Welborn Snack Shop
Hamptonville, NC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

If you're staying at the old Welborn Motel, you wouldn't have to go very far for a bite to eat. Right next door sat Welborn's Snack Bar, a classic little roadside eatery that looked like it had been taking care of hungry travelers for years. 06-06

Places like this were once a familiar part of the highway experience. Pull in for the night, unload the car, and walk over for breakfast the next morning or grab a burger before getting back on the road. The snack bar and motel made a perfect pair, giving this stretch of Hamptonville the kind of small-town roadside atmosphere that's becoming harder to find.

The sign wasn't flashy, but it fit the place perfectly. It was the sort of hometown roadside landmark that let you know exactly what to expect inside: good food, friendly faces, and no need to be in a hurry. Sometimes it's the simple places that leave the biggest impression on a road trip.

Welborn Snack Shop
Hamptonville, NC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

While travelers stopped in for burgers, sandwiches, and other home-style favorites, locals helped keep the place busy, making it just as much a neighborhood gathering spot as a roadside stop. It was easy to picture regulars chatting over coffee while visitors planned the next leg of their trip.

UPDATE: Welborn's Snack Bar has since closed, but the building continues serving travelers and locals as Debbie's Snack Bar. The original roadside sign has been replaced. 08-26

Dairy Queen (Closed)
Gastonia, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

There's something about an old walk-up Dairy Queen that just feels like summertime. This one in Gastonia had all the ingredients: the small roadside building, the familiar pole sign out front, and a serving window where generations of customers stopped for cones, sundaes, and a quick lunch. The hand-painted banner advertising "2 for $2" hot dogs only added to the hometown feel. 01-08

Opened in 1950, this Dairy Queen was already a local landmark by the time this photo was taken. Unlike today's larger restaurants, everything here happened outside. You walked up to the window, placed your order, and found a spot to enjoy it before heading on your way. It was a simple formula that worked for decades.

The little stand had seen its share of changes over the years. Its original rounded canopy was torn away during Hurricane Hugo in 1989, but the building carried on, serving customers much as it always had. Even with a few changes, it never lost the look and personality that made it feel like a true roadside original.

Dairy Queen
Gastonia, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

What really catches the eye is how honest the place looks. No oversized drive-thru, no flashy redesign, just a classic Dairy Queen standing beside the road and inviting people to stop for a few minutes. Places like this remind you that some of the best roadside memories came from the simplest stops.

Unfortunately, these vintage walk-up Dairy Queens have become increasingly rare. Every year another one disappears or is remodeled beyond recognition, making survivors like this all the more special when they were still serving ice cream beneath their familiar sign.

UPDATE: This Dairy Queen permanently closed in 2024. The building and roadside sign still stand, but the serving windows are now shuttered, ending nearly 75 years of roadside tradition. 08

Krispy Kreme (Gone)
Spartanburg, SC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Driving up North Church Street, your eyes naturally drift toward the old Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Long after the doughnuts stopped coming out of the oven, the familiar brick building and towering roadside marquee continued to watch over the street, looking as though they were ready to welcome the next customer. It was one of those places that practically begged for another photograph every time you drove by. 01-08

The shop moved to this location in 1969, replacing an earlier Spartanburg store farther up the road. Its modern design, topped by the famous Krispy Kreme styling of the era, quickly became a local landmark. Whether you were a regular customer or simply passing through town, the giant sign made it nearly impossible to miss.

Krispy Kreme
Spartanburg, SC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

There was more to this location than hot glazed doughnuts. It was one of only a handful of Krispy Kreme stores in the country with a full coffee bar, where coffee was served in real china cups instead of disposable ones. That little touch gave the shop a neighborhood feel and made it easy to imagine people lingering over coffee while watching fresh doughnuts make their way down the line.

When a newer Krispy Kreme opened directly across the street in 2005, business moved into the modern building, but the old shop was left standing. Instead of being demolished, it quietly became part of the roadside scenery. Year after year, motorists continued to pass the empty building, and that familiar sign kept reminding everyone where countless dozens of hot doughnuts had once been sold.

Krispy Kreme
Spartanburg, SC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

In many ways, the vacant shop became even more interesting after it closed. Without the busy parking lot or customers coming and going, it felt frozen in time. The old marquee still reached into the sky, the brick building still looked ready for business, and it was easy to picture what the corner must have looked like when the "Hot Doughnuts" sign meant a fresh batch had just come off the line.

Unfortunately, the scene changed in late 2024. After Hurricane Helene damaged the aging marquee, the landmark sign had to be removed. Suddenly, one of Spartanburg's most recognizable roadside sights disappeared, leaving the old brick building looking surprisingly different without its longtime companion towering above it.

UPDATE: The original 1969 Krispy Kreme building still stands vacant on North Church Street. The famous roadside marquee was removed following hurricane damage in late 2024, while Krispy Kreme continues operating from its newer store directly across the street. 08-26