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10 Things You Didn't Know About Ted Drewes Frozen Custard

By Riverfront Times Staff on Fri, May 25, 2018 at 2:10 pm

Ted Drewes (6726 Chippewa Street, 314-481-2652 and 4224 S Grand Blvd, 314-352-7376) is a St. Louis institution, but you already knew that. Any St. Louisan worth their salt can conjure up daydreams of that creamy custard. But there are some things you (probably) don't know about the historic Route 66 landmark. --Nancy Stiles

Ted Drewes (6726 Chippewa Street, 314-481-2652 and 4224 S Grand Blvd, 314-352-7376) is a St. Louis institution, but you already knew that. Any St. Louisan worth their salt can conjure up daydreams of that creamy custard. But there are some things you (probably) don't know about the historic Route 66 landmark.

--Nancy Stiles

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1. Ted Drewes Sr. won the Muny tennis championship each year from 1926 to 1935.

Photo courtesy of Philip Leara / Flickr

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2. It actually started in Florida. Ted Sr. briefly opened his first custard joint in St. Petersburg before returning to St. Louis.

Photo courtesy of Ian Froeb

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3. Ted Sr. began making custard with a traveling carnival in the 1920s.

Photo courtesy of WordOfMouth / Flickr

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4. The Drewes family owns land in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia -- that's where they grow their Christmas trees.

Photo courtesy of henskechristine

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5. The first St. Louis Ted Drewes location stood between a Shell station and a watermelon stand.

Photo courtesy of prettywar-stl / Flickr

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6. Ted Sr.'s wife, Mildred, was the stand's first car hop and took orders without writing them down.

Photo courtesy of Hawthorn Mineart / Flickr

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7. Ted Jr. has received several offers to franchise Ted Drewes, but he vows he'll never do it.

Photo courtesy of Paul Sableman / Flickr

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8. The "Dottie" is named after Ted Jr.'s wife.

Photo courtesy of Paul Sableman / Flickr

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9. Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer was inspired by Ted Drewes (and his other hometown favorite, Steak 'n' Shake).

Photo courtesy of prettywar-stl / Flickr

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