Historic Kegs Drive-In

The Kegs was made up of two barrel restaurants that opened in Grand Forks in 1935 and the second in 1946. It was after the second moved to Grand Forks that locals started referring to the pair as “The Kegs” which then became its official name. The Barrels have been known to Grand Forks for 86 years, but The Kegs has been around for 75 years.

The first Barrel drive-in was constructed in 1935 with a cost approximately $350 to build was a part of a food chain of root beer stands in the shape of barrels throughout the upper Midwest. These restaurants were called “The Barrels” first started in Great Falls, Montana by William “Harry” Muzzy. They went on to build in several. The Barrels were very successful for many years, even among World War II they still managed to make money and survive. Martha Muzzy had outfitted her employees with hand sewn, braided-front uniforms to wear at work to help save money as well as to have a personally touch to the drive-in industry. With the great success they were having in Great Falls Harry Muzzy traveled to his hometown of Minot, North Dakota to open a new location without a partner.

With locations far out of reach of their influence they had to find honorable people to run their restaurants in their absence. They would usually try to find people trustworthy such as two women or a couple that is familiar with the business and allowed these workers a percentage of the net profits. During the year of 1936, the wait staff were being paid $1.25 a day plus free food and tips.

With all this success of his root beer stands he decided to establish a traveling venue called “The Boat”. This lasted for a short while until it broke down and was abandoned.

 Lloyd Eagan was a nephew of Muzzy’s who was working as a Western Union telegraph agent in Grand Forks where he was struggling to make a living. His wife had started working at the local Barrel and was making pretty good money. Llyod took an interest and wanted to make a living on the restaurant so invested all his time into it. It went around and scouted new places, one of which he founded without Muzzy’s consent and was told it would fail but Muzzy and in the end, it did fail, although not by why Muzzy had thought. Llyod went down to South Dakota where he founded another which did find success in the end.

To stay profitable, they had to change with the times too. Each location had menus that varied a little, some sold different food or drinks, but the Grand Forks Barrel had sold cigars at one point. One of the other barrel locations in Minnesota had its lease terminated for the idea that the land was better used as a gas station so that barrel owner had moved his barrel to Grand Forks in 1946 to get twice the profit for two barrels in one town. The locals in the area started referring to the drive-is as “The Kegs”. The Barrels were not the first root beer stands in the United States, but they were the first ones in this part of the country.

 American culture had started to change as Americans sought more comfort in nationally known restaurants. This among other changes slowly turned into the Barrel’s downfall. There were several of the restaurants originally but now the ones in Grand Forks are the sole survivors, the two remaining barrels merged and officially became “The Kegs” in around 1968.

The Kegs Placed on National Historic Register, Grand Forks Herald. September 13th 2011. Accessed April 27th 2021. https://www.grandforksherald.com/lifestyle/2161823-kegs-placed-national-historic-register.

The Kegs considered for National Register of Historic Places, Grand Forks Herald. February 8th 2011. Accessed April 25th 2021. https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/2147666-kegs-considered-national-register-historic-places.