Wyo4News staff, [email protected]
January 3, 2024 — Local residents Jaycia Wisniewski-Hunt and her husband, Justen Hunt, are preparing for the grand re-opening of the famous Grub’s Drive-in restaurant in Rock Springs! Opening day will be January 4th, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. lunch and dinner only.
The couple decided to buy the restaurant for sentimental reasons because it was the first job that Jaycia ever had. She worked at Grub’s for 14 years and worked for the original owners, Nick (Grub) and Loretta Skorup, and she worked with all of Skorup’s sisters, who also famously worked there as well. She later worked for the Skorup’s children and their spouses, and Hunt even worked for the restaurant when Grub’s Drive-in had their 50th-anniversary block party in 1996.
Jaycia and her husband have the permission of the original owners to re-open the restaurant as Grub’s Drive-in and plan on having the original menu that Grub’s Drive-in had back when she worked there. “We feel like it’s really important to keep the original menu items, like the Shamrock, created by Loretta Skorup,” said Hunt. They also plan on offering specialty sodas and flavored drinks as well.
Grub’s Drive-In was established in 1946 by Nick Skorup with the help of his family. After World War II, his mother and sisters did not want their only living son and brother to work in the mines, the only viable jobs available in Rock Springs then. So, with their help, he was able to open a hamburger stand on US 30. At that time, the highway came through Rock Springs.
They called the burger a Shamrock because they opened in the spring near St. Patrick’s Day, and the catchy name stuck. A Shamrock is two patties (1/4 lb. total) with cheese and is served with fries. Many people would enjoy the burgers with the thick creamy Shamrock shake, a cool, minty treat! Another popular favorite of the customers was the brown gravy for the fries, but fry sauce has become a popular condiment.
The regular hours of operation will be Monday – Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Starting in the Fall of 2024, they will also be open on Saturdays. They will not be making breakfast currently, as the couple lives in Green River, and they both currently work other jobs, but there is a possibility that the hours might change in the future as the business grows.
