After a lunch conversation on Alex Drive-Inn at our current Wasabi location. A real drive-inn of sort with waitress in rolling skates, serving food with tray mounted to you mobile window. I quickly Google search Alex Drive-Inn and results in many nostalgia posts about the Avenue. People had fond memory of past eateries and play places on the Avenue. People really dig Love’s bakery, Alex Drive-Inn, Dog House, Kapahulu Theater, KC Drive-Inn, Kapahulu Chop Suey, Kapahulu Saimein . What still remain are Leonard’s, Rainbow Drive-Inn, Ono Hawaiian, and one of our states first Taco Bell. There is even a blog by some die hard alumni of Waikiki School.
http://www.kaimuki77.org/2006/08/24/we-are-waikiki/
http://www.hawaiistories.com/archives/004748.shtml
It’s call car hopping. Did they all disappear in the early 80’s? My friend and I are only 5 years in age difference and I only see “car hopping” in movies. Not in real time. But I do remember Kam Drive-Inn Theater closed down. Here is a post on Honolulu advertiser. http://midlifecrisis.honadvblogs.com/tag/alex-drive-inn/