Many small towns have that local place that has always been there and seems like it always will be.
The owners may change, and even sometimes the name changes, but the business stays the same.
In Swampscott, Mass. where I grew up, there was a restaurant on the beach that also had an ice cream counter. It was first called Doane’s and then Dale’s for decades, before a final run as the Red Rock Bistro.
It was one of those places that simply seemed as much as part of the community as the beach or town hall — something that would be there forever. Except, nothing ever is and Tara Stephanos reacted to a Facebook photo of the building being knocked down with nostalgia and reverence.
“Some years ago from the Daily Item, the Red Rock Bistro ( formally Doane’s and Dale’s) being torn down. I still haven’t been to the new place but it’s on the list. Blaisdell’s was originally at the site. To me, it will always be Doane’s. Great ice cream and fried clams with onion rings from the window,” she wrote.
Many others, including Sandy Ciani, shared similar thoughts.
“Yes always Doane’s. Loved going there in the summer for French fries, clams and a coke,” she added.
Most communities have businesses like that, until they don’t, and now, a legendary name in the ice cream space, at least to people in Texas, will end its legacy, at least for now,
Spurlock’s Super Dog started a family legacy
Spurlock’s was a modest chain in that it was a single store that added a sister (or really granddaughter) location.
The brand has a modest history, which it shared on its website.
“Gilbert” Spurlock was born in 1921 and lived most of his life in Lamesa, Texas. After serving several years in the U.S. Navy, Spurlock returned home and eventually began working at a small drive-in in Lamesa. In 1951, when he was 30 years old, Spurlock was given the opportunity to purchase that very same drive-in. Soon after, Spurlock and his wife Vida Jo (pictured left) began operations as Spurlock’s Super Dog Drive-In, selling homemade Super Dogs, burgers, fries, and old-fashioned malts,” the company posted.
His son Doug gradually took over the day-to-day operations and in 1998 took over entirely after his dad passed away.
After Spurlock’s passing in 1998, Doug took over the family business in its entirety.
The chain briefly became a chain when Doug’s daughter (Gilbert’s granddaughter) Kristi opened her own location, dubbed “Spurlock’s malt shop” in 2012.
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Spurlock’s Super Dog Drive-In continued operating in Lamesa under Doug until his own retirement in 2013.
The second location in a historic building in Anna, Texas carried on the family brand, but that location will close for good in November.
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Why is Spurlock’s Malt Shop closing?
“Spurlock’s Malt Shop in the 500 block of N. Powell Parkway in Anna said the shop will close in November after the property owners sold the building. Spurlock’s has been in business since 1951. The shop said in a post on Facebook that its last day in business is expected to be Nov. 6,” WFAA reported.
This, however, may not be the end for brand.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share some incredibly difficult news. The owners of the property where our restaurant is located have officially sold the building, and we’ve recently learned that our time here is coming to an end on November 6th,” a post on Spurlock’s Malt Shop’s Facebook page reads. “We’ve known about the possibility of the property being sold for a few months, but we never expected things to happen so quickly. We’ve been unable to find a new location to relocate to and are praying for a miracle so we don’t have to close down our business completely.”
The family does hope to reopen at another location, but fans of the brand are clearly upset.
Andrew Carlson’s response on Facebook was typical of what many people shared.
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“So sorry this is happening. We love you and we will support you however we can,” he wrote.
Many posted locations the family should look at, and other suggested that they open a food truck.
Spurlock’s Malt Shop Timeline
- 1951: Gilbert Spurlock, a U.S. Navy veteran, purchased a drive-in in Lamesa, Texas, renaming it Spurlock’s Super Dog Drive-In. He introduced the now-famous hand-dipped Super Dog, along with burgers, fries, and malts.
- 1990s: Doug Spurlock begins to take over operations from his father.
- 1998: Gilbert Spurlock passes away and his son takes over fully.
- 2012: Kristi Spurlock Perez, granddaughter of Gilbert Spurlock, opened Spurlock’s Malt Shop in Anna, Texas, in a historic 1959 building. This move ensured the continuity of the Spurlock family tradition.
- 2013: Doug Spurlock retires
- November 1, 2025: After 74 years of the family operating under the Spurlock’s name, Spurlock’s Malt Shop in Anna is set to close due to the sale of the building. The owners expressed their desire to continue the business and are seeking a new location.
Source: Spurlock’s Malt Shop
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