And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Main office Burger Chef drastically increased price of the franchise materials like cups, napkins, and packaging that all had the logo. Then the yearly franchise rate was increased along with food that main office supplied. About half of the restaurants were owned by the company and the other half was franchises. They lost about half of the franchises in 18 months that re-branded. That crippled the company that caused BC to close a number of locations that were not making enough profit. They hung on for almost 10 years before they were bought out.
There were 3 Burger Chef's within 25 miles of where I lived in the 80's. They were all owned by the same guy. He cut ties and sourced local suppliers to start his own chain. As a BC franchise he drove a 10 year old cargo van and lived in a modest neighborhood. A year after dropping BC he bought a new pickup. Six months later he bought another and gave the first truck to one of his store managers. He did it again six month later and again in another 6 months. He now has five locations and it has evolved into Country Cookin instead of burgers and biscuits.
I ate there a number of times while I was engineering school a few blocks away. I had eaten at several in San Antonio while my father was stationed at Lackland AFB. I was saddened to see them go.
Remember Bob’s Big Boys. One of the first triple decker burgers. We had one in Towson growing up. It was a franchise that Marriott bought out. They had several stores around the balt wash area. Provided table service and a full menu. Sadly they are gone. Towson location is now an ihop I think.
When I was working in Greensboro, NC back in the late 60's, there was one below Greensboro on whatever that highway was, I forget, I'm pretty old, that I stopped at when I'd be going back to Atlanta. I'd buy two ham & cheese, a fried pie and a chocolate milkshake. A few years later, I lost almost a hundred pounds. Wonder where it came from.
Worked at a Burger Chef in 1982 when they were bought out and switched to Hardee's/ They stayed open for the remodeling, That was a cluster adding a salad bar in the dining room and changing the menu to add breakfast and Roast beef sandwiches with the necessary equipment in the kitchen They offered the salad bar in the drive thru too.
When I was in high school in the 70s, there was one in the town I lived near in northern Indiana. Their largest burger was called the Big Chef which the crew called the Big Shit. They screamed that order whenever the franchise owner was absent.
Only people who could afford a corvette could afford to eat there?
ReplyDelete3000.00 new. Wish I still had my ‘69
ReplyDeleteI wish I still had my '64, '68, '69, or '71. Ah, good times.
DeleteHardee's bought them, in 1996 it looks like.
ReplyDeleteBurger Chef and Jeff. My mom used to take us to the one in St. Johns, Mi on Friday night if we were good during the week. Ate there 3 times.
ReplyDeleteHard to top a '63 'Vette dressed up gasser style. I remember all kinds of cars hot rodded back when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteWe never had Burger Chef. Red Barn was pretty good.
ReplyDeletewow! 2-'67 427s !
ReplyDeleteMain office Burger Chef drastically increased price of the franchise materials like cups, napkins, and packaging that all had the logo. Then the yearly franchise rate was increased along with food that main office supplied. About half of the restaurants were owned by the company and the other half was franchises. They lost about half of the franchises in 18 months that re-branded. That crippled the company that caused BC to close a number of locations that were not making enough profit. They hung on for almost 10 years before they were bought out.
ReplyDeleteThere were 3 Burger Chef's within 25 miles of where I lived in the 80's. They were all owned by the same guy. He cut ties and sourced local suppliers to start his own chain. As a BC franchise he drove a 10 year old cargo van and lived in a modest neighborhood. A year after dropping BC he bought a new pickup. Six months later he bought another and gave the first truck to one of his store managers. He did it again six month later and again in another 6 months. He now has five locations and it has evolved into Country Cookin instead of burgers and biscuits.
Where they located at? I did a short web search and nothing obvious popped out.
DeleteJeff was the accountant. He left for the Bahamas....
ReplyDeleteI actually ate at the last one. https://burgerchef.webs.com/2cookvilletn.htm
ReplyDeleteI ate there a number of times while I was engineering school a few blocks away. I had eaten at several in San Antonio while my father was stationed at Lackland AFB. I was saddened to see them go.
DeleteIn 1982, the company was sold to Hardee's, who turned many Burger Chefs across the country into Hardee's Restaurants.
ReplyDeleteused to get a kick outa watching the burgers ride on the chain-link thingy thru the fire. alton,il. mid 60's. on the walk home from "junior" high.
ReplyDeleteI figured it had to be mismanagement since their product was better than McDonalds or Burger King.
ReplyDeleteThere was also Char Burger and A&W. and, of course, Friendly's (square hamburger on white toast) and Howard Johnson's.
ReplyDeleteRemember Bob’s Big Boys. One of the first triple decker burgers. We had one in Towson growing up. It was a franchise that Marriott bought out. They had several stores around the balt wash area. Provided table service and a full menu. Sadly they are gone. Towson location is now an ihop I think.
ReplyDeleteHigh school buddy and I used to eat there on Sunday mornings on occasion. It was on Loch Raven Boulevard just below Taylor Avenue.
DeleteWe had Elias Bros Big Boy. Still miss the Boston Coolers
DeleteMy wife worked at a Burger Chef on Harford Road in Baltimore back in the late 60's.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working in Greensboro, NC back in the late 60's, there was one below Greensboro on whatever that highway was, I forget, I'm pretty old, that I stopped at when I'd be going back to Atlanta. I'd buy two ham & cheese, a fried pie and a chocolate milkshake. A few years later, I lost almost a hundred pounds. Wonder where it came from.
ReplyDeleteWorked at a Burger Chef in 1982 when they were bought out and switched to Hardee's/ They stayed open for the remodeling, That was a cluster adding a salad bar in the dining room and changing the menu to add breakfast and Roast beef sandwiches with the necessary equipment in the kitchen They offered the salad bar in the drive thru too.
ReplyDeleteWe had one in Starksville in the 1970s, right next to the campus.
ReplyDeleteDecatur, Illinois had one in the late 70’s. I can still name some of the employees.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school in the 70s, there was one in the town I lived near in northern Indiana. Their largest burger was called the Big Chef which the crew called the Big Shit. They screamed that order whenever the franchise owner was absent.
ReplyDeleteWe had one in Valparaiso, Indiana in 1970. We stopped on the way home from church on Sunday.
ReplyDelete