It’s hard to miss the neon lights and bold colors of the Pixie while driving down Mission Street. The décor and food have made the restaurant a town landmark and rightfully so.

Its doors first opened in 1948, making it the oldest restaurant in Mount Pleasant.

“When it first started it was only open in the summer time as a drive in and would close in the winter,” said Terri Cregger, general manager of Pixie for the last 20 years. “It was first a car-hop where the staff would bring the food out to people’s cars.”

Throughout the years, Pixie has incorporated and stayed up-to-date with food industry trends, such as walk-up ordering made popular by Dairy Queen and drive-through ordering pioneered by McDonald's.

“In the last 20 years we’ve expanded the most," Cregger said. "Not only the property and dining area, but the business as well. Business has just gotten busier and busier as Pixie grows.”

Still in its original location, Pixie was the catapult that launched the Labelle family away from their co-owned car dealership that sat behind the diner and into the restaurant business. The family now owns multiple franchises in Mount Pleasant.

“When his sons got older, the father opened The Sweet Onion, which was a '70s restaurant on Mission ... things just grew from there," Cregger said. "Now they have Labelle Management. The company owns other restaurants and hotels, such as Bennigan’s and The Italian Oven, but Pixie was the flagship. It all started here and is still family owned."

The family experimented with opening multiple restaurants with the addition of Big Boy on Mission Street. There was also a diner opened in Midland, but neither proved to be as successful as the original.

Mount Pleasant resident and Pixie cashier Amanda Mouse said many customers have been around for the entire Pixie transformation.

“A lot of our customers are regulars and older clientele," Mouse said. "They are always so sweet. They always tell stories about how they used to come in here to eat when they were 4 years old."

Although the diner is no longer the initial car-hop, many aspects have remained the same.

Black and white pictures of the staff, along with items from the '50s cover Pixie’s walls.

“The coney sauce is the original family recipe. It’s what Pixie is famous for. It’s momma Labelle’s own creation,” Cregger said. “The feel of the restaurant is still the same. We have Letterman Jackets from the surrounding high schools that where all donated. We also have a pair of roller skates that a customer used to use back in the day."

Aside from items donated by customers lining the walls, there are thousands of plaques with the names of customers who have defeated the Pixie challenge. To be featured on the wall of fame, a customer has to eat 10 Bitty Burgers or six Coney Dogs in 20 minutes.

“Most of the time it’s a group of friends or a fraternity or sorority who come in," Cregger said. "They challenge each other and cheer each other on. It’s a neat niche that we have."

The current records for most burgers and dogs eaten stands at 42 Bitty Burgers and 23 Coney Dogs.

Names on the plaque range from Mount Pleasant locals to residents around the world, including Germany.

Even Gov. Rick Snyder couldn’t resist the competition. While on a publicity tour in 2010, he defeated the challenge by eating 10 Bitty Burgers.

“I love the environment," Mouse said. "No matter how bad of a mood you’re in, the environment, people and music just put you in a good mood."

It’s these kinds of activities that add to the eating experience and help Pixie maintain a fun and nostalgic feel for its customers.

“In the summertime between Memorial and Labor Day on Thursday nights we have cruise-ins," Cregger said. "We have 20, 45, 50 classic cars from the era. They all line the parking lot. It’s really cool to see"