This oral history interview with Elston L. Ireland was conducted by Curtis Johnson on November 21, 1980, at Ireland’s home in Portland, Oregon. The interview was conducted as part of the Drive-in Restaurants of Portland Oral History Project, a series of interviews that Johnson conducted about the history of Portland drive-ins, with a particular emphasis on Tik-Tok and Yaw's Top Notch.

In this interview, Ireland discusses how he got involved in the restaurant business during his early life in Pasadena, California. He talks about opening and running restaurants serving toasted sandwiches, particularly Ireland's Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, and about competing with drive-in restaurants, particularly Yaw's Top Notch. He speaks about the popularity of hamburgers; discusses government regulation of restaurants; and talks about unionization. He closes the interview by discussing the effect of World War II on the restaurant business; using infrared light to cook sandwiches; and the cost of running a restaurant.