Tiger Drive-In's Huff given statewide accolade

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream at Tiger Drive-In.

Katie Huff, manager of the decades-old Greenfield favorite eatery, accepted the Restaurant Neighbor Philanthropist Award from the Iowa Restaurant Association this week. Tiger Drive-In is owned by Dave and Kendalyn Huff.

The award was given because Katie Huff stepped in to immediately support the community after the May 21 tornado.

“While hundreds of volunteers eventually came to help, locals like Katie Huff stepped up immediately to support the community,” a press release said. “The over-60-year-old Tiger Drive-In, a classic walk-up spot, survived with minimal damage despite an employee’s car being tossed against it.”

Huff recognized an urgent need and rallied her team to help. Without power, they brought in generators, enabling Tiger Drive-In (TDI) to serve hot and cold food.

“There were a lot of things I couldn’t do,” Huff said, “but I could feed people.”

The TDI team handed out free ice cream, chili dogs and sandwiches to volunteers, first responders and residents. After news coverage, support poured in from acfross the country, which led to weeks of free meals.

“The angels appeared, sending money from as far as Florida and Colorado to keep us going,” Huff said.

Huff thanked her family and patrons in a post on the Tiger Drive-In Facebook page Tuesday morning.

“You are the reason we open everyday,” Huff told patrons in the post. “We will see you all soon — remember it’s never too cold for ice cream and the kitchen is open.”

Tiger Drive-In celebrated 60 years in 2021, though it has not always gone by that name. It has had several owners and was once a Tastee Freez during its first decade of existence.

At a discussion meeting in 2023 when the community was trying to get the restaurant on the National Registry of Historic Places, previous owners said they don’t recall whether a shift in traffic that occured following the development of Interstate 80 in the late 1950s and early 60s impacted the Tiger Drive-In or not. In general, they said the earlier you go in the restaurant’s history, the more two-lane highway traffic there was. At one time, there were three gas stations at the junction of Highways 92 and 25.

At that same meeting, the Huffs said there are still very busy days at “The Tiger,” as locals refer to it. Big school happenings, the county fair, planting and harvest times for farmers and the opening day of various hunting seasons are all known be potential high traffic days.

Above all, both past and more recent owners said the iconic design and abundance of windows that Tiger Drive-In has keeps it attractive to those passing by on the highway, and motorists stop for a treat.

The Tiger Drive-In’s application to the National Registry of Historic Places is in its final stages of review.