Pick’s Drive-in has been a Cloverdale landmark since it was built in 1923 at the height of Prohibition. The building was originally a Reed and Bell’s Root Beer stand. Until 1945 when the franchise agreement expired, Reed and Powell was a franchise of A&W Root Beer.
Sometime during the 40’s, the business was purchased by Lynmarie Hoyer’s grandparents, Mayo and Johnnie Mae Pickard, who had operated a café at the Greyhound Bus Terminal in Santa Rosa.
The Pickards moved to Cloverdale, changed the name of the root beer stand to Pick’s, and started selling hamburgers made with the same secret relish recipe that had made them so successful in Santa Rosa.
Claudia Clow purchased Pick’s, building and all, around 1990 and was very “hands on” in the business until she sold it in 2016 to current owners, David and Debby Alioto, who also own Healdsburger in Healdsburg.
This past March, a new Cloverdale homeowner by the name of Justin Beth rescued a vintage Pick’s sign that Claudia had offered for free on Facebook Marketplace. The sign, which was believed to have blown over in a wind storm, was bolted to a large metal frame with square headed bolts on the restaurant’s rooftop. An electrician by trade, Justin’s plan was to clean it up, leaving the patina, restore the electrical internals and hang it up.
For many Cloverdalians, their first job was behind the counter at Pick’s. Birthdays and first dates have been celebrated there. It’s often a “must stop” location for travelers passing through town. A few years ago, the daughter of a couple who met and courted at Pick’s, brought them back for their 50th wedding anniversary.
As long as folks crave a great burger and a touch of nostalgia, Pick’s is destined to remain a popular gathering spot for locals and tourists alike for many years to come.
