What Happened to Burger Chef?

Today we are taking a closer look at another fast food restaurant that with over 1200 locations at its peak, was poised to be at the top of the burger food chain. Burger Chef was an American fast-food restaurant chain founded in 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana by brothers - and inventors - Frank and Don Thomas, and a partner Bob Wildman. The chain featured several signature items, such as the Big Shef, the Super Shef, the Funmeal, and the Works Bar.
In this edpisode, we explore Burger Chef’s beginnings, its innovative mark in fast food, and finally the eventual buyout by Hardee’s.
REFERENCES
"Images of America - Burger Chef" - By Scott R. Sanders - www.amazon.com/Burger-Images-...
"Flameout: The Rise and Fall of Burger Chef" by John P. McDonald - www.amazon.com/Flameout-Rise-...
JSF's BURGER CHEF Tribute Site - tons of details on Burger Chef history - jsfburgerchef.homestead.com/
The Burger Chef Reliquary - locations and discussion boards - www.thebawdycloister.com/reliq...
Kyle's Burger Chef Memories Website - A great Burger Chef tribute site, fantastic vintage photos! - www.freewebs.com/burgerchef/
Lost Indiana: Burger Chef A page about Burger Chef in its home state. - lostindiana.net/2001/06/01/bu...
Roadside Architecture: Eateries Photos of former Burger Chef buildings and signs. - www.roadsidearchitecture.com/

Пікірлер: 1 400

  • @alvinwine5665
    @alvinwine56655 жыл бұрын

    I miss Burger chef, I use to love going there as a kid

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    Alvin Wine me too!

  • @generalzod7959

    @generalzod7959

    5 жыл бұрын

    Ditto

  • @generalzod7959

    @generalzod7959

    5 жыл бұрын

    @Todd Foret who needs a job? He kills for a living now... Or so i hear. 😄

  • @TheTeufelhunden68

    @TheTeufelhunden68

    5 жыл бұрын

    I as well. They beat McDonalds by far. As Burger King does today. The works bar was the best.

  • @stephenredden3719

    @stephenredden3719

    5 жыл бұрын

    ​@@TheTeufelhunden68 Oh yeah! , we had one in walking distance from me , I used take a regular burger and stack all kinds of goodies and make it into a super burger, I miss burger chef

  • @allenorganist2011
    @allenorganist20115 жыл бұрын

    I used to love going to burger chef over McDonald's back in the late 70's. So many memories...

  • @jeffreyk239

    @jeffreyk239

    4 жыл бұрын

    Me too, never like McDonald's food, still don't.

  • @b.j.banditt206

    @b.j.banditt206

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@jeffreyk239 Likewise here; Burger Chef had the GRILLIN' TECHNIQUE that stood out from the rest of the crowd (especially from Burger King). The Works Bar made 'em STAND OUT!!!!!!

  • @photonotavailable7936

    @photonotavailable7936

    3 жыл бұрын

    Ditto in the late ‘60s in Long Beach, California.

  • @mattrussillo4587

    @mattrussillo4587

    3 жыл бұрын

    As a kid in the 60s and seventies I remember nobody I went to school with either went with McDonald's or wanted to admit they did! McDonald's The same thing the same thing could be said of Queen and KISS in hindsight. Nobody would ever ADMIT it if they listen to them- or at least no one older than 12!

  • @pay9011
    @pay90115 жыл бұрын

    I remember when our local Burger Chef turned into Hardees. The quality immediately deteriorated. It was obvious that people stopped going there.

  • @eucliduschaumeau8813

    @eucliduschaumeau8813

    3 жыл бұрын

    Hardees was the bottom of the barrel. Awful drek.

  • @johnd4348

    @johnd4348

    3 жыл бұрын

    Same happened to Taco Bell when it changed to Montery Jack.

  • @plawson8577

    @plawson8577

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hardee’s was good. It’s Carl Jr’s that’s Awful.

  • @ttnt3332

    @ttnt3332

    Жыл бұрын

    our Sandy's turned into Hardees! And then little later Burger Chef all disappeared Sad!

  • @tellurye
    @tellurye6 жыл бұрын

    OMG!1 I thought I was the only one who remembered Burger Chef lol. I was about 5 and I LOVED it. So sad it closed. Thanks for an awesome trip down memory lane. So awesome to hear history I never even knew.

  • @nunya9540

    @nunya9540

    4 жыл бұрын

    tellurye Burger Chef and Jeff lol

  • @TheBrooklynbodine

    @TheBrooklynbodine

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'm 57 myself, and I don't remember when it opened, but the one in my town was still there in 1980, but it seems like it was gone not long after.

  • @newmanoutdoors1564
    @newmanoutdoors15645 жыл бұрын

    I loved the works bar . Also the super chef was better then the whopper and Big Mac .

  • @SladesVWBeetle

    @SladesVWBeetle

    5 жыл бұрын

    Ed Newman I loves them! And we had winkys too near us!

  • @JohnnyUtah15

    @JohnnyUtah15

    3 жыл бұрын

    Man, I made a mountain of toppings with the Works Bar. I miss the one that was in a nearby city. Last recall eating there in the late '70s/early '80s.

  • @b.j.banditt206

    @b.j.banditt206

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@JohnnyUtah15 Likewise here, Johnny.

  • @InvisibleAvenger

    @InvisibleAvenger

    3 жыл бұрын

    As best I can tell, the Big Mac is pretty much a complete copy of the Big Shef. The Big Shef was introduced sometime in 1964 and the Big Mac didn't come along until 1967. Even typing the names out now, Big Shef to Big Mac, it seems even more clear that Ray Kroc/McDonald's was simply taking Burger Chef's ideas rather than developing new food ideas. Makes me wonder about the story of an inspired secretary coming up with the Big Mac name. It makes for a nice story, but when your new burger and it's name are so similar to a competitor's existing product that story starts looking like awfully thin cover.

  • @b.j.banditt206

    @b.j.banditt206

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@InvisibleAvenger DAMN FUCKIN' RITE!!!!! The Big Shef was SO MUCH TASTIER THAN THE BIG MAC. Ironically, the Big Boy was more the inspiration 4 the Big Mac than the Big Shef. Even moreso, In-N-Out also inspired the Big Mac (the only difference btwn the Big Mac vs. the a4mentioned others is the Big Mac sauce has no tomato-based products; paprika gives the Big Mac sauce its reddish-orange hue).

  • @cindyfrancis5820
    @cindyfrancis58206 жыл бұрын

    I loved Burger Chef! I wish it would make a comeback. They should have gotten credit for the first boxed meal with a toy!

  • @miked3168

    @miked3168

    5 жыл бұрын

    Cindy Francis they won't ever come back. Too much competition today, especially with 5 guys, n and out, shake shack, etc... Plus people's tastes have changed.

  • @willdwyer6782

    @willdwyer6782

    5 жыл бұрын

    The box was the toy.

  • @lyndavermaat3284

    @lyndavermaat3284

    5 жыл бұрын

    IT WAS THE BEST, WISH IT COULD COME BACK. I CRAVE THEM AT TIMES. GRAND RAPIDS, MI

  • @luisreyes1963

    @luisreyes1963

    4 жыл бұрын

    If you had a burger from Hardee's, you're practically eating a Burger Chef burger. 🍔

  • @kevincanter2575

    @kevincanter2575

    3 жыл бұрын

    They had a spinning top which was my favorite toy to get!! The unique kid meal trays!! Miss it

  • @MrKmoconne
    @MrKmoconne5 жыл бұрын

    Our family was a Burger Chef family. We rarely went to McDonalds. The food at Burger Chef was just better. When you entered Burger Chef you were always greeted by the smell of flame broiled burgers. They had a good fish sandwich too. I don't go to Hardies either. Their burgers are too big and they just don't evoke the same flavor I remember from Burger Chef.

  • @impalaman9707

    @impalaman9707

    10 ай бұрын

    That's probably because they went back to frying the burgers when they changed to Hardees😔

  • @MileyonDisney
    @MileyonDisney6 жыл бұрын

    That's incrediburgible! Been a long time since I thought of a Big Chef. They were really delicious!

  • @homeschoolmom2799
    @homeschoolmom27994 жыл бұрын

    I've not had Burger Chef since the mid 1970's. I never ate there often, but always wondered what happened to them. How sad the way it fell.Thanks for the history.

  • @Tornado1994

    @Tornado1994

    2 жыл бұрын

    I truly believe, had the 1978 Robbery and Murders in Speedway had never occurred, they would have survived.

  • @rickster348
    @rickster3486 жыл бұрын

    - I still miss Burger Chef.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    6 жыл бұрын

    rickster348 miss them too!!

  • @luisreyes1963

    @luisreyes1963

    4 жыл бұрын

    Never had a Burger Chef burger in my lifetime. ☹️

  • @73beetle19

    @73beetle19

    3 жыл бұрын

    We had a Burger Chef in Richmond Virginia.

  • @rekitnilc
    @rekitnilc6 жыл бұрын

    Buger Chef was within walking distance of the old farmhouse we live in during the mid 70s. We were quite poor but I remember walking there with some friends many times and getting hamburgers. Good memories, thank you for the video, much much appreciated! By the way, the burger chef was in Trotwood Ohio.

  • @kenpainter7890
    @kenpainter78903 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for mentioning the Burger Chef in Danville, IL. My family used go there in 1970's. We went there so often, I was able to collect all 4 of the Star Wars posters. Later in the late 1980's, I got a job close by and ate there a lot because of the coupons out of the local newspaper. The coupons were for buy a burger meal and get a second burger free. Great for saving money, though it was still cheap to eat there. Too bad he had to change the name. I think the building now is a used car place.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    3 жыл бұрын

    I have the fish sandwich sign that hung off the bottom of the road sign. My buddy Jon has restored the top of that road sign and has it on display at Urban Artifacts in Peoria!

  • @jdavidreynolds

    @jdavidreynolds

    2 жыл бұрын

    Somewhere in a box in the attic, I think I still have those Star Wars posters!

  • @hobbgreen4529

    @hobbgreen4529

    Жыл бұрын

    i went to the burger chef on gilbert street in danville many many times . im old enough to remember before it had indoor seating . i loved to get the fries by the pound .

  • @alcosteam

    @alcosteam

    10 ай бұрын

    Butch Schroeder who was the last of their family to own the restaurant in Danville also restored vintage aircraft, one of which was the P-51 Lil' Margaret. Sadly that P-51 possibly the finest example ever restored was sold to an out of country buyer who subsequently crashed it.. haven't heard if its going to be wrote off or repaired. There was even a paperback book wrote of their P-51 restoration called "P-51 restored" by Paul Coggan

  • @kenpainter7890

    @kenpainter7890

    10 ай бұрын

    @@alcosteam I remember that P-51. I remember seeing the wing sitting outside at Vermilion County Airport for a long time. I am guessing that he flew it a few times because the plane buzzed over me once when I was on a county road.

  • @Big_John_C
    @Big_John_C5 жыл бұрын

    Ah my favorite place to eat as a kid! Hard to believe that was 45-50 years ago, places now days cannot touch the quality and taste that Burger Chef had.

  • @TheBrooklynbodine

    @TheBrooklynbodine

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yep, I'm 57 and remember going there when I was 6 years old (seems I was going there regularly before that), and I believe the one in my town was in operation as recently as 1981. The place where it stood is now a fast food outlet (I forget the name and I don't get out that way very often), but I believe it's Wendy's. It was a Rax Roast Beef sometime after it was Burger Chef, and I think something else after Rax, but before what it is now. It also seems that the original building was torn down. Both of my older brothers worked there (not at the same time) as teenagers when it was still Burger Chef.

  • @josephfrank1472

    @josephfrank1472

    Жыл бұрын

    Because of all the chemicals and GMO’s now.

  • @vegasprepperone
    @vegasprepperone6 жыл бұрын

    i worked for burger chef in illinois and i had the opportunity to play burger chef in the mascot costume in a major parade ! loved my years there !!!!!!! 74-76 i still have my name badge

  • @whomagoose6897
    @whomagoose68975 жыл бұрын

    Lot of the old time burger places are gone. Taste Freez and Minute Man are two I remember. Minute Man was the first to have microwave ovens to cook food back in the 1960's. The microwave oven was a novelty back then.

  • @animalactivist7820
    @animalactivist78205 жыл бұрын

    I remember Burger Chef very well. My sister got her driver’s license in 1965. There was a Burger Chef in Mansfield Ohio and about 5 miles from our parents house. On Friday nights, when our parents would eat out at a nice restaurant with friends, my sister and I were given ~$2~ (total) for us two kids to eat dinner out at Burger Chef. We could get our choose of hamburger or cheeseburger, an order (each ) of fries, and a soft dink OR shake for less than $.50! Amazing!! Their theme song used to go... “$15 cents, a nickel and a dime, at Burger Chef, you’ll eat better every time, cuz a nickel and a dime will get......(🎼)🎼 French Fried Potatoes, big thick shake, or the greatest 15 cent, Hamburger yet.. Eat at Burger Chef, for a nickel and a dime!! We love Burger Chef and went their for years, EVERY Friday night, even after they became Hardee’s. Hated to see them go, because their food was much better tasting than McDonalds, and their burgers weren’t fried, but char-broiled. Hardee’s: “Hurry on down to Hardee’s where the Burgers are charcoal broiled”... Great Americana!

  • @birdsfan57

    @birdsfan57

    5 жыл бұрын

    I, too, remember those 15 cent hamburgers and fries from McDonald's and Burger Chef back in the 1960's. We also had a "Steer-In" burger place that Dick Clark, before he moved American Bandstand to California, owned in the Philly area. Those burgers were amazing. He stopped by there quite often and we saw him several times when we went there for dinner. Sadly, Steer-In couldn't compete with the popularity of McDonalds and Burger Chefs in the area, and wasn't around long enough.

  • @donfinkey692

    @donfinkey692

    5 жыл бұрын

    Animal Activist I used to work at the one on RT 42 in front of the Big Bear grocery store.

  • @RobHoffman83

    @RobHoffman83

    5 жыл бұрын

    Wow, I just left a comment about our local Burger Chef and it was this very one in Mansfield. Do you remember the Arthur Treacher's on Park Avenue?

  • @8bigbob

    @8bigbob

    5 жыл бұрын

    I also ate at this same Burger Chef on Park Avenue West, in Mansfield, Ohio back in the early 1970's. I remember it had a lot of glass windows.

  • @johnyoung468

    @johnyoung468

    5 жыл бұрын

    Rob Hoffman We had a Burger Chef and a Arthur Treacher's in Huntington, WV also. Not many people in this area remembers Arthur Treacher's. I guess they are too young. lol

  • @joeschmo2693
    @joeschmo26935 жыл бұрын

    My 1st paycheck job was at a Burger Chef. I was 15, so I had to lie about my age. This was late 81, early 82, right at the end I guess. Didn't work there long - those busy lunch hours, and general ass busting work, convinced me to get my butt back in school.

  • @samuelallen3570
    @samuelallen35706 жыл бұрын

    I was an Assistant Manager at Burger Chef in North Smithfield, RI.

  • @robertcoia130

    @robertcoia130

    5 жыл бұрын

    Didn't realize there was one in N. Smithfield, but I just barely remember one in N. Kingstown, because we moved there in 1974 from Providence.

  • @getx1265
    @getx12655 жыл бұрын

    Used to always look forward to our stop at Burger Chef in Litchfield, Illinois, each trip to/from college 1969-73.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    Gary Ellliott is the building still standing in Litchfield? I’m in Springfield area.

  • @johnschuster4709
    @johnschuster47095 жыл бұрын

    I worked at a Burger Chef in St Paul MN on Marshall Ave in the early70s. Loved the job, still miss the Big Chef, best burger ever.

  • @maxwellcrazycat9204

    @maxwellcrazycat9204

    5 жыл бұрын

    I worked at the one in Richmond Heights Ohio in the early 1970's while in high school. We had a lot of fun there.

  • @suddendee
    @suddendee6 жыл бұрын

    I knew it! McDonald’s copied the idea of their Happy Meals from Burger Chef’s Fun Meal/Fun Burger 😒🍔

  • @TheBrooklynbodine

    @TheBrooklynbodine

    3 жыл бұрын

    Ah, the Fun Meal! I used to live for Tuesdays when my dad would take me to Burger Chef. That was in the early to mid 70s. I'm 57 now.

  • @williebowen1043
    @williebowen10435 жыл бұрын

    I LOVED BURGER CHEF..THE BIG CHEF W/CHEESE, THE FISH SANDWICH. THE Vanilla Shakes.

  • @hairyhunk44
    @hairyhunk442 жыл бұрын

    I worked for Burger Chef in the 80's. I still have a tee shirt with the logo in 2021. BC was the first of the burger chains to have a kids meal, salad bar and first to have a bacon burger called the Top Chef in a time when no one ever heard of putting bacon on a burger. First to serve breakfast.

  • @lisab4821

    @lisab4821

    Жыл бұрын

    The top shef patty had to be thawed first so it could be cooked on same broiler as the super shef because it was a third pound

  • @mikehughes4969
    @mikehughes49693 жыл бұрын

    Oh man, I remember Burger Chef & Jeff very very well. The burgers were good, better then McDonald's, and the shakes were simply phenomenal. Why does it feel like it's been a thousand years since I've had one?

  • @johnnyveng4014
    @johnnyveng40142 жыл бұрын

    I lived in Lincoln Park, MI, and Burger Chef was my favorite place to eat as a kid. I'd like to see a video on how the relationship between Carl's Jr and Hardee's developed.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    2 жыл бұрын

    I do need to do that one!

  • @toddprater14

    @toddprater14

    2 жыл бұрын

    We used to go to the one on dix-hwy and Southfield road(freeway). It was Next to a Perry’s drugstore this was across from Sears shopping center….Michigan downriver represent..😀

  • @reecepierce

    @reecepierce

    2 жыл бұрын

    ​@@restaurantrewind9026 please do 🙂

  • @MrSafetyForever
    @MrSafetyForever6 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for allocating the time to create this video! Greatly enjoyed the historic perspective of one of my favorite childhood restaurants!

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    6 жыл бұрын

    MrSafetyForever I appreciate the feedback! It's a lot of fun to do these....wish I had more time to get more out there!

  • @Mark-sd7fc
    @Mark-sd7fc5 жыл бұрын

    Was a burger chef on Arlington street in Akron Ohio 1 block from grandmas house and my uncle was the manager, mid to late 60s

  • @kirkscobey3031
    @kirkscobey30315 жыл бұрын

    Sunday treat after church in Corunna Michigan. Burger Chef and Jeff!! Best of McD and BK

  • @williegilligan2661
    @williegilligan26615 жыл бұрын

    Yep, I worked there when Hardees bought them out, sorry they closed.I ate just over 1000 big chefs over the years. I still have a few of the Burger Chef coins somewhere

  • @TheBrooklynbodine

    @TheBrooklynbodine

    3 жыл бұрын

    When did Burger Chef have coins?

  • @b.j.banditt206

    @b.j.banditt206

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@TheBrooklynbodine Back in the 1970s (especially the early-2-mid 1970s).

  • @TheBrooklynbodine

    @TheBrooklynbodine

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@b.j.banditt206 OK, thanks.

  • @williegilligan2661

    @williegilligan2661

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@b.j.banditt206 My coins are dated 1969 & I still have them..

  • @b.j.banditt206

    @b.j.banditt206

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@williegilligan2661 GR8!!!!! U have a genuine collector's item!!!!!! Dammit, Willie; u r makin' me FUCKIN' HUNGRY (& THAT'S A GR8 THING)!!!!!!

  • @jasonboggs2835
    @jasonboggs28355 жыл бұрын

    We had one in Cambridge Ohio in the 70s and 80s. LOVED the Super Shef! They also had the BEST mushroom swiss burger! Hardee's tried the MSB but it didn't taste the same to me. Another great fast food chain gone along the wayside. Great Video! Waiting for Hot & Now next! ;)

  • @jamarshall8474
    @jamarshall84744 жыл бұрын

    Thank you, Troy. I needed this. Appreciate the referral to the websites and that book, too. Fast food history is one of my jams, so, please keep doing what you do!

  • @michaelm3052
    @michaelm30526 жыл бұрын

    I remember Burger Chef as a child growing up in the 70's. I loved the little station they had to put things on your burger. I used to load mine up with tons of pickles. I wish there was something similar nowadays.

  • @SladesVWBeetle

    @SladesVWBeetle

    5 жыл бұрын

    Michael M I remember them too!! We had one right down the street!!

  • @wvincagold
    @wvincagold6 жыл бұрын

    I loved burger chef and the works bar rocked. I also remeber as a child we would go as a family, my father was unable to walk do to polio so my mom and I would bring back the meals in Flint Mi. I would enjoy the kids meal as i recall was sort of a tray that had special places for the burger, fry, and drink and whatever toy. As a young man when I started to drive and work I knew 2 bucks would feed me quite well. I truly miss that resteraunt.

  • @greggbenac5006

    @greggbenac5006

    6 жыл бұрын

    My family used to go to the one in Owosso, Mi. every Monday night after swimming lessons. We would get the fish sandwich. They had some kind of trivia game at one point.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    6 жыл бұрын

    Greg Demott yes that was the Funmeal! BC was definitely family-friendly.

  • @70brine
    @70brine5 жыл бұрын

    Loved Burger Chef when I was a kid.

  • @vistulagibsoncooper2420
    @vistulagibsoncooper24203 жыл бұрын

    That was a treat from Our Daddy on Sundays!!❤❤❤He would always get us a Hamburger and ice cream! Great great childhood memory. Thanks BURGER CHEF!!!

  • @waldog7996
    @waldog79966 жыл бұрын

    I'm from Indianapolis and well remember Burger Chef...they were good.

  • @johnyoung468

    @johnyoung468

    5 жыл бұрын

    TSC TSC Huntington, WV had one.

  • @hobbyhermit66
    @hobbyhermit665 жыл бұрын

    I loved Burger Chef, as a kid. I have 3 of the dining room light fixtures, tho one globe has a broken corner. Gonna hang one up and use it.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    Fred Lamb I’m going down to Louisville to pick on up in a couple of weeks

  • @hobbyhermit66

    @hobbyhermit66

    5 жыл бұрын

    Restaurant Rewind Awesome!

  • @timcouch488
    @timcouch4885 жыл бұрын

    Burger Chef in Gainesville Ga was our cruising spot in 76 and 77. Think about it quite often, great times.

  • @kimsullivan5576
    @kimsullivan55763 жыл бұрын

    I used to love going to Burger Chef in Battle Creek, Michigan when I was a child.

  • @DavidLLambertmobile
    @DavidLLambertmobile5 жыл бұрын

    Burger Chef had a mid 1970s era Star Wars promotion. 🎬📽📺🍔🍟🥤. They had a TV ad with C3PO & R2D2...

  • @eako2107
    @eako21075 жыл бұрын

    Flameout is THE definitive book about the history of Burger Chef. Good overview Troy

  • @234dilligaf
    @234dilligaf6 жыл бұрын

    I really enjoyed watching this video. Very informative. I was discussing with someone on what happened to Burger Chef, then searched for this video. Excellent.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    6 жыл бұрын

    234dilligaf So glad you enjoyed it. I plan to begin putting more videos out in December, so be looking about the second week!

  • @ewildman66
    @ewildman665 жыл бұрын

    I used to enjoy Burger Chef when I was a youngster in Danville Illinois. Thx for the video.

  • @hobbgreen4529

    @hobbgreen4529

    Жыл бұрын

    i ate at the one in danville on gilbert many times .

  • @Grzz51
    @Grzz515 жыл бұрын

    As a newly graduated student in 1966, I started school in Pine Bluff Arkansas. there was a Burger Chef on Olive St. They had the best fries ANYWHERE!. Great burgers too. I ate a ton of them.

  • @billsummy2412
    @billsummy24126 жыл бұрын

    LOVED our Burger Chef in Ravenna Ohio , that was my hang out as a kid , I would ride my bike see my friends and we all had good burgers and fries ! I miss them ....

  • @brunopaolucci6594
    @brunopaolucci65945 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Troy! Living in Canada, nevrer got to experience this great brand. Thanks for sharing this and keep up the good work!

  • @user-is9iv8hp1t
    @user-is9iv8hp1t3 ай бұрын

    What great memories working there in the 70s. Made it special because my brother managed the place and got me a job for the summer when I visited from CT. He never cut me a break, was probably harder on me to show no favoritism. But the memories are even more special today, we lost my brother a few days ago at 73 years. I’ll never forget him, or the lessons he gave me working at burger chef.

  • @elsea8901
    @elsea89015 жыл бұрын

    I always love those Awesome old 50s cartoon graphics!

  • @heresthetruth7403
    @heresthetruth74036 жыл бұрын

    Burger Chef started downhill in our town when, in about 1973, they started serving sandwiches in plastic bags. Condensation ruined the sandwich right away. The Hamburger was a Flame-Broiled beef patty cooked on a chain drive rack. One rack for regular patties and another ,slower, rack for the 1/4 pound patty. Simple menu, Small Restaurant with an Open Kitchen design. Fast service. The "Future Is Now" program was a Corporate attempt to revive the store operation. They added a "Fixin's Bar" so you could put lettuce and tomato and onion on your burger yourself. They died here shortly after McDonalds opened a big store with a playground out on the main highway. Burger Chef and Jeff could not compete with The Clown.

  • @kct1975
    @kct19756 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for posting this video! It was interesting and very informative!

  • @rmacster
    @rmacster5 жыл бұрын

    I loved Burger Chef. If I recall, ours was just south of Pershing on Main. The works bar was great because I could never get enough onions in other restaurants. Great episode. Thanks!

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    Rick McNeely thanks for watching! The building is still there, right in front of where Carlos O Kelly’s was. It’s been a Title loan company for years. Great memories of Burger Chef.

  • @rohnkd4hct260
    @rohnkd4hct2605 жыл бұрын

    Many good memories of "Burger Chef " I grew up in a single parent family, as my father died suddenly, mother and I would go to Burger Chef as a treat when we had business in town. Was very sorry when we lost the great Burger Chef . It was like losing an old friend. The one in Goldsboro, NC closed before they started "the works bar."

  • @IndyGuy65
    @IndyGuy655 жыл бұрын

    Great video, I wondered what happened to Burger Chef. It was one of my favorite places to eat growing up in Richmond Va.

  • @donfinkey692
    @donfinkey6925 жыл бұрын

    Used to work at one in Mansfield, Ohio in the 1960’s My starting pay was $1.25 per hour.

  • @lloydkline3265

    @lloydkline3265

    5 жыл бұрын

    Really, good old day

  • @alexyoungberg5232

    @alexyoungberg5232

    3 жыл бұрын

    About $12 today..

  • @disciplebill
    @disciplebill5 жыл бұрын

    I wish I'd found these sooner. I just recently escaped the restaurant industry and these videos are a fascinating flashback. Thank you!

  • @emeyer6963
    @emeyer69635 жыл бұрын

    My parents and I ate in the Burger Chef in Keene NH a few times in the late 70's.Always enjoyed the burgers and can remember the fixens' bar.

  • @onefatstratcat
    @onefatstratcat5 жыл бұрын

    My wife worked at the location in Bryan Ohio back around 1980. Your video made her smile :)

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    onefatstratcat yaaaay! Thanks so much for watching!

  • @danielletripkoff4199
    @danielletripkoff41995 жыл бұрын

    Growing up in the 70s I enjoyed going to Burger Chef for lunch or dinner. As a kid I enjoyed the Happy Meals and reading about Burger Chef and Jeff and all of their friends.🍔🍟

  • @gtg1959ful
    @gtg1959ful5 жыл бұрын

    El Paso Texas had several locations. I frequently ate at the McCrae one, it was down the hill from Eastwood High School and was handy for a freshman who had to walk anywhere he went out to lunch. They all were gone by 1975.

  • @butchs.4239
    @butchs.42395 жыл бұрын

    The pic of the light globe brought an unexpected smile, I hadn't seen one of those since our local Burger Chef closed some 40 years ago.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    Butch S. Where was your local Burger Chef?

  • @butchs.4239

    @butchs.4239

    5 жыл бұрын

    Pensacola, Florida. Loved it as a kid as I was a fussy eater and I could dress my own burger the way I wanted it. Sadly Burger Chef didn't last all that long as Pensacola had McDonalds, Burger King, Krystals, Whataburger and a few locally owned burger joints for competition in what was a fairly small town at the time.

  • @JamesWilson-vr3ql
    @JamesWilson-vr3ql5 жыл бұрын

    Practically lived on Burger Chef in the early '70s. They (unlike McDonald's) had NO problem with special orders. Well before Burger King made it an advertising tagline.

  • @restaurantrewind9026
    @restaurantrewind90266 жыл бұрын

    Thank you all so much for your comments! I have another video just about ready (Within a week) and more on the way. New equipment and better software will ensure the quality continues[ to get better. Stay tuned and thanks for watching!

  • @gasdorficmuncher9943

    @gasdorficmuncher9943

    6 жыл бұрын

    what happen to kings department stores ?

  • @Hello-fi4ew

    @Hello-fi4ew

    5 жыл бұрын

    What happened to Showbiz Pizza Place

  • @DavidLLambertmobile

    @DavidLLambertmobile

    5 жыл бұрын

    Do Arthur Treachers, Roy Roger's, Rax, Whataburger ... 🍔🍟🌮🌭🥗🥤🍦

  • @mikebutler6225

    @mikebutler6225

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@DavidLLambertmobile Yes RAX

  • @sneezintits2354

    @sneezintits2354

    5 жыл бұрын

    Rax is still around

  • @marcm9999
    @marcm99995 жыл бұрын

    There were 2 Burger Chefs in my hometown of Kenosha, WI. Loved them. Some of my buddies worked for them. Great job.

  • @GSGExtreme44
    @GSGExtreme445 жыл бұрын

    My dad is from Rhode Island and we were taking a road trip in his hometown and I remember him telling me there used to be a Burger Chef near his house - I never forgot and decided to do a youtube search on this - Thanks for posting!

  • @nfergus11
    @nfergus115 жыл бұрын

    We had one across the street from our high school in the mid 70's. I went often to meet Sharon Hicks there. lol. Then the place became a small bar, and after that a donut shop.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    Hal 9000 the one in Jacksonville IL became a donut shop for a time. It looks to be a warehouse these days.

  • @ThePr8head
    @ThePr8head6 жыл бұрын

    I remember when I was a kid and we moved to Bedford Indiana in 1980 there was a Burger Chef MMM. It did eventually become a Pleaser's and still had the Works bar idea but not the same MMMish. They sadly are both gone now and are a strip mall. But we still have a Hardee's yeah! I really miss the day's where two brothers had an idea and made it real and Tasty!

  • @Steveshappylittletrees
    @Steveshappylittletrees5 жыл бұрын

    I'm in Michigan, and Burger Chef was a few blocks down from my Paternal Grandfather, and I loved that place when I was a child.

  • @heidiwinder294
    @heidiwinder2945 жыл бұрын

    This is such a great video, thank you for the excellent history of Burger Chef! The only thing I would add or correct is that Bob Wildman wasn't just Don and Frank's friend, he was their brother-in-law, married to their sister Jean.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    Heidi Winder yes I should have pointed that out. Glad you enjoyed the video; thanks for watching!

  • @heidiwinder294

    @heidiwinder294

    5 жыл бұрын

    My mom, their daughter and niece, loved this video so much but just wanted to add that comment. Thanks again for making it!

  • @ShirleyPaulson

    @ShirleyPaulson

    5 жыл бұрын

    Yes, and I'm Heidi's mom, (and one of Don's three children). I mentioned the fact that my Uncle Bob was Don & Frank's brother-in-law. But since Heidi never really knew them, she didn't quite get that last name right either. You got that right - as Wildman. And yes, I LOVED watching this video that Heidi found. Burger Chef was really like my 'little brother'. I grew with 'him'. I loved playing with the kitties in 'the factory' until they actually built a real restaurant. And then I loved getting the french fries, hamburger, and milkshake for many, many meals! One other fun fact about my dad's inventiveness was that he also experimented with building a miniature golf course in the upstairs of one of the Burger Chefs - long before McDonald's playrooms. Dad was always looking for ways to make the visits to Burger Chef - fun!

  • @jeremyscaggs8822
    @jeremyscaggs88226 жыл бұрын

    Please do more of these. This stuff interests me

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    6 жыл бұрын

    Jeremy Scaggs thanks, glad you enjoy these. I plan on doing more for sure. Unfortunately my work schedule is crazy busy for the next several weeks. When it does down I am planning to get some more made. Thanks for watching!

  • @DrumWild
    @DrumWild6 жыл бұрын

    I used to go to the Burger Chef in Anderson, Indiana. Burger Chef and Jeff were Incrediburgible!

  • @dsrutherford9197
    @dsrutherford91974 жыл бұрын

    I remember in the late 60’s we’d have family supper at burger chef. My dad liked Sinatra, I loved The Rolling Stones. The TV was always on in the background, Vietnam playing in the background, the news would win every night. We were starving, but not just for dinner. My dad would say let’s go to another dinner table where everyone can get what they want when they want. He would say it would be bright and clean with no laundry and no telephone.; and no TV. Dad would say we could go there and get the connection we were hungry for. Mom would say ‘sure there’s chaos at home, but there’s family supper at Burger Chef.’

  • @snydesy
    @snydesy5 жыл бұрын

    What a great channel to stumble across!! Loving it up here in Canada Subscribed!

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    snydesy thanks for watching!!

  • @TheBrooklynbodine
    @TheBrooklynbodine5 жыл бұрын

    I also remember the Works Bar. At the student center at my local college, the Works Bar was transplanted there, after Burger Chef left town.

  • @Mr.TylerSC

    @Mr.TylerSC

    3 жыл бұрын

    The Works Bar is also a famous fixture at Roy Rogers, where it is called the Fixin's Bar. And ironically Roy Rogers is another great chain that Hardee's bought and almost destroyed, but this time they were forced to convert back to Roy's after a Hardee's conversion failed. Today Roy Rogers is making a comeback after their largest franchise operator acquired the brand from Hardee's. Just too bad Hardee's did not allow Riverview or some other franchise operator to bring back Burger Chef, rather than just eliminate and destroy the brand.

  • @TheBrooklynbodine

    @TheBrooklynbodine

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Mr.TylerSC OK, thanks.

  • @thechetjr
    @thechetjr6 жыл бұрын

    I worked at the Burger Chef in Baton Rouge in the 1950's. Great part time job, lots of fun, hard work.

  • @luckyduckydrivingschool3615
    @luckyduckydrivingschool36155 жыл бұрын

    Just discovered this channel, and it's great to watch while eating carry out!

  • @billynolanjr2266
    @billynolanjr22664 жыл бұрын

    I absolutely loved Burger Chef and the wonderdul memories I have of my mother taking us there often ! The burgers were simply the best and the works bar was fun ! The fun meals etc just wonderful childhood memories that i so wish I could re live . I miss Burger Chef and the 70s in general , life just isnt the same anymore . it was a simpler better time ! Its a shame

  • @hoderharris
    @hoderharris6 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this. My grandmother used to walk my twin brother and I to Burger Chef once a week to eat. It was a highlight to do so. My brother and I would call it Buger Chef, ha. I remember very much the fun meal very much.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    6 жыл бұрын

    Hoder Harris yes Burger Chef was such a treat for my sister and me in the 70s. Good times!

  • @badbackshop

    @badbackshop

    6 жыл бұрын

    As a yute I mistakenly called it "Burger Chief."

  • @janetmonahan6904

    @janetmonahan6904

    5 жыл бұрын

    @george gross

  • @danvanhoose6783
    @danvanhoose67835 жыл бұрын

    Used to cruise the burger chef in circleville in my 63 Chevy.good times.

  • @samuelworthan5426
    @samuelworthan54266 жыл бұрын

    Interesting video. Thank you for the posting of them.

  • @DynamicCycleParts
    @DynamicCycleParts5 жыл бұрын

    Very well Informative & Narrated, thanks

  • @fairfaxcat1312
    @fairfaxcat13125 жыл бұрын

    In an age of Steve Colbert-style cynicism we have to love the absolute sincerity with which you deliver the most arcane details. Armed with names, places, and reference books it’s as if your account of a lone forlorn Burger Chef missing a light bulb on Highway 1 is as important as the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    Fairfaxcat if it’s not important to you, why would you watch it....plenty of “more important” videos out there I’m sure....

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    5 жыл бұрын

    Fairfaxcat and yet you created a playlist with three “important”, seemingly unrelated videos....

  • @anonymous-zn5em
    @anonymous-zn5em6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video. The first job I ever had was at Burger Chef in Lake Charles, Louisiana. I spotted the exact building design in the video and called the boys in the room to tell them about it. (they were uninterested)

  • @anonymous-zn5em

    @anonymous-zn5em

    6 жыл бұрын

    Grills only in mine, also. Approximately the same time period.

  • @briano.5746
    @briano.57465 жыл бұрын

    I remember Burger Chef very well. I was a kid in the Richmond Indiana area in the late 60's early 70's. It was them and McDonalds pretty much.

  • @davidorrick3921
    @davidorrick39216 жыл бұрын

    Great burgers and great memories thanks for your work

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    6 жыл бұрын

    David Orrick thanks for Watching!

  • @miltonbradly9522
    @miltonbradly95226 жыл бұрын

    great video, really enjoyed it!

  • @KKG51
    @KKG513 жыл бұрын

    Oh Man!!! We had a great Burger Chef in Milford CT. It was a great hangout spot when we were teenagers and the people behind the counter and the manager were always kind to us. As long as we did buy some food, and didn't cause trouble, they would let us hang in the store or in the lot. There was a guy there, I think his name was Fred, he was like an assistant manger there, he drove a nice looking Turquoise colored mustang and it seems like he was always there even if he wasn't working a particular shift. What a great memory, sadly it's now a walk-in medical clinic :(

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing your great memories!

  • @anthonywright5543
    @anthonywright55436 жыл бұрын

    Brings back of my childhood

  • @cigarobsession
    @cigarobsession5 жыл бұрын

    I loved them in Plymouth MI as a kid!

  • @b.j.banditt206

    @b.j.banditt206

    3 жыл бұрын

    Inkster & Farmington Hills just as well.

  • @brianmeyer2718

    @brianmeyer2718

    3 жыл бұрын

    We had one in Northville right near the high school. We'd go there after school all the time.

  • @b.j.banditt206

    @b.j.banditt206

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@brianmeyer2718 I do remember a Burger Chef in Northville. However, I 4got where it was specifically loc8d.

  • @JL-sm6cg

    @JL-sm6cg

    3 жыл бұрын

    There was one in Woodhaven I faintly recall.

  • @b.j.banditt206

    @b.j.banditt206

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@JL-sm6cg There sure was; I believe it was loc8d @ I-75 & West Rd.

  • @JohnnyUtah15
    @JohnnyUtah153 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for doing this video. There was a Burger Chef in Opelousas, Louisiana up until the 1980s or 1990s. Not sure within those two decades that it among some other Burger Chef chains in the South broke off tp become Mr. Cook. I sure miss Burger Chef especially the Works Bar.

  • @POPO-fy9hl
    @POPO-fy9hl5 жыл бұрын

    Burger Chef in Victoria Texas was great, we could leave grade school at lunch time to go have a burger there. Those were wonderful memories early 60"s

  • @Texasslim57
    @Texasslim575 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, excellent work! I remember when the B.C. opened at Broadripple and Keystone, by Glendale mall. I think my friends and I kept them in business. Around 1966 the price went up on the basic burger, from 12 to 16 cents. There was almost a riot. Later they opened their 3 story store in downtown Indy. That was a trip, wish you had footage of it. While customers stood in line, a conveyor belt with burgers would trundle along next to them, helping inspire the hunger pangs. You mentioned the last ones to go- there was one in Longmont, Colorado, on the south end of main street. It remained for a long time after the company was gone. Also around 1966, just a couple of blocks east of the one on Broadripple, a fast food place opened featuring roast beef sandwiches and horsey sauce. Very small seating area, It had a cowboy barn wood theme, pardner. The sign said "RBs" Yep, you guessed it! I always thought that stood for "roast beef." Nope, Ritchie Brothers, the founders.

  • @thisisabadchannel.stopsubs2952
    @thisisabadchannel.stopsubs29526 жыл бұрын

    My mom used to work at all of this stuff back in the day. She's such a good cook.

  • @billfuhrman9772
    @billfuhrman97725 жыл бұрын

    Liked Burger Chef , Always had a special when we were young and broke

  • @goldwinger5434
    @goldwinger54343 жыл бұрын

    The Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh had a Burger Chef on the ground floor. I had my own table where I'd meet up with friends every morning, have breakfast, and drink coffee. Throughout the day, we'd peel off for classes but someone was usually there to hold the table. Good memories. There was also a Burger Chef at the plaza right off Purdue's Campus. Another favored eatery but I didn't spend all day there but it was at least a once a week visit during my years at Purdue.

  • @restaurantrewind9026

    @restaurantrewind9026

    3 жыл бұрын

    Very cool! Thanks for sharing the memories!

  • @thefutureofyesterday8136
    @thefutureofyesterday81365 жыл бұрын

    Wow a walk down memory lane.. I had forgotten all about Burger Chef. A place my family visited often some 40 years ago when I was a kid.

  • @anyhoot47
    @anyhoot475 жыл бұрын

    In the early 70's I remember my mother taking us to Burger Chef and then I convinced her to swing by McDonald's to get the fries.

  • @wisconsinrailstotrailscycl4277
    @wisconsinrailstotrailscycl42775 жыл бұрын

    I miss Burger Chef, they had great burgers. I miss Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips, too!

  • @sparkie119
    @sparkie1193 жыл бұрын

    Very well done. Had Burger Chefs in Abq, NM when I was a kid.

  • @patricewilliams3827
    @patricewilliams38273 жыл бұрын

    I always love Burger Chef when I was a kid. They were the best in town. My sister use to work for them in our hometown in Ga. There will NEVER be another fast food chain like this one ever in this world or it's lifetime. Bc they had the BEST food that you ever tasted,hands down.😋❤️❤️❤️👋🏽👋🏽👋🏽

  • @wrg1183
    @wrg11835 жыл бұрын

    My dad was a manager at Burger Chef, it stayed around until the late 80's and then disappeared.