Sun staff
Danny’s Drive-Thru, in Goshen Township, reopened on Oct. 15 under new management and a new name.
Zip’s Drive-Thru, a reference to zip in and zip out, is owned by Sherry Diehl, Kyle Diehl and Cathy Diehl.
“We’re very excited to get this opportunity to reopen the business, get to know the people of the community and become good community partners with those in Goshen Township,” Sherry Diehl said.
In addition to carrying the traditional lines of beverages, snacks, beer and wine, the family has added an assortment of local and domestic beers, and they’ve expanded the cigarette selection.
“There’s a little something for everyone,” Sherry Diehl said. “We have to know our customers and what they want.”
Sherry Diehl, of West Chester, retired in July as Senior Scientist at Procter and Gamble, where she worked for more than 35 years. Her son Kyle Diehl works in law enforcement, and his wife Cathy Diehl, a United States Air Force veteran, is a nurse and lactation consultant.
“The business is definitely a family affair,” Sherry Diehl said. “We’re a very tight-knit family, so you’ll probably see us all here.”
She added, “It’s fun. To me it’s almost like a grown-up lemonade stand. At Procter and Gamble, I worked on national and international brands, and here at the drive-thru, you kind of have the same opportunities, but on a smaller scale.”
The family had been looking at a few other drive-thru businesses that were for sale.
“It had been on our radar for a while,” Sherry Diehl said. “When we saw this one, we pursued it, and it was a good, honest venture. We’re going to have fun with it.”
The purchase was finalized Sept. 22. Before the opening, the family worked to clean, paint and order products.
“We inherited the list of suppliers from the previous owner, and the distributors keep track of what sold and what didn’t – they are hugely helpful,” Sherry Diehl said.
She added, “Everyone has been so helpful and receptive. This seems to be a great industry to get into, and it should be, because we’re selling spirits, so everyone should be happy.”
Sherry Diehl said they keep the cooler set to 34-degrees, and they charge state minimum prices on cigarettes and beer.
“People might expect a little higher price since we are a drive-thru, but we want to stay competitive with other stores that are selling the same goods,” she said.
So far, business has been good.
“We’ve been getting a lot of good feedback,” Sherry Diehl said. “We were given a warm welcome, and we’re encouraged with the business and traffic that we’re seeing.”
Zip’s Drive-Thru is located at 1579 state Route 28. The drive-thru is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store will be closed on Thanksgiving and on Christmas Day.