MOUNTAIN MILEPOSTS
Written by Russ Keller, October, 2022
This image is from an early photo (circa 1978) taken by Gary Jacobs when The A was originally an A&W. From County building records it is believed the building was constructed in 1958 and opened as the A&W. Ted Liebmann bought the existing A&W in Crestline in June of 1965. In 1978 a movie featuring a broad satire & buffoonery presented as a series of movie trailers. One of the trailers was titled “Skate-Boarders from Hell”, shot at the A&W in Crestline. In the early 1980s, the franchise contract with A&W ended and Ted chose not to re-new, ending his association with A&W. He removed the ‘W’ from the marque, and it became simply, The A. Ted was tragically murdered in December of 1982. When the call came into The A that Ted had died, a young female employee there known by the name of Liz, took the call. She then assumed the operation of running The A. In February of 1983 she and her husband Aurel Tulcan purchased the Lake Gregory landmark from the estate of Ted Liebmann. At that time, she had lived in America for eight years, the last three in Crestline, working at the A&W and The A. Health issues forced Liz (Elisabeta) to retire in 2019. After that (in 2020) her daughters tried to run The A, but caring for Liz and the rigors of running a restaurant forced the eventual lease of the property to Doug and Lisa Barbee in 2022. The owner has renovated the old building and are keeping the name, The A.
MOUNTAIN MILEPOSTS
A NEW BURGER IS
ON THE WAY
Many of you have driven past the old A Burger stand at the corner of Lake Drive and Forest Shade road and seen a lot of activity; repairs underway, a fresh coat of paint and trim color, new kitchen equipment brought in, and a temporary fence around the building. I'm pleased to tell you that A Burger is coming back but with new owners; A husband and a wife team with plenty of restaurant management experience. I spoke with Lisa Barbee recently and she and her husband, Douglas can't wait to serve up their first order of hamburger and fries. “We will be open in 6 to 8 weeks,” she said. “We’re still working on the menu, but it will be basic -- hamburgers, fries, and maybe ice cream floats. Carry out only.” It will be more like the In-N-Out Burger style, with a small menu but done really well. Douglas has 25 years of restaurant management experience, and Lisa works for a national pizza chain on the administrative side. They currently live in Redlands, but “we’re excited about Crestline. People are so friendly. We’re going to be moving up there this winter.” Lisa asked if I would get the word out that they are now hiring. “We have a ‘hiring now’ sign on the fence, and the email address is on the sign. We’re looking for experienced candidates or those we can train.”
I can’t wait to grab a juicy burger and some hot fries. What about you?
God bless,
Mike
