The Double Dip Drive-in was one of the first drive-ins in Amarillo and one of Amarillos most popular eateries for forty years. It was located across the street from the old Amarillo High School at 1323 Polk Street. Built in 1930, the business opened in 1931 with Sam Stinson and J. E. Jenson as partners, but by 1935, Stinson was the sole owner of the business. The original 1930 building was so small that curb service was a necessity and inside floor space measured less than 6 by 8 feet. Initially, only ice cream was served, thus the name the Double Dip. From its beginning it quickly became a very popular place to go for Amarillo High and Central Junior High students. During the winter of that first year, Stinson and Jenson added nickle and dime hamburgers to the menu. The Double Dip was a family run business, with Mr. and Mrs. Stinson and their children, John, Donald, and Gloria all helping to serve customers and keep the place running. John eventually took over as the manager of the business. Over the years, the building was renovated and enlarged several times to accommodate its many customers of all ages. The tower, a local landmark in itself, was added in 1935. The Double Dip became the place where students from Amarillo High and Central Junior High gathered to eat, meet, visit, date, and occasionally even study. The Double Dip was also popular with many of the men and women stationed at Amarillo Air Force Base. The Double Dips first carhop was Georgia Curtwright. Born in Amarillo in 1923, the pretty young brunette decided to leave the bright lights of Polk Street for the brighter lights of Hollywood. Changing her name to Jorja, she experienced mediocre success as an actress, playing mostly character roles. She appeared in television shows such as Bonanza, I Dream of Jeannie, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, and Ben Casey. She married film screenwriter Sidney Sheldon in 1951. Sheldon was a popular figure in Hollywood where he was a successful screenwriter, playwright, television producer and television series creator. He created and wrote most of the episodes for The Patty Duke Show. He also created the show Hart to Hart, and I Dream of Jeannie, which he produced and wrote many of the episodes for. Beginning in 1969 with his first novel, The Naked Face, Sidney Sheldon emerged as one of the worlds most successful novelists. Among his best selling novels were Rage of Angels, Master of the Game, If Tomorrow Comes, Windmills of the Gods, and Memories of Midnight. Jorja served as his in-house editor. They remained married until her death in Los Angeles in 1985. He died in 2007. Two events led to the eventual closing of the Double Dip. One was the decline in downtown business, as longtime businesses relocated to other parts of the city, and along with the businesses went their customers. The other event was the closing of the Amarillo Air Force Base in 1968-69. Owner John Stinson, the son of original owner, Sam Stinson could not afford to keep the business going with the loss of customers coupled with rising prices and operating costs. The Double-Dip, an Amarillo Institution for over 40 years, finally closed for the last time in February of 1971. The building was torn down in 1980.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 01:27:50 +0000
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