Monday, September 28, 2009

1996 - The Summer of the Termite....

The following article details the Formosan termites that almost ate our LaPlace Frostop down in the summer of 1996!
At left, a worker displays a Formosan termite nest, which is bigger than a football, was found next to a roof beam in the Frostop Drive-In Restaurant this week. Thomas Rome Builders is rebuilding the roof and exterior after ripping out the damaged wood. The infestation is the only confirmed case in St. John the Baptist Parish.
The following article is taken from the June 28, 1996 Times-Picayune.
Dinner is Bug Dinner
By: Vicki Hyman
Formosan termites are eating in - in St. John the Baptist Parish.
The same pests that are threatening New Orlean's homes and treasured live oaks have been biting big chunks out of a LaPlace landmark, The Frostop Drive-In Restaurant, a fixture on East Airline Highway since 1958.
"They're hungry little buggers," said Larry Brock, St. John Cooperative Extension Agent.
Workers found a termite next bigger than a football next to the main wooden beam in the Frostop's ceiling this week.
"It's scaring the hell out of me to see what they're doing to our buildings," Frostop owner Jim Toler said.
Contractor Thomas Rome Jr. grabbed some splintered wood from the infested beam Wednesday and sifted it through his fingers like sand. "It was just shredded," he said.
Brock said the Frostop infestation is the only confirmed case of Formosan termites in the parish, but he added that homeowners could have come across them and handled the problem without notifying him.
Experts say Formosan termites, a subterranean termite native to East Asia, arrived in New Orleans after World War II as stowaways on military ships. The annual swarm lasts from May through June, with colonies averaging 2 million to 5 million termites.
In some New Orleans neighborhoods, as many as 95 percent of the live oaks are infested, and Formosan termites have infested the French Quarter and taken up residence in home around the city.
"Being that most of our buildings, as opposed to the French Quarter, are single dwellings is to our advantage," Brock said. And because subdivision regulations require builders to chemically treat properties before construction, it's less likely to find Formosan termites in newer homes.
Subterranean termites have been around "for eons," Brock said, but they are easier to control because they don't reproduce as quickly as Formosan termites and don't store moisture as efficiently.
And, Brock said, the Formosan termites aren't as picky about their food as subterranean termites.
And they found plenty of food at the Frostop.
By the time Toler had discovered the damage, it was too late - the termites had eaten away at the beam and walls. Now workers have to remove all the decking and reframe the roof.
Rome said they'll replace the wood with a metal roof.
Fortunately, the giant, tilted root beer mug adorned with neon has been spared. It remains on its perch above Airline Highway. The restaurant will be closed while the work is done and is expected to reopen next month.
To see the original article:
Page 1
Page 2

Friday, September 18, 2009

Thursday, September 17, 2009

LaPlace Frostop Combo Meals


LaPlace Frostop combo ad
Originally uploaded by FT1958
The LaPlace Frostop offers two great choices in combo meals. The Lot-O-Burger & Fry Combo comes with a medium soft drink for $5.30. The Lot-O-Burger & Onion Ring Combo comes with a medium soft drink for $6.95. Stop by today and enjoy a great combo meal!

Monday, September 14, 2009

LaPlace Frostop mug magnet

LaPlace Frostop mug magnet Originally uploaded by FT1958
We now have LaPlace Frostop mug magnets! Stop by and get one for your vehicle today!

Friday, September 4, 2009

LaPlace Frostop Memorabilia

Through the years we have managed to keep a few great pieces of Frostop memorabilia, we have also managed to buy back some great things on ebay that we didn't think about keeping!
Original picture of the building - guess we can call that our baby picture!
One of the greatest pieces that we have is the original metal patent.
We also have a pretty decent collection of all of our old mugs - original logo, 70's logo, and our LaPlace Frostop logo.
1950's logo

1970's logo

Our LaPlace Frostop logo

Some other great items include a copy of a menu from the late 50's, an ad describing the Lot-O-Burger.

Counter menu pad from the early 1960's- we still take orders on a similar pad today!
We have an actual Frostopics from 1963.

An actual coupon for a free root beer with purchase of sandwich.

Hot dog bags from the 70's

Still trying to find a Frostop cup from the 1970's - I was outbid on ebay trying to win two cups!

An original Frostop cup from the 50's - the two pictures below show both front and back. It was the picture on the front of this cup that inspired our 50th anniversary shirts and souvenir cups.

Currently one of our greatest pieces of memorabilia is our restored wooden root beer barrel on display in our Frostop memorabilia corner.
Three original Frostop signs that I won on ebay and had them framed to go in our Frostop memorabilia corner.
For a look at some of our pictures on flickr of our history & ads:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laplacefrostop/sets/72157602370030051/

For a look at some of the pictures & history that Frostop.com was nice enough to share with us:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laplacefrostop/sets/72157622171467070/