Tops Drive Inn
The original Tops Drive Inn was a 15-seat facility which included a team of carhops and a machine called the Teletray, enabling drivers to order their food without getting out of the car.
Arlington has never had a shortage of unique local eateries and for many, one of the most memorable was the Tops Drive Inn.
James Matthews opened his first restaurant in Arlington in 1953, at a time when drive-ins were in their prime. The original 15-seat Tops Drive Inn included a team of carhops and a machine called the teletray, which allowed drivers to order food without getting out of the car. The interior featured turquoise-colored phones at the tables for placing your order, and mini-juke boxes for hearing the hits of the day.
Matthews once claimed that his restaurant introduced the double-decker ground beef sandwich to the Washington area. He opened four more restaurants by 1956. There were 18 Tops Drive Inn restaurants in the Washington area by the time he sold them to Gino's Inc. in 1968.
The high-profile businessman also tried his hand at politics. In 1963, he unsuccessfully ran for the Arlington County Board as a Republican. He was active in community service organizations, including the Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the Arlington Optimist Club. He also was involved in youth baseball and football leagues and the Boy Scouts.
James Mathews died March 20, 1998, at a hospital in Orlando of injuries suffered in a car accident. He was 80 years old.
Some Tops trivia:
-Three sandwiches served at Tops were the Sir Loiner, the Jim Dandy, and the Maverick.
-Tops was the original server of Col. Sanders' Kentucky Fried Chicken in the area, and owner James J. Matthews served on the Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation board after Colonel Sanders retired.
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