John's Awful Awful Drive-In

John’s Awful Awful Drive-In was an early iconic endeavor of Muncie restaurateur John Towriss. The drive-in was started in the late 50’s as a drive up burger stand called John’s Drive-In, and was one of the first restaurants on McGalliard Rd. The original building was torn down in 1964 to build a full restaurant with indoor seating, which is when it was renamed “John’s Awful Awful Drive-in.”

John’s Awful Awful’s signature burger was a double burger called the “awful awful,” and they were also known for hand-breaded tenderloins. Their slogan was “awful big, awful good,” and the business later added a second location in Hartford City. In 1977, Towriss and wife Carolyn closed the Awful Awful, renovating and expanding the building into a new venture, a Mexican restaurant called One Accord. This restaurant was open until the 1990s and the site was sold to Chili’s in 1997, which remains there today.