Here’s a cool idea…let’s take one of the most popular snack foods in the world and make it into a restaurant.  Stick with me, now.

Let’s pick Cheez-its. You know, those square crackers with the orange cheese baked in them.

And let’s design a retro restaurant around a Cheez-it theme.  You know, lots of red and orange squares everywhere. And we’ll call it the Cheez-In Diner.

And let’s think of how we can incorporate Cheez-its into every conceivable recipe in this restaurant.  And, of course, let’s make lots of cheesy merch to sell at our Cheez-It restaurant.

And after we do all that, designing everything down to the wait staff uniforms, let’s just make this a pop-up. You know, let’s just keep it open for one week, from May 20 till May 26.

Somewhere in the Cheez-it multiverse, the brand directors came up with this kooky idea and brilliantly executed it outside the town of Woodstock in a former roadside restaurant.

Last year, they converted an old gas station in Joshua Tree National Park into a Cheez-it pop-up and the tasty crackers were dispensed from a refitted gas pump.  Again, the Cheez-it Stop was open for just a week.

One can only imagine how big a budget was required to create these pop-ups, but they surely generate enough free publicity to make it worthwhile to the Cheez-it bakers.

So naturally, we (my granddaughter, daughter, and son-in-law et moi) had to take a ride up to Woodstock to see this Cheez-In Diner. 

To put it  mildly, the diner was a huge success. It made the NYC news reports and was all over social media.

By the time we got there on Sunday afternoon, there were signs and local cops directing traffic. Cars with license plates from all over were parked along the roads in every direction.

Lines of Cheez-it fans stretched out on both sides of the restaurant.  We were told it was a three-hour wait to be seated inside.  All the branded Cheez-it merchandise had sold out by Friday. This was a happening.

We had no desire to wait in line to partake of the menu that included such delicacies as a Cheez-it milkshake and Cheez-it cheesecake, but the online reviews of the food weren’t bad. 

We didn’t spend any money there, but I’ve no doubt that in those seven days, the corporate cracker creators made a profit without our help.

We did have our picture taken in the 1962 Cadillac convertible kitted out with the red and yellow Cheez-it colors.

I’m sure that the restaurant would have been booming all summer if they had decided to keep it going, but this was an in-and-out event.

And for that, I’m sure the good people of Woodstock are most grateful. Woodstock is many things, but it has never been accused of being cheesy.