Carl’s Drive-In, the legendary, 16-stool burger shack in Brentwood, will be opening on Sundays for the first time in its decades-long history, according to current owner David Kraemer. (The restaurant has traditionally been closed on Sunday and Monday.)
Beginning February 25, Carl’s will be open from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. on Sundays, a day that Kraemer, who bought the restaurant in 2021, predicts will be one of the busiest days of the week. “On Saturdays, people are often out of town or are busy with athletics,” he theorizes. “On Sunday, people are around, they’re relaxed, and have more time to run and grab a quick burger.”
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Kraemer says the eventual goal is to open seven days a week. “I would love to be open every day and keep the exact same hours, 11 a.m.–7:30 p.m. It should have been that way at Carl’s from Day 1. I don’t like that people want to come on certain days and they can’t.”
To further alleviate such a situation, Kraemer is changing the restaurant’s vacation policy. Instead of closing a few weeks per year for company-wide vacations, “which the customers didn’t like,” he says, employees will be able to take a vacation whenever they choose. “These days, restaurants can’t afford to miss an opportunity,” he says, “especially one like this where everybody wins.”
While Carl’s hours may be changing, the menu and atmosphere will not. The twin Formica counters, 16 swivel stools, and old-time slotted menu board are part of its undying charm. Guests can expect the same griddle-smashed burgers, footlong and curly Q hot dogs, fries served in checkered French fry boats, ketchup in frill cups, tamales topped with Edmund’s chili, and house-made root beer served in frozen mugs.
Another nostalgic touch that will remain is the restaurant’s cash-only policy, one that Kraemer says comes with a benefit that customers may not realize. “Not having to pay credit-card fees helps with pricing,” Kraemer says. “Since we took over, we’ve maintained portion sizes and only raised prices by a quarter here and there,” he says. “Being able to extend the hours and days spreads out the costs and helps keep prices in line, too.”
The Backstory
Years ago, former Carl’s Drive-In owner Frank Cunetto told SLM that the historic building has been a restaurant since the ’30s, when it sold only hot dogs. “Hamburgers didn’t become a thing until the ’50s,” he said. From 1951 to 1959, the restaurant was known as Breeden’s Good Food Drive-In, named after its owner, Walter Breeden. Carl Meyer bought the business in 1959 and renamed it Carl’s Drive-In. Cunetto bought the business from Meyer in 1986, sold it in 2015 to Mike Franklin, who in turn sold it to David Kraemer in 2021.
Over the years, Carl’s has smashed the competition in many “best local burger” discussions and can claim several national accolades. In 2012, it made Guyot’s “Top 10 Best Burger Restaurants in the U.S.” list. In 2017, Carl’s took Missouri honors on Travel + Leisure’s list of The Best Cheap Eats in Every State. In 2022, Carl’s repeated the honor as Yelp’s preferred place to get a cheeseburger in Missouri.
Regarding the future, a 2022 plan for a Carl’s in Cottleville never came to fruition. When asked about expansion possibilities moving forward, Kraemer says he’d love to open a Carl’s in Columbia, Missouri. (Just imagine Booche’s and Carl’s in the same ZIP code.)
