For nearly 100 years, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard has been more than a stop where St. Louis gets its frozen custard fix. It’s a place where sweet treats and family traditions go hand in hand. What began as a small custard stand on Chippewa Street has grown into a St. Louis icon, with four generations of family leadership continuing to serve the same rich custard, made from the same time-tested recipe, with the enduring spirit of heartfelt service right where it all began on Route 66. As we near the one-year anniversary of the death of Ted Drewes Jr., we’re shining a spotlight on this beloved St. Louis tradition.
In another life, Travis Dillon might have remained an accountant. As a newlywed in the late ’70s, married to Christy, daughter of Ted Drewes Jr., he was working in accounting, enjoying the predictability of weekends off, far removed from the demands of a family legacy. But the business had a way of bringing people home. For Dillon, love for family turned a few nights of help into a full-time return. “Ted and Dottie needed help,” Dillon recalled. “I started working one night a week … then two, then three. Eventually, it became full-time.” That shift became official in 1981, when Dillon entered the business full-time, diving headfirst into daily operations and learning the kind of lessons only decades of elbow grease can teach.
At Ted Drewes, leadership has always meant more than oversight; it’s meant presence, care and continuity passed down through four generations. “If you want your business to succeed, you have to put the time in yourself,” Dillon said. “That’s something I learned directly from Ted.”…