It was around January of this year when Angie Phillips got an idea. It was an idea so bold, so out-of-the-blue, that it prompted her own brother, Sammy Phillips, to dismiss it as “crazy talk.”

Her plan was to open a 1950s-inspired diner in the bedroom community of Lewisville. While the idea proved to be a longstanding dream for Angie, it was nothing more than a good laugh for Sammy.

“I never in a million years thought I’d want to start a restaurant,” he recalls.

As the owner of a successful electrical contracting company, Sammy was worried that starting up a restaurant would be a bit overwhelming, especially given his already hectic schedule.

But little by little, the idea started to grow on him.

He knew that Angie — a longtime waitress — could provide a wealth of restaurant knowledge and family-tested recipes.

He also knew that his hometown of Lewisville would be ecstatic with the thought of a fun-infused family hangout. “The more I thought about it, the better it felt,” Sammy recalls. “One day, I finally just said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ “

Seven months later, the Lewisville Soda Shoppe officially opened at The Oaks shopping center off Shallowford Road. Its simple motto — “A Blast from the Past” — couldn’t be more fitting.

With a Johnny-Rockets-meets-Arthur’s-Drive-In vibe, the eatery weaves a tapestry of nostalgic charm that’s both timeless and entrancing.
The Phillipses credit interior designer Navada Ingle for the Shoppe’s engaging aesthetic. A Winston-Salem native, Ingle had worked with Sammy in the past, helping decorate both his home and business. When she learned that he wanted her to create a 1950s-style diner, she jumped at the idea. The concept was, after all, something near and dear to her.

“I grew up going to an old soda shop on Fifth Street,” Ingle recalls. “I lived through that whole era, so I knew exactly how I wanted it to look. I knew I wanted it to be a place that makes you smile every time you walk in.”

Judging by the droves of patrons flocking in and out of the Shoppe, Ingle did just that.

The restaurant’s checkered floors and turquoise walls seem to create a museum of 1950s feel-good culture. At the front of the Soda Shoppe sits an authentic, free-to-operate jukebox spinning out all the classics from yesteryear. Outside, there is even an expansive patio lined with a number of colorful umbrellas.

While the Shoppe is rooted in a simpler time, it also features a few modern quirks, including WIFI access and plasma-screen TVs. The TVs provide an especially interesting contrast, as clips from Happy Days and Grease are constantly aired in high definition.

All in all, it’s the kind of place that Arthur Fonzarelli would be proud to call home.

“We really just wanted to give the people of this community a fun place to come get a meal,” Sammy says. “If you walk in here and you’re having a bad day, chances are you’re going to walk out feeling just fine.”

While the restaurant’s neat-o environment is bringing the customers in, it’s the food that keeps them coming back.

The menu is stocked with 1950s standards, including juicy burgers, grilled hot dogs, and an assortment of sandwiches. On the side, patrons can order up freshly cut fries or battered onion rings.

While burgers and fries are to be expected, the menu also includes a few staples of Southern cuisine, highlighted by Angie’s homemade pinto beans and cornbread. Other unique choices include pimento cheese, grilled cheese, and fried bologna sandwiches.

“You always hear old timers talk about how much they love fried bologna,” Sammy says, “I think a lot of them would rather eat fried bologna than a filet.”

As good as the Soda Shoppe’s main courses are, it’s the wide range of desserts that provides the quintessential cherry on top.

From hand-scooped ice cream and chocolate malts to homemade apple pie and peach cobbler, the selections are sure to provide a sweet sendoff to any outing.

When you add it all up, the Soda Shoppe is exactly what the Phillipses first imagined — a place with excellent food, cheerful service, and a propensity for the past.

“The whole goal here was to create a place that everyone can enjoy,” Sammy says. “We wanted a place that would create new memories for the younger kids, and bring back some memories for the older folks.”

Stopping in mid-thought, Sammy shifts his eyes to an older couple who has just entered the restaurant. Hand-in-hand, the couple spends a few moments dancing to The Drifters’ “This Magic Moment” before stepping up to the counter to place their order.

Taking a few seconds to smile, Sammy turns back and says, “That’s exactly what we were going for.”

Lewisville Soda Shoppe is at 6750 Shallowford Rd. in Lewisville. For more information, call 336-945-0151 or go to lewisvillesodashoppe.com.