“B” is for the Beacon Drive-In. In 1946 John B. White opened the Beacon Drive-In restaurant on the outskirts of Spartanburg. The name was selected in deference to a proposed beacon that was to shine forth from the rooftop. White was an astute businessman and a showman of sorts. He constructed a helicopter landing pad across the street and erected a series of advertising billboards along highways leading into town. Among the restaurant’s signature dishes are the “Chili Cheeseburger a Plenty” (a traditional cheeseburger smothered in chili and then topped with a tangle of French fries and onion rings) and the “Pig Dinner” (ten scoops of ice cream atop two bananas, the whole affair smothered in whipped cream). Though White sold the Beacon Drive-In in 1998, the restaurant continues to do a high volume of business.
“B” is for the Beacon Drive-In
