CV’s Drive-in Dairy

In 1960, an apparently new concept was unveiled to our valley – the drive-in dairy. The drive-in concept was popular for all sorts of businesses after WWII, particularly in car-centric Southern California. We had drive-in movies, drive-in dry cleaners, drive-in banks and, starting in the late 1950s, drive-in dairies. In December 1960, at Foothill and Ocean View, a corner of a closed motor court motel (soon to be a shopping center) was carved out to be one of the first drive-in dairies for the Supreme Dairy Farm of Pasadena. Drive-in dairies had been pioneered in LA by Alta-Dena Dairies in 1951 and, after its success, other milk producers in LA, and surprisingly there were many, jumped on the bandwagon.
In the Dec. 8, 1960 issue of the Crescenta Valley Ledger, a full-page ad trumpeted “Grand Opening! Supreme Drive-In Dairy, Service In Your Car!” Below that, the ad introduced readers to a new concept. “Come and get acquainted with the new, easy, time-saving, money-saving way to buy milk and other daily needs. With the friendly Supreme men who’ll give you super-service super-fast, right in your car!”
To lure customers to its grand opening, the dairy was handing out freebies. For the busy housewife free orange juice and printed recipes were offered, but the real gem was the “Gingerbread man cookie cutter for your Christmas baking – 6 inches high, sparkling copper finish.” For the kids, balloons, lollipops and two baby calves were on display. “See the cute little baby calves in their miniature corral – even pet them if you want to!”
The Supreme Drive-in Dairy chain featured a signature architectural feature – a futuristic-looking geodesic dome roof. The geodesic dome was invented by a German engineer just after WWI, but was co-opted and popularized by futurist Buckminster Fuller in the late ’40s. The triangular structural members distribute stress evenly for a thin but strong curved surface. The Supreme Drive-in Dairy design suspended a roof made of a small portion of a dome above the top of the rectangular box housing the dairy, giving the entire structure a “flying saucer” appearance. It was part of the whole Googie architectural style that was emblematic of so many structures in LA in that time period, a style that is highly valued today by architectural historians.
The Supreme Drive-in Dairy prospered, particularly after local builder Webster Wiley built extensive home tracts higher up Ocean View. It was convenient and easy, as advertised, and generations of valley-ites have used it. And amazingly the futuristic geodesic dome roof is still intact almost 60 years after it was built. It has gone through a variety of owners over the years, but the latest business, just opened, has a unique business model.
Two men who grew up here, Kyle and Travis, have just opened “The Dairy” in that old drive-in. It’s still a classic convenience store with the standard milk, lottery tickets and soft drinks, but Kyle and Travis have a whole new take on what the Crescenta Valley wants from a small store. They are stocking their shelves with healthy snacks, such as aloe vera juice, vegan cookies, probiotic tea, kombucha, organic chips and nuts, and chia tea. As well, they sell fresh salads and sandwiches made by Hope Catering in Pasadena that specializes in preservative-free ingredients and from-scratch baked breads. They will soon have local craft beers and locally sourced produce. And they have a selection of standard household items – charger cords, barbecue briquettes, aluminum foil, aspirin and Nyquil – that kind of stuff.
They are well aware of the unique architecture of the little dairy. Kyle said they plan to paint the beams of the geodesic dome to accentuate the unusual structure, and that they will be adding wood paneling the exterior of the store to give it a “mid-century modern” vibe.
So stop by The Dairy and support a local business. Say hi to Kyle and Travis, a couple of CV guys. They are open M-F from 7 a.m. to
9 p.m., and weekends from 9 a.m. to
9 p.m. While there, appreciate the interesting architecture and muse on what used to be a standard business practice – the drive-in.