Get nostalgic at Pennsylvania’s 7 old-fashioned soda fountains

Pennsylvania’s nostalgic soda fountains keep the classic American tradition alive, offering authentic treats and memories from a bygone era.

Today, thinking of a “soda fountain” might inspire thoughts of self-serve soft drink stations, but back in the day, a soda fountain was so much more than a soda dispenser.

Beginning around the late 1800s and early 1900s, soda fountains popped up in small shops (also referred to as soda fountains) within candy stores, department stores, and drugstores. Soda fountains were places where you could gather with friends and neighbors to drink—what else?—soda! Carbonated water was mixed with all sorts of flavored syrups or ice cream to create fizzy, cold concoctions served by “soda jerks.” When Prohibition outlawed alcohol, soda fountains became even more popular, serving as sober-style bars where people could get together and socialize. 

The rise of suburbia and new chain drugstores like Walgreens began to kill the community soda fountain in the 1960s and 1970s, but some still remain to scratch that nostalgic itch. There are a handful operating in Pennsylvania, from the famous Franklin Fountain in Philadelphia, which is modeled after an old-timey soda fountain down to the bowtie-clad soda jerks, to smaller establishments that happen to have vintage soda fountains.

Find a soda fountain near you and order up a classic lime rickey!

1. Chantilly Goods – Weissport

Not far from Jim Thorpe in Carbon County, Chantilly Goods serves up a number of classic drinks and treats, like soda, ice cream, coffee drinks, and candy. The shop, located in historic Weissport, makes its soda creations with a vintage soda fountain. Choose from a selection of 34 soda flavors—you can even mix flavors for a unique drink. And if you can’t decide, you can even order a soda flight. Plus, because Chantilly Goods is also an ice cream parlor, you can order a number of different and colorful soda floats like the “Tootsie Pop” (cherry soda and chocolate ice cream) or the “Blue Moon” (blueberry soda and vanilla ice cream).

2. Franklin Fountain – Philadelphia

Franklin Fountain in Philadelphia’s Old City has only operated for 20 years, which might be surprising. After all, the soda fountain and ice cream parlor perfectly resembles an old-fashioned soda fountain, with vintage décor and soda jerks behind the counter. Within the shop’s historic building, staff dressed with bow ties sling all sorts of ice cream flavors, including vegan options, as well as sodas made with house-made syrups. You can order classic soda fountain drinks like a cherry lime rickey and an egg cream, which is basically fizzy chocolate milk. 

Photo courtesy of chrisinphilly5448/CC BY-SA 2.0.

3. Sweet Ride Ice Cream Parlor and Soda Fountain – West Reading

As its name suggests, Sweet Ride Ice Cream Parlor and Soda Fountain is a West Reading business where you can order both ice cream and vintage sodas. Ice cream creations are both classic and creative, and even include dairy-free options. The shop’s soda fountain machine is itself a vintage relic, as it dates from 1946. You can order from a handful of classic soda flavors as well as a small selection of classic drinks that include an egg cream, lime rickey, and cherry lime rickey. Plus, if you can’t choose between ice cream or soda, you can mix the two and order a float!

4. The Weldon Soda Fountain – Glenside

The Weldon Soda Fountain in Montgomery County’s Glenside is an ice cream shop modeled after an old-fashioned soda fountain. In addition to made-in-house ice cream and a full coffee menu, the Weldon also serves handmade sodas with a handful of classic syrup flavors. Plus, you can order the soda fountain classic: An egg cream.

5. Eckels Ice Cream Fountain – Mechanicsburg

Walter Eckels opened this Mechanicsburg establishment as a drugstore in 1879. Various businesses have operated in the space since then, but the old soda fountain and marble counter from the pharmacy have remained and are now central to Eckels Ice Cream Fountain. The old-fashioned ice cream parlor and soda shop serves classic ice cream creations as well as new- and old-fashioned sodas. Currently, Eckels is open sporadically—check the shop’s Facebook page for updates.

6. Nifty Fifty’s – Philadelphia area

Nifty Fifty’s is a 50s-style restaurant chain that serves classic American dishes like burgers, fries, and shakes. Though it’s not a typical soda fountain, the restaurant does have a vintage-style soda fountain—the “world’s largest,” according to its website—and more than a hundred syrup flavors. You can find the chain throughout the Philly area.

Photo courtesy of Erica Feliciano/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

7. Hinkle’s Restaurant – Columbia 

Hinkle’s Restaurant in Lancaster County is a casual family restaurant that’s been in business for over 130 years. When Hinkle’s first opened, it was Hinkle’s Restaurant and Pharmacy—the kind of pharmacy where you’d find a soda fountain! Today, the restaurant cooks up a lengthy menu of homestyle food like burgers, sandwiches, and all-day breakfast. Besides the diner-style eats, Hinkle’s is also home to an old-fashioned soda fountain with classic red stools for guests who sit at its bar. Soda jerks serve ice cream and sodas made from a 1930s-era fountain.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.