Dining at the 'Motormat' Drive-In: Where Rails Delivered Food Trays to Your Car, 1950s

In the post-war years, Los Angeles experienced a flourishing car culture, as well as a rise in innovations tailored to the automobile-centric lifestyle.

Southern California in particular has become synonymous with drive-thru restaurants, drive-in eateries, and drive-in theaters, symbolizing a sense of convenience and modernity.

Among these innovative concepts, the “MotorMat” Drive-In holds a unique place. This is in line with the unique trends of its era, where the car was not just a means of transportation, but a symbol of lifestyle.

Pioneered by Kenneth C. Purdy in 1948 and patented as the MotorMate, this ingenious concept was intended to streamline drive-in dining by introducing a conveyor belt system for both order placement and food delivery.

One notable adopter of this innovative approach was the Track Restaurant in Southern California, which featured a circular arrangement of 20 stalls around a central building.

Instead of carhops, a metal bin on a conveyor belt played multiple roles – waiter, busboy, and server. Purdy highlighted in 1949 that this innovation reduced normal drive-in times by 30 to 50%.

MotorMate eliminates waiting in carhops, reduces the challenge of dusty food, eliminates the need to prompt for checks and eliminates waiting for change.

At the drive-in, the ordering process was extremely simple. Upon reaching the window-height bin mounted on the railing, customers found glasses of water, a menu, a pencil and a pad inside.

They would complete their order, press a button, and send the bin back to the kitchen located in the center of the circular structure.

While the food was being prepared, Bin would return with the bill. Once arranged, food and change would be sent back by rail.

“Beginning in 1949, a Los Angeles innovation promised the complete elimination of carhops. It attracted customers from as far as Santa Monica with its unique type of service at a new drive-in called "The Track".

Like a group of horses in a trough, the cars move around a central building, forming a circular pattern. Twenty semicircular parking spaces were bridged to a central kitchen via metal tracks.

Food and spices were transported on railway tracks...each of the coaches being powered by a small half-horsepower motor.

“The mechanical setup was most reminiscent of the strangest Rube Goldberg device. Located in a predetermined parking space, the diner rolled down the car window and was greeted by a stainless-steel bin that could be raised flush with the door.

Inside the box were plastic cups, a water bottle, a menu, an order pad, and a change tray. This was also big. Meals for six people could be carried back and forth on elevated platforms.

Patrons would write down their orders and at the push of a button the unit would return to the kitchen.

“When the empty box reached the kitchen, an attendant completed the order and added up the bill. As soon as the hamburgers and other dishes were prepared, the rail box made a second trip to the automobile to collect the money.

By the time he returned to the preparation area, the food was ready to be loaded into bins along with the spices and the customer's change.

According to inventor Kenneth C. Purdy, the spoke-and-wheel-track arrangement increased service by 20–25 percent.

Despite the initial enthusiasm, track restaurants faced obstacles in replacing traditional skating carhops.

Despite notable achievements, such as selling 3,000 meals on its opening day and serving approximately 40,000 patrons within the first two weeks, the Motormat concept failed to become widespread.

By 1950, the Motormat automated drive-in enterprise expanded to three establishments in the Los Angeles area, but ultimately, all ceased operations by 1952.

Factors such as maintenance, technical issues, and customer preferences played a role in the declining popularity of the concept.

Ultimately, while "MotorMate" offered a glimpse of the future, it faced practical obstacles that hindered its long-term success.