Snapka's Drive-Inn

Snapka's Drive-Inn. . Method Snapka was born October 5, 1916, in Abbott, Texas, as the fifth of six boys. He learned to cook for the family at a young age. During the late 1930s, Method Snapka moved to Corpus Christi along with his brother, Rudy, and they left soon after to serve in world war two. After the war, the brothers returned and Method became the Clerk of the Corporation Court for the city of Corpus Christi. The brothers decided to travel down toward the Rio Grande Valley to find a location for their restaurant venture. The Robstown Snapka's Drive-Inn opened on July 5, 1948, with a menu of hamburgers and Mexican dishes. The brothers hired a cook and a carhop and quickly found success. , Method met Maxine Winkler at the Naval Air Station where she worked and the couple wed on January 24, 1949. Soon after, the brothers decided to open a second location at Highway 9 and Navigation Boulevard on Corpus Christi's west side due to the area's post-war growth. Local architect Morris Levy designed the Leopard Street location and incorporated the parking-under awnings concept made popular by drive-inns. In 1953, Method left his position to work full time running the business with his brother. , Snapka's became popular due to the proximity of the Leopard Street location to Roy Miller High School, known at the time as Corpus Christi High School. Snapka's became a popular hangout for students after football games and for families to socialize with their neighbors. The Leopard location suffered heavy damage during hurricane Celia in 1970, but Method rebuilt the drive-inn. There were five Snapka's locations in Texas over the years. Two locations remain and they continue to be run by the Snapka family.