just the one location.
The drive-in was built on the site of the Green Lantern Restaurant, which was torn down. The Mr. Fifteen kitchen was constructed with full-view windows on three sides, so that the public could observe the cleanliness and efficiency of the operation. The owners said that the average meal could be delivered within forty seconds after the order was placed. White ceramic tile provided the exterior cladding of the building. In keeping with the early days of the space race, the business had a 37-foot neon rocket sign.
Soon after Mr. Fifteen opened, it was faced with competition from the national fast-food chains. In 1977, Mr. Fifteen gave way to the Old-Time Barbecue, with many other restaurants following it. According to the city directory, Mr. Kelley went on from Mister Fifteen to establish the first Putt-Putt Miniature Golf in Chattanooga on Lee Highway. Out of nostalgia, I’ve attempted to keep up with the Mr. Fifteen building through the various businesses that later occupied it. Despite substantial remodeling, I believe that some of the original hamburger haven is still present.
The cost of a hamburger has risen considerably since the Mr. Fifteen of 1963. I checked a Web site that calculates adjustment for inflation, and 15 cents would be 88 cents in today’s dollars. It’s hard to find a good burger for only 88 cents, though!
If you have memories of the Mr. Fifteen Drive-In, or would like to comment on the article, please send me an e-mail at jolleyh@signaldata.net. I would like to find a photo of the original restaurant building.