King Tut Drive-In
A long-running Beckley, West Virginia drive-in restaurant known for curbside service, barbecue, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, and a highly recognizable retro roadside presentation.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
King Tut Drive-In was a historic American drive-in restaurant in Beckley, West Virginia. Established in 1945 by the Tutweiler family, it operated from 301 North Eisenhower Drive and became associated with the traditional drive-in format in which customers parked beneath an awning, placed orders with restaurant staff, and received food at their cars. The restaurant used the term “curb girls” for the servers who delivered orders to parked vehicles. The business was transferred to John McKay in 1955. It subsequently became closely identified with the McKay family, including Dave McKay, who had worked at the restaurant as a young employee making pizzas for 25 cents per hour, and his brother Jeff. Dave and Jeff operated the restaurant together for a period before Jeff moved to Maryland. Recipes attributed to McKay’s grandmother, Kenneth McKay, were part of the restaurant’s culinary identity. King Tut’s format combined a broad American menu with a deliberately traditional roadside setting. Its offerings covered breakfast, lunch, and dinner and included barbecue, hot dogs, hoagies, sandwiches, pot roast, chicken livers, Swiss steak, specialty salads, and pizza. Dessert and beverage options included root-beer floats, milkshakes, and several varieties of pie. Barbecue, hot dogs, specialty salads, and pizza were identified as particularly popular items. The physical site reinforced the brand’s nostalgic positioning. A large neon sign displaying a yellow-and-red crown formed the main visual marker, while a prominent marquee at the front of the parking lot functioned as the menu. The restaurant generally operated from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., closing on Wednesdays. According to Dave McKay, the Wednesday closure reflected an arrangement that John McKay had made with other local drive-in operators. The restaurant temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic on September 25, 2020, and reopened on October 8 of the same year. On July 31, 2023, its owners announced plans to sell the business and retire. King Tut Drive-In permanently ceased operations on August 29, 2023. Its significance rests primarily in its longevity, family continuity, distinctive curbside service, and preservation of a mid-century American drive-in experience rather than in national expansion or chain-scale operations.
History
King Tut Drive-In was founded in 1945 by the Tutweiler family in Beckley, West Virginia. The restaurant operated at 301 North Eisenhower Drive, a location designed around the classic American drive-in model. Customers could park beneath an awning, order food for service at their vehicles, and receive their meals from staff who brought orders directly to the curb. This service model was central to the restaurant’s identity and helped distinguish it from conventional indoor restaurants. Ownership changed in 1955, when the Tutweiler family transferred the business to John McKay. The McKay family subsequently became the enduring custodians of the restaurant. Dave McKay worked there as a young man, including making pizzas for 25 cents per hour, before later operating the business. For a period, Dave ran the restaurant with his brother Jeff; Jeff later moved to Maryland. Family continuity also extended into the menu, with recipes credited to their grandmother, Kenneth McKay. The restaurant developed a recognizable visual and operational character. A large neon sign featuring a yellow-and-red crown marked the site, while a large front marquee doubled as the menu board. The building contained the kitchen, and the parking area was arranged to support curbside ordering and delivery. The restaurant’s schedule was generally 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on operating days, with Wednesdays designated as the weekly closing day. Dave McKay attributed that schedule to an agreement John McKay had made with other drive-in owners in the area. King Tut’s menu was unusually broad for a traditional drive-in. It served breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offered barbecue, hot dogs, hoagies, sandwiches, pot roast, chicken livers, Swiss steak, specialty salads, and pizza. Its dessert and beverage selection included root-beer floats, milkshakes, and three kinds of pie, including apple, coconut, and either chocolate- or cherry-cream varieties. Barbecue, hot dogs, specialty salads, and pizza were described as the restaurant’s most popular offerings. The business temporarily closed on September 25, 2020, in response to circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed operations on October 8, roughly two weeks later. The restaurant remained in operation until 2023, when its owners announced on July 31 that they were making plans to sell the business and retire. King Tut Drive-In permanently closed on August 29, 2023. No successor ownership, reopening, or continuing chain operation is established in the supplied reference material. The restaurant is therefore best understood as a defunct, locally significant drive-in whose importance came from nearly eight decades of operation, family management, curbside service, and continuity with an older form of American roadside dining.
- 2023
Owners announce sale and retirement plans
[1]The owners announce on July 31 that they are preparing to sell the restaurant and retire from operating it.
- 2023
Permanent closure
[1]King Tut Drive-In permanently closes on August 29.
- 2020
Temporary COVID-19 closure and reopening
[1]The restaurant closes temporarily on September 25 during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopens on October 8.
- 1955
Ownership transfers to John McKay
[1]The Tutweiler family transfers ownership of the restaurant to John McKay, beginning the McKay family’s long association with the business.
- 1945
King Tut Drive-In is established
[1]The Tutweiler family establishes the drive-in restaurant in Beckley, West Virginia.
Products and positioning
A nostalgic, family-operated American drive-in emphasizing curbside service, a broad comfort-food menu, and a retro roadside atmosphere.
Main dishes
Barbecue
Barbecue was one of the restaurant’s most popular offerings and formed part of its identity as both a drive-in and American barbecue restaurant. It was served within a broad menu that also included burgers, sandwiches, and other comfort-food dishes.
Fast-casual main dishes
Hot dogs
Hot dogs were identified among King Tut Drive-In’s best-known and most popular menu items. They fit the restaurant’s curbside format and its emphasis on familiar American drive-in food.
Main dishes
Pizza
Pizza was part of the restaurant’s unusually extensive menu and was listed among its popular offerings. Dave McKay had made pizzas at the restaurant as a young employee, linking the item to the McKay family’s history with the business.
Salads
Specialty salads
Specialty salads were among the drive-in’s most popular menu selections. They complemented the restaurant’s heavier barbecue, sandwich, steak, and fried-food offerings.
Desserts and beverages
Milkshakes and root-beer floats
Milkshakes and root-beer floats supplied classic drive-in dessert and beverage options. Together with the restaurant’s pies, they reinforced its traditional American roadside-dining character.
Desserts
Pies
The dessert menu included three varieties of pie, reported as apple, coconut, and either chocolate-cream or cherry-cream. These house-style desserts were part of the restaurant’s broad breakfast, lunch, and dinner offering.
Brand decisions
2023
Decision to pursue a sale and retireStrategyBackground
After decades of McKay family operation, the owners announced plans to leave the business.
Action taken
On July 31, the owners said they were making plans to sell King Tut Drive-In and retire from service.
Aftermath
The restaurant permanently closed on August 29, 2023. The supplied material does not establish whether a completed sale occurred.
2020
Temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemicStrategyBackground
The restaurant faced the operating conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020.
Action taken
Management announced a temporary closure on September 25 and reopened the restaurant on October 8.
Aftermath
The closure lasted approximately two weeks, after which the restaurant resumed service.
Sources1 sources
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