Fred Lynch retired in 2018 after capturing images for the Southeast Missourian since 1975, in that time moving from black-and-white to color, from film to digital and to video. The blog title is a nod to an earlier era of news photography and the 4x5 Speed Graphic: It's more important to be there for the shot than to worry about technical details.

Wimpy's once more

Posted Wednesday, December 5, 2012, at 12:00 AM

This photo of Wimpy's Drive-In was taken by Ken Steinhoff in 1966.

The restaurant/grocery store was located at the northeast corner of Kingshighway and Cape Rock Drive across from Arena Park. Traffic signals would be installed at the intersection in 1969.

Farmers and Merchants Bank bought the property in 1973. It remains a bank today with a branch of First Missouri State Bank at the site.

Bill Lewis moved Wimpy's to South Kingshighway, where the business switched to serving breakfast and lunch only, until he closed the doors for good in 1997.

More Wimpy's blogs:

Remember Wimpy's?

Original Wimpy's: nickel burgers

Wimpy's Last Stand

Wimpy's Dangerous Intersection

Wimpy's Day

Advertisement: Feb. 25, 1967 Southeast Missourian Achievement Edition

Growing with Cape Girardeau for 25 years...

Wimpy's began business in 1942 across the highway from their present drive-in market at Highway 61 at Cape Rock Drive.

Throughout the years Wimpy's has been noted for first class service and quality foods. That's why people keep coming back to the...

"Home of the Famous Wimpyburger"

Now with 3 convenient locations...

Wimpy's Restaurant, Broadway and Henderson

Wimpy's Skyway, located at Cape Municipal Airport

Wimpy's Drive-In restaurant and supermarket, Cape Rock Drive

Owned and Operated by Wimpy's, Inc.

Frank Lewis - Freeman Lewis - Bill Lewis

Comments

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Here are additional Wimpy's pictures from 1966 through the current day. (Follow the links on the page to see them all.) I like the 1966 night time exposure the best.

http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/wimpys-in-1966/

-- Posted by ksteinhoff on Wed, Dec 5, 2012, at 12:43 AM
When Wimpy's first opened, they were located where Andy's Ice Cream at the entrance to Arena Park on the West side of Kingshighway. They also operated Wimpy's Wigwn at 1129 Broadway, site of the present Pagliai's Pizza.

-- Posted by Yankee Station on Wed, Dec 5, 2012, at 7:11 AM
It looks like the same black car (GTO/Tempest, I think) is in the foreground of both Fred & Ken's 1966 photo.

There is also a Mustang going North on Cape Rock so Freds guess of the 60's is good....I would say mid-60's

-- Posted by darkstar on Wed, Dec 5, 2012, at 7:12 AM
Fred and I have compared notes. We're pretty sure that the picture he ran here is one of mine, not Frony's.

Most of my photos in The Missourian's morgue are printed on doubleweight photo paper with my name stamped on the back. This particular one that Fred found wasn't stamped and was printed on a type of paper that fed through an automatic processor that I experimented with (not too successfully).

So, it looks like it's another frame from the same shoot.

-- Posted by ksteinhoff on Wed, Dec 5, 2012, at 11:02 AM

Fred Lynch
As Ken says, the same shoot. It looks like the two photos were taken at different times, possibly on the same day. Wimpy's parking lot has more cars in this one, and in his the afternoon sun is evident. Details in the landscape appear identical, so this photo was likely taken in 1966.
I worked at Wimpy's all throught highschool and then a year after--1957--1961--What a wonderful place it was--Freeman Lewis his brother Bill and brother Frank and there mother Ethel were the very best to work for.We had great regular customers a few of the regulars I remember so well Rush and Millie Limbaugh parents of radio Rush--Jim Eaker--Bill Sisco--many more, there was one very sweet customer Cathy Wunderlich now Cathy Clippard (my wife) there were lots of good food good fun at Wimpy's--I shall always be grateful to the Lewis family for all they did for me. Freeman Lewis and his pretty lady (wife) Alice are still alive and well and I see them often.

-- Posted by fdc on Wed, Dec 5, 2012, at 9:10 PM
Can anyone identify the north bound panel truck in the photo?

-- Posted by JTL on Tue, Dec 11, 2012, at 11:09 AM

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