DOWAGIAC — Lutz’s Drive In has served food the old-fashioned way since 1961, but ownership of the restaurant has bounced between a number of hands.

In 1961, Bob and Virginia Lutz opened the restaurant at 28102 M-152, Dowagiac, and successfully ran it until 2017, when Scott Scherer and Karmen Grady bought the now historical landmark. In early June, the drive in was bought and reopened by new owner Matt Wheeler, a Decatur local, who is working to restore the restaurant to its original vintage roots.

“[Matt] bought it because he likes a lot of vintage things,” said Haleigh Moreno, the manager at Lutz’s Drive In. “He realized this was one of the last standing drive ins in the area. Even with structure, it’s really vintage and really hard to come by. When he saw it was up for sale, he wanted to buy it and turn it back into that old vintage feel that the town needed.”

Lutz’s, which has been a hometown staple in Dowagiac and Sister Lakes for as long as Moreno can remember, has been fortunate to have many loyal customers return in the three weeks it has been open, Moreno said. Even Bob Lutz, the former owner, still visits the restaurant every Wednesday and Friday, she said.

“We have a really close relationship with Bob Lutz and all of the Lutz family,” Moreno said. “Even the last owners have returned, and it’s been super busy.”

With the business focused on summer, Lutz’s is looking to hire cooks to help in the kitchen and also car hops, who will serve food to customers in their vehicles — the old-fashioned way. Bringing back car hops helps Lutz’s give the community a similar vintage experience they would have received in the 1960s, Moreno said.

Speaking of keeping service traditional, the menu has been simplified and many extras or doubles have been phased out, making way for fresher ingredients, Moreno said.

“We went from getting rid of all the frozen [food] and are doing a lot of things fresh,” she said. “We have fresh fried mushrooms and fresh onion rings. Everything is hand cut in the morning and then hand battered.”

Wheeler also brought in Bob Lutz to help teach the staff the original Lutz’s recipes.

“We went all back to how it was supposed to be: fresh vegetables, all the seasonings. It’s all back to the original,” Moreno said.

Moreno, who started working at Lutz’s in 2014, has worked under multiple owners. She has a high respect for Wheeler’s motivation to restore Lutz’s to its former glory, she said.

“We are fortunate to have Matt, who is so dedicated into making the place better,” she said. “He is bringing new people in, and renovating the place to make it how it should be.”

Moreno wants Lutz’s Drive In to give everybody in the area a chance to experience attentive and nostalgic customer service reminiscent of the 1960s and a time they can feel good, she said.