Owner Chastity Niemeyer toasts a sandwich bun as she prepares orders on the opening day of Charlie’s Drive-In, located at 762 N Wood River Ave., a Wood River business that she reopened on April 6, 2026.
Chase Martin/The Telegraph
On Monday morning, Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup cut a ribbon outside of Charlie’s Drive-In, marking the reopening of the community’s beloved root beer stand.
Fifty years after Charlie Tweedy first opened the business, Charlie’s Drive-In has returned to the Wood River business scene with the same recipes and root beer, but a different owner.
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Since purchasing the business and its recipes in 2022, Chastity Niemeyer, owner of 3rd Chute in Grafton, is joining forces with her daughter, Kaitlynn Niemeyer, to bring some nostalgia back to their hometown.
“I love being a part of the legacy,” Chastity Niemeyer said. “I know a lot of people in this town, and I know how much it means to them.”
Charlie’s Drive-In closed in 2021 with Teresa Tweedy’s retirement. Under new ownership, the business briefly reopened in 2022, but it has been closed for the past three-plus years.
Charlie’s Drive-In’s new owners, Kaitlynn and Chastity Niemeyer (left to right), pose for a photo outside their business at 762 N. Wood River Ave., with Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup, on April 6, 2026.
Chase Martin/The Telegraph
Monday’s re-opening was celebrated by city officials, family, and friends, all of whom shared either memories of Charlie’s Drive-In’s glory days or excitement for its future. Mayor Stalcup called the place a “godsend” after sharing memories with original owner Charlie Tweedy.
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“It’s great for our community, everybody knows Charlie’s,” Stalcup said. “I know the Niemeyers will put out some good food.”
Now open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the business serves old favorites like pizza burgers and fried mac and cheese, as well as new ones like peeled shrimp through the curb and walk-up window service. To keep the nostalgia alive, the owners will keep the flavor the same as before.
“This is where you can have fun with your family in the car, outside of the car, and enjoy root beer and ice cream,” Kaitlynn Niemeyer said.
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At 20, Kaitlynn Niemeyer will lead the business as head manager. After growing up in Wood River and attending Bethalto School District, where she also teaches as a substitute, she knows how much the business matters to the community.
“We need to get back to the community that helped me grow,” Kaitlynn Niemeyer said. “Foster a love for the local community and the little ones, because that’s where my heart is.”
Owner Chastity Niemeyer high-fives Wood River Mayor Tom Stalcup after a ribbon-cutting for the return of Charlie’s Drive-In, located at 762 N Wood River Ave., on April 6, 2026.
Chase Martin/The Telegraph
She encourages customers to bring their family to Charlie’s Drive-In, which she says is one of two root beer stands in Madison County, the other being King Louie’s Drive-In.
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“Come get the experience and relive memories you had from the past, and bring the family to let your kids experience it,” Kaitlynn Niemeyer said.
As an outdoor dining space adjacent to East Alton-Wood River Community High School, with ample seating and parking, Charlie’s Drive-In is set to become the prime after-school hangout spot, family gathering space, and classic car meetup all combined into one.
Wood River community reminisces during Charlie’s Drive-in reopening
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Chastity Niemeyer was ready to get to work. By 10 a.m. that morning, the business had already received several to-go orders. An hour later, customers were lined up as if the business had never closed.
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“I was really excited to come back here and have my kids experience what I did growing up,” customer Erica Littlefield said while corralling her three hungry children.
The outside dining area and order window at Charlie’s Drive-In, located at 762 N. Wood River Ave., on April 6, 2026.
Chase Martin/The Telegraph
After recently moving back to the area from Kansas City, Littlefield had to share her childhood love for Charlie’s Drive-In with her children. As she waited in line, she was excited to try the food and drink her root beer out of the business’s iconic frosted mugs.
“I’m excited to see if that root beer is on point,” Littlefield said. “It’s nostalgic being on the opposite end as a parent and not being a kid.”
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The reminiscing continued with Mike Rowe, a Wood River local who used to ride his bike and go-kart to Charlie’s Drive-In. Years later, he’s reliving his childhood and enjoying a to-go root beer in his truck.
“I miss this place a lot, it’s a part of my childhood,” Rowe said. “April first would come around every year, and everyone knew it was that time.”
In the past, when the business was owned and operated by Charlie Tweedy, Charlie’s Drive-In would always open for the season on April 1, a long-awaited day for Rowe and his cousins.
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Under the new ownership, the business will continue to operate seasonally. Before closing on Oct. 31, the Niemeyers anticipate a busy summer and fall of serving generations of Charlie’s Drive-in fans, young and old.