News
Metigoshe Drive In is a nice break from the lake
Alicia Wicklund
07/24/2012
They may only be open during the summer, but it sure is a hoppin’ little place where vacationers and residents can grab a quick but yet diner like bite to eat. Orders can be placed at the window or can be called in ahead of time and picked up to go.
This will be the Metigoshe Drive In’s 29th summer under the ownership of Dwane and Candice Getzlaff who purchased the driv in in 1985. Yet, this may be their last summer as they have decided to list the drive in for sale.
“We are just ready. My husband is semi-retired,” Candice said. “We have seven grandsons that we would like to spend more time with during the summer and after you have been in business for 28 years, it is time for a change.”
Through the years
Candice explained her husband’s brother worked for the Coca-Cola company at the time and she added, “He had just happened to know the business was for sale.”
In high school, she had worked at a similar business.
“I can’t exactly remember why we decided to buy it,” Candice said.
Between her and her husband, Candice runs the grill.
“When we first bought the place, I did home day care,” she said. “My husband and my mother started running the business until school got out, while I took care of the kids. It was one real busy Sunday and my husband had kind of trained in to be the cook and I would help in the evenings and on weekends when I could.”
She continued, “We were busy and it seemed like there were a lot of little mistakes being made by the grill so I grabbed the spatula from him and said ‘Give me that, and I’ve been stuck there ever since.”
The drive in is without a doubt known for their pizza burger.
“All of our advertisements say, ‘home of the famous pizza burger’,” she said. “The pizza burger was here when we purchased the business.”
Candice said she buys the seasoning mix and that’s how they make the sauce that goes on top of the burger.
“It’s a regular hamburger bun, with a hamburger, pizza sauce, American cheese, with or without onions and topped off with parmesan,” she added.
Overall they are known for their burgers; the bacon cheeseburger comes in at a close second to the pizza burger.
“All burgers are made however the customer orders it,” she said.
They also have a full menu of sides including fries, onion rings, potato wedges, tater rounds and deep-fried cauliflower.
They sell a lot of ice cream, including a cyclone, made with soft-serve ice cream and the customer’s choice of a variety of toppings and/or flavors.
“You can mix and match and make up your own flavor,” Candice said.
In addition to cyclones they serve a regular cone, with vanilla, chocolate or twist soft-serve ice cream.
Through the years, their menu has not changed a lot.
“I have kind of always stuck with what I have felt was good,” she said.
They have a lot of returning customers, but yet Candice said the resort area has grown so much with tourists that she always sees new faces at the window.
“There are days that I am unsure if I know anyone at the window,” she said. “One year the girls kept track and we had cars here from just about every state and several of the Canadian provinces.”
The drive in employs mainly all high school and college age kids.
“It’s been fun working with all the young people,” Candice said. “It keeps me feeling young.”
One of the most rewarding things for Candice about the business has been meeting the people and watching as their families have grown up. This year she even has an employee whose mother worked for her 17 years ago.
“Our employees become like our own children,” she said.
Two of the young gals working this summer are from Houston, Texas and another from Florida who have come for the summer to spend time with family in the area.
Abby Hills is from Florida and said she is working so she can pay for a car back home.
“I really like working here,” Hills said. “I’ve never worked anywhere else before. In Florida I can’t get a job because most places you have to be 18.”
She added, “I get to work at the window a lot so I get to meet a lot of people.”
Ally Coleman has worked the drive in for six summers.
“I really enjoy working with all the girls,” Coleman said. “I also like to cook.”
Candice added, “She’s a really good cook.”
In total, she has about 10 part time employees.
“We have a very dedicated group of young people working for us,” she said.
One of her selling points is that she thinks it would be wonderful for a family who has teenaged children to purchase the business.
“It’s a very viable business if one is willing to put a lot of hard work into it,” she said.
This spring the Getzlaff’s added on to the drive in and made their kitchen much more accessible which allowed additional room. The patio off the side seats approximately 50 people.
The drive in is usually open for business the middle of May and always closes on Labor Day, opening at 11 a.m. in the morning daily.