A
carhop is a
waiter or
waitress (often) on
rollerskates who brings
food to people in their cars. Carhops originated in the 1940s when drive-in eateries were popular. Now carhops are only featured at a few remaining original drive-in
hotdog stands such as
The Varsity in
Midtown Atlanta, as well as
Superdawg, located in
Chicago, IL, or
White Spot of Canada, and nostalgic
fast food establishments such as
Sonic Drive-In.
Big Boy restaurant in Burbank, CA also returned its carhop service since its renovation. On occasion,
Dog n Suds' waitresses will wear roller skates. Some of the wait staff at Sonic restaurants wear roller skates and serve people in their cars.
A carhop was the most prominent image on the poster for the film American Graffiti. They were also often seen in the first two seasons of Happy Days.