After 45 years, Clovis Sno-White Drive-In has closed. A new restaurant is moving in
A little piece of nostalgia has said goodbye to Clovis.
The Sno-White Drive-In on Clovis Avenue, just south of Ashlan Avenue, has closed after 45 years.
The owners shared the news on the restaurant’s Facebook page Wednesday.
The post said: “Thank you to all of our loyal customers. It’s been a pleasure to serve you over the last 45 years. We are finally able to retire. We will miss serving you.”
Sno-White’s owners were not immediately available for comment.
The owners also said on Facebook that Sam’s Burger has bought the business.
Sam’s is a burger spot with a 1950s vibe and a location at Cedar and Gettysburg avenues in Fresno.
It took over the former Dari Delite drive-in there a few years ago. Sno-White in Clovis also used to be a Dari Delite decades ago.
Sam’s owner, Sam Humaidi, said he plans to remodel the building and reopen it as a Sam’s Burger in a few months.
“We want to keep the old-fashioned burger style, just remodeling,” he said.
Sno-White history
Sno-White was the little white building with lots of windows and retro signs.
As one reviewer, Brett C., said on Yelp.com: “From the looks of the place it was built in the 1960s and has not had a fresh coat of paint since. The place is old and it shows but it reminds you of the past in a good way.”
The restaurant was known for its burgers, milkshakes and hot pastrami sandwiches. It served chocolate, vanilla and twist cones, along with other basic comfort foods.
If the Sno-White name sounds familiar, it’s because the restaurant used to have many more locations around California, especially in the central San Joaquin Valley.
The Sno-White Drive-In was founded in Stockton in the 1950s and grew by franchising, selling the rights to independent owners, according to the River Bank Sno-White location.
It once had 200 locations in California and two in Guam.
A few are still open, including in Modesto, Oakdale, River Bank and Lodi.
Locally, a Sno-White restaurant once operated in Fresno at Ashlan and West avenues. There were also locations in Madera, Coalinga, Lemoore, Merced and other Valley cities.
This story was originally published February 8, 2024 at 12:25 PM.
