Orrison’s Drive-In Market Then and Now

1600 W Chestnut St. / Wyatt Earp Blvd.

Dodge City’s boundaries have changed drastically since its founding in 1872. Fifth Avenue represented the west edge of the city in 1878 and that was considered remote. The 1920s ushered in westward expansion but there still wasn’t much happening west of Eighth Avenue.

The Greenwood Courts addition to Dodge City, intended for a mix of commercial and residential development, was platted by Ezra and Ada Rupp in 1930. It included the space between US Highway 50S and Spruce Street bordered by 14th Avenue and Hillcrest Drive. At that time, 14th Avenue served as the western boundary of the City between Park and Division Streets.

That wasn’t the best time to develop a suburban area, however, so the lots along the highway near Greenwood Avenue were used sporadically. After World War II, US Army Air Force pilot Arthur Willms established a lumber business at 1600 W Chestnut Street.

A couple years later, Al Orrison was transferred to Dodge City to manage the Ideal Food Store. He and his wife, Virginia, quickly decided to open their own grocery store at the northwest corner of Greenwood and Chestnut. Orrison’s Drive-In Market was open in time for Thanksgiving in 1949.

Orrison’s Drive-In Market as it appeared in June of 1957:

The Orrisons sold the store to Larry and Rosalie Wilkerson in the Summer of 1968. Mom and Pop’s Drive-In Market held a grand opening event that July 1-6 and served free cake and ice cream on July 4.

The Wilkersons moved the store to the former Kline’s Drive Inn building at 1010 W Wyatt Earp in January of 1970. Their old location was put on the market that spring.

Don Peters chose to expand his Taco Pete franchise to Dodge City in the Summer of 1970. This is not to be confused with the famous Taco Pete establishments which originated in Los Angeles. Peters had a small restaurant chain with locations in Kansas and Oklahoma. Wichita alone boasted 14 Taco Petes at the chain’s peak.

Taco Tico opened right across from Taco Pete soon after and people chose their favorite spot. This stretch of Wyatt Earp became the scene of an infamous streaking event which completely shut down the street. Hopefully, no photographic evidence has survived.

Owners of Taco Pete included Robert Stewart, Randall and Nancy Crenshaw, and Jerry and Joanne Hager. The Hagers closed the restaurant on December 30, 1978.

A public auction was held on February 17, 1979.

By September of 1979, Taco Pete was replaced by the Welcome Inn Family Restaurant. This tied in with the Welcome Inn Motel, which opened at the west end of the block around 1974.

Welcome Inn owners Mike and Helen Stauth created a “Fun Center” which was attached to the restaurant. This enlarged building included an indoor pool and sauna at the west end. In January of 1985, the restaurant was renamed The Inn Pancake House and it was operated in conjunction with the motel.

Although unconnected to the motel’s restaurant, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the brutal murder of Welcome Inn clerk June Bidleman in March of 1985.

The last update I saw was from 2022 when the Globe reported a person of interest had been identified but that person had died in 2018.

As motel ownership changed, The Inn Pancake House once again became a separate entity. It operated in the same location until around 2015, when it moved to the Dodge House. Since that time, establishments such as Wyatt Earp Bar and Grill and Sip-N-Suds have occupied the space. It is currently home to Chinese Massage Palace.

This is how the site of Orrison’s Drive-In Market looks today:

When I stopped to take photos of this building, I couldn’t help but wonder what Ezra and Ada Rupp would think if they could see their land today. They would probably wonder why everyone hates brick all of a sudden.

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