A Grant for the U-Drop Inn Helps a Town Feel Lucky
Outdoor seating allows Route 66 travelers to appreciate this Art Deco icon.
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Margaret Littman
U Drop Inn Exterior 2 (2024-04-05) by Rafter R PhotographyNational Trust for Historic Preservation
Cameras at the ready
Shamrock, Texas, has a population of just 1,773. Yet, at the height of the tourist season, as many as 15,000 visitors can show up in one day. Many are drawn to an Art Deco masterwork, the 1936 Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Cafe. It's one of the most photographed buildings on Route 66.
The quest for more seating
But for all of that interest, the cafe in the historic building seats just 33 people at a time.
So, when Crystal Hermesmeyer, economic development director for the city of Shamrock, heard about the National Trust's Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant offered by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, she saw an opportunity.
The city of Shamrock, which owns and historically preserved the building, worked with Osbaldo De Leon, owner of the café, to apply for the grant to install outdoor seating so that more people could stop and appreciate the building and to create a new community gathering space.
In addition, the team sought funds to install a new door to make the restaurant ADA accessible.
U Drop Inn Counter (2024-04-05) by Rafter R PhotographyNational Trust for Historic Preservation
When Hermesmeyer walked into the restaurant to let De Leon know they had been awarded the grant, his reaction was disbelief. “I was midway through scooping ice cream, and I just could not believe it. I thought it was a prank or something,” he said.
The final result
With additional funding, the U-Drop Inn team added outside seating at the Tesla charging station right next door so travelers have a place to get out, stretch their legs and read the historical markers on the building while they charge electric vehicles.
“That is a pretty big deal for us because it exposes us to people who normally would not see our building or see Shamrock in its glory,” Hermesmeyer said.
U Drop Inn Full View (2023-03-16) by R Boed via Flickr CC BY 2.0 DEEDNational Trust for Historic Preservation
The outdoor seating uses neutral colors so that it does not take away from the building’s original facade. “It looks like it was there from the beginning,” De Leon said.
Western Motel: View of the U-Drop Inn Cafe by Efren Lopez/Route 66 ImageNational Trust for Historic Preservation
March 2024 was the first St. Patrick’s Day celebration with the new seating, and it was much appreciated, as more than 30,000 people came for the holiday.
“We are appreciative that there is a grant out there that takes a town of our size seriously and is looking out for the little guys and not just putting money into the bigger communities,” Hermesmeyer said. “We’re a part of history and to keep us going and alive speaks volumes.”
Learn more about the National Trust for Historic Preservation's campaign to preserve Route 66, sign our petition to advocate for the Mother Road, and then share your Route 66 story with us.
Explore other stories on the Mother Road
Motoring Ahead at the Western Motel
Saving the Osterman Filling Station
Adapted by Tim O'Donnell from A Grant for the U-Drop Inn Helps a Town Feel Lucky
by Margaret Littman.
Margaret Littman is a Nashville-based journalist who tells the stories of people and places.
Tim O'Donnell is a former editor at Preservation magazine and freelance journalist who covers architecture and urban design.
This story is made possible by the generosity of David and Julia Uihlein.
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