Type of Food: Burgers and Fries

Interesting Fact: There are nearly 700 A&W® All American Food outlets in 15 countries and territories around the world, and an additional 545 points of distribution at Yum! Brands multibrand restaurants.

History: One hot day in June of 1919 in Lodi, California an entrepreneur named Roy Allen mixed up a batch of creamy root beer and sold the first frosty mug of this delightful beverage for one nickel. With the success of his first root beer stand in Lodi, Allen soon opened a second stand in nearby Sacramento. It was there that what is thought to be the country’s first “drive-in” featuring “tray-boys” for curb side service, opened up. In 1922 Allen took on a partner, Frank Wright, an employee from his original Lodi location. The two partners combined their initials – “A” for Allen and “W” for Wright and formally named the beverage, A&W Root Beer®. Three units were opened in Sacramento, then on to other northern and central California locations and to the states of Texas and Utah. By 1933, the creamy beverage was such a success that there were over 170 franchised outlets operating in the mid-west and west. To insure uniform quality for the namesake beverage, Allen sold A&W Root Beer® concentrate exclusively to each franchise operator. The first A&W® restaurant outside of the U.S. opened in 1956 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. A standard core menu for the restaurants was introduced in 1978. It was the first time in A&W® history that there was a consistent menu offering. And, it was at this time that A&W Restaurants, Inc., the wholly-owned restaurant franchise subsidiary was formed. You can read more history here.

A&W USA Website: www.awrestaurants.com

A&W Canada Website : www.aw.ca

Official A&W Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the A&W USA menu: here

View the A&W Canada menu: here

Find your local A&W’s: in the USA here and in Canada here

A&W USA Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card - Coupons

A&W Canada Specials: -Newsletter - Gift Card – Coupons

Type of Food: Burgers, Sandwiches, Steaks, Wraps, Salads

Interesting Fact: Applebee’s is the largest casual dining concept in the world with more than 1,900 restaurants in 49 states, one US territory, and 16 international countries. Also for each of the past 14 years (1993-2006), Applebee’s has opened 100 or more new restaurants.

History:Applebee’s was founded in Atlanta, Georgia, by Bill and T.J. Palmer. Their first restaurant, T.J. Applebee’s Rx for Edibles & Elixirs, opened in November 1980. In 1982, the Palmers opened their second Applebee’s in Atlanta and in 1983, to fulfill a dream of nationwide expansion, the Palmers sold the Applebee’s concept to W. R. Grace and Co. As part of the transaction, Bill Palmer was named president of the Applebee’s Division of an indirect subsidiary of W. R. Grace. In that capacity, Palmer guided the operation from its entrepreneurial beginnings to a full-fledged franchise system. He became an Applebee’s franchisee in 1985 and today owns more than three dozen Applebee’s restaurants. In 1986, the name of the concept was changed to Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar to reflect the Palmers’ original concept of a place people could call their own. In 1988, Applebee’s International, Inc. became the restaurant chain’s franchisor when Kansas City franchisees Abe Gustin and John Hamra purchased the rights to the Applebee’s concept from W. R. Grace.A When Applebee’s International, Inc. acquired Applebee’s in 1988, there were 54 restaurants. In 1998, Applebee’s became the first casual dining concept with 1,000 restaurants.

Applebee’s Website: www.applebees.com

Official Applebee’s Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View Applebee’s menu: here

Find your local Applebee’s: here

Applebee’s Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Type of Food: French Toast, Omelettes, Pancakes, Burgers, Fries, Milkshakes

Interesting Fact: The company is the franchiser for more than 455 Big Boy restaurants in the United States and Canada. Also, the “Big Boy” concept, menu, and mascot were originally franchised to a wide number of regional franchise holders, listed below (with approximate original territory in parentheses). Of these, only Frisch’s still maintains franchise rights to the “Big Boy” name, and many of the other former franchise owners (Shoney’s, for example) have expanded into areas that were once the territory of another franchise holder. The current Big Boy Restaurants International has been expanding its Bob’s Big Boy name into territories formerly held by franchisees.

Unlike most modern franchises, the various restaurants differed somewhat from one another in terms of pricing and menu offerings.

* Abdow’s (Massachusetts, Connecticut)
* Azar’s (Northern Indiana, Colorado)
* Big Boy of Florida (Exclusive rights to the Central Florida territory was acquired by Irv Lichtenwald from 2006 through 2011 with the right to extend this franchise for 6 additional years)
* Bob’s (California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Northeastern Ohio, New York, New Jersey, as well as Indiana and Pennsylvania turnpike and airport locations operated in several states by the Marriott Corp.)
* Eat’n Park (metro Pittsburgh) dropped Big Boy in 1976.
* Elby’s (West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio) owned the Big Boy rights to northern West Virginia, originally through Shoney’s and quickly expanded Big Boy into bordering Ohio counties, subfranchised through Frisch’s, and later expanded through Pennsylvania. A trademark battle with Frisch’s over Ohio operations caused Elby’s to drop Big Boy affiliation, to be followed by Shoney’s et al.
* Elias Brothers (Michigan, Northeastern Ohio, Ontario, Canada)
* Frisch’s (Ohio, Kentucky, S. Indiana, Florida until the early 1990s) the Cincinnati restaurant chain and first franchisee, began serving Big Boy hamburgers in 1946; Frisch’s now operates 88 Big Boys & franchises 32 Big Boys to others. They also franchise Golden Corrals in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky.
* JB’s (Utah, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, Washington, New Mexico, Kansas, Rhode Island)
* JB’s (Canada) (Ontario and Alberta in the 1970s)
* Kebo’s (Seattle & Tacoma, Washington area, no longer exists)
* Ken’s (Maryland – suburban Washington DC, became Bob’s late 1960s)
* Kip’s (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas)
* Lendy’s (Western Virginia)
* Mady’s (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)
* Manners (Northeastern Ohio)
* Marc’s (Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois) were owned by the Marcus Corporation. Some were sold, others were converted to Marc’s Café and later Annie’s American Café. Most now operate as Perkins.
* McDowell’s (North Dakota)
* Shoney’s (Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Maryland), founded by and named after Alex Schoenbaum, no longer displays the Big Boy Statue, because it dropped its relationship with Big Boy in 1984 in order to expand to other states where others owned the trademark. It was the second Big Boy franchisee and subfranchised to Elby’s and Lendy’s.
* TJ’s (New York)
* Tops (Illinois)
* Vip’s (New Mexico)
* Yoda’s (Western Virginia)

Also, Big Boy Japan owns and operates 216 locations (as of September 2007) throughout Japan under four restaurant names: Big Boy (199 stores), Milky Way (50), Victoria Station (43), and Grill Dan (4).

History: Big Boy is a restaurant chain started in 1936 by Bob Wian in Glendale, California. Bob sold his car for $350.00 and opened a small restaurant called Bob’s Pantry. Members of an orchestra playing in the vicinity stopped in the restaurant and asked Bob Wian if he could dream up something different than just a plain hamburger. “Why not,” Wian mused. As if his hands were guided by an unseen force, he cut a regulation hamburger bun into three slices, and inserted not one but two hamburger patties into place. It was then garnished with a special and very delectable relish he had prepared. Wian handed the innovation to the players and anxiously awaited the decision. “Wow,” they chorused. “This is it!” and it was. Other customers saw him preparing it and asked for one. They agreed with the musicians. Wian had made a better hamburger. But what to call it? Inspiration came in the form of Richard Woodruff, of Glendale, California. When he was six years old, he walked into the diner Bob’s Pantry as Bob Wian was attempting to name his new hamburger. One day the chubby youngster walked into Wian’s now flourishing restaurant. “He was about six,” Bob recalled, “and rolls of fat protruded where his shirt and pants were designed to meet. I was so amused by the youngster — jolly, healthy looking and obviously a lover of good things to eat, I called him Big Boy.” So why not name the new hamburger Big Boy? Wian did. That was the birth of the first double-decker hamburger. Warner Bros. animation artist Ben Washam sketched Richards’ caricature, which became the character seen on the company logo. Big Boy is a registered trademark of Big Boy Restaurants International LLC .

Big Boy Website: www.bigboy.com

Official Big Boy Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Big Boy menu: here

Find your local Big Boy’s: here

Big Boy Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Type of Food: Burgers, Fries

Interesting Fact: According to the Burger King there are 221184 possible ways to order a Whopper, their signature sandwich. They sell about 1.7 billion of Whoppers each year.

History: In 1954, James McLamore and David Edgerton opened their first Burger King restaurant in Miami Florida. The Original Whopper® Sandwich was introduced in 1957. The great success of the early restaurants made the Burger King concept a natural for international expansion. In 1963, the first international franchise restaurant opened in Puerto Rico, and in 1969 the first Canadian “Home of the Whopper®” opened in Windsor, Ontario. Today, the Burger King system operates more than 11,000 restaurants in all 50 U.S. states and in more than 60 countries and territories across the globe. Approximately 90 percent of Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees.

Burger King Website: www.burgerking.com/

Official Burger King Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Burger King menu: here

Find your local Burger King: here

Burger King Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons -Rewards Program

Type of Food: Burgers

Interesting Fact: The chain remained mostly a California chain until it started a significant expansion in North America in the late 1990s.There are currently 82 Fatburger restaurants.

History: Fatburger was founded by Lovie Yancey in Los Angeles, California in 1952.

Fatburger Website: www.fatburger.net

Official Fatburger Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Fatburger menu: here

Find your local Fatburger: here

Name: Fuddruckers

Type of Food: Burgers

Interesting Fact: What is a Fuddruckers? Apparently it was a made up word by Fuddruckers’ founder Philip J. Romano. On the Fuddruckers website, the definition of Fuddruckers is ” 1: an uncommonly fresh burger of grand proportions. 2: the world’s greatest burger. 3: the standard by which all other burgers are measured”

History: Philip J. Romano founded Fuddruckers in 1980 on Botts Lane in San Antonio, Texas. The first location was an old bank converted to a restaurant. Today Fuddruckers has over 260 locations around the world, most of which have a 1950s and 1960s rock and roll theme. The current owner, Michael Cannon, purchased the chain in November 1998, and it is based in Austin, Texas. Fuddruckers still remains focused on Philip J. Romano’s original concept: upscale burgers that are cooked to order with guests encouraged to create their own burgers with fresh, neverfrozen beef, baked-daily buns and fresh produce.

Fuddruckers Website: www.fuddruckers.com

Official Fuddruckers Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Fuddruckers menu: here

Find your local Fuddruckers: here

Fuddruckers Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Type of Food: Burgers

Interesting Fact: The original cost of a Hardee’s hamburger was 15 cents

History: Hardee’s was founded by Wilbur Hardee, who opened his first restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina in 1960. In 1997, CKE Restaurants (owner of Carl’s Jr.) acquired Hardee’s. Hardee’s restaurants are gradually being converted to be more like Carl’s Jr. with some of the same menu items and even adopting the same star logo.As of 2006, Hardee’s operates 1993 restaurants in 31 US states.

Hardee’s Website: www.hardees.com

Official Hardee’s Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Hardee’s menu: here

Find your local Hardee’s: here

Hardee’s Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Type of Food: Burgers, Sandwiches, Buffalo Wings and Seafood

Interesting Fact: The first Hooters “Girl” was Lynne Austin.

History: Hooters was incorporated on April Fool’s Day, 1983, when six businessmen with absolutely no previous restaurant experience got together and decided to open a place they couldn’t get kicked out of. Soon after, on October 4th of that year, the doors to the first Hooters Restaurant opened in Clearwater, Florida. In 1984, Robert H. Brooks and a group of Atlanta investors bought expansion and franchise rights for the Hooters chain. Brooks eventually bought majority control and became chairman. Under Brooks’ leadership, Hooters expanded from one restaurant to over 425 stores worldwide.

Hooters Website: www.hooters.com

Official Hooters Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Hooters menu: here

Find your local Hooters: here

Hooters Specials: -Newsletter - Gift Card – Coupons

Name: In-N-Out Burger

Type of Food: Burgers, Fries and Milkshakes

Interesting Fact: In-N-Out has never franchised, and plans to remain privately owned.

History: Founded in 1948 by Harry Snyder and his wife Esther, and headquartered in Irvine, California, In-N-Out Burger has since expanded outside Southern California to the rest of the state, and to Arizona, Nevada, and southern Utah as well.

In 1948, the first In-N-Out Burger was founded by Harry and Esther Snyder in Baldwin Park. Harry’s idea of a drive-thru hamburger stand where customers could order through a two-way speaker box was quite unique. In that era, it was common to see carhops serving those who wanted to order food from their car. Harry’s idea caught on and California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand was born.

It was almost three years before a second In-N-Out was opened. By the time of Harry Snyder’s death in 1976, there were only 18 drive-thru locations. Rich, Harry’s son, took over as President at the age of 24. With the help of Guy (his brother) they established a commissary at the Baldwin Park Headquarters. This new facility allowed In-N-Out to have total quality control over all In-N-Out ingredients. In addition, they created the In-N-Out “University”, where new managers are trained and the In-N-Out formula for success is consistently reinforced. While Rich was President, In-N-Out grew from those 18 locations in 1976 to 93 locations at the time of his death in 1993. Guy Snyder became Chairman of the Board and CEO in 1993.

As Chairman of the Board, H. Guy Snyder, (the H. stands for Harry, named after his father) led In-N-Out into the future with continued expansion throughout California, Nevada and Arizona. Guy carried on the same tradition that was set in 1948 by his parents, stressing the same basic values that helped make In-N-Out so successful. While Guy was Chairman of the Board, In-N-Out grew from 93 locations to 140 at the time of his death in 1999. In-N-Out remains privately owned by the Snyder family.

In-N-Out Burger Website: www.in-n-out.com

Official In-N-Out Burger Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the In-N-Out Burger menu: here

Find your local In-N-Out Burger: here

In-N-Out Burger Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Name: Jack in the Box

Type of Food: Burger, specialty sandwiches and salads

Interesting Fact: Jack in the Box pioneered a number of firsts in the fast food industry. It was the first major fast-food chain that started as a drive-thru, and it was also the first to introduce menu items that are now staples on most fast-food menu boards, including a breakfast sandwich and portable salad.

History: Robert Oscar Peterson was the founder of Jack In The Box. Before that creation he already owned several successful restaurants when he opened Topsy’s Drive-In in San Diego in 1941. Several more Topsy’s were opened and eventually renamed Oscar’s. By the late 1940s the Oscar’s locations had developed a circus-like décor featuring drawings of a starry-eyed clown.  In 1951, Peterson opened a similar restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach, with a giant clown’s head atop the building. Called Jack in the Box, this hamburger stand had no carhops at all, but instead offered the innovation of a two-way intercom system, allowing much faster service through the drive-through window—while one customer’s car was at the window, a second and even a third customer’s order could be taken and prepared. Quick service made the new location very popular, and soon all of Oscar’s locations were redesigned with intercoms and rechristened as Jack in the Box restaurants.

In 1966, Peterson’s holding company for Jack In the Box was known as Foodmaker, Inc. All Jack in the Box locations at this time were company-owned; location sites, food preparation, quality control and the hiring and training of on-site managers and staff in each location was subject to rigorous screening processes and strict performance standards. In 1968, when Peterson sold Foodmaker to Ralston Purina Company there were 180 locations, mainly in California and the Southwest.

In the 1970s Foodmaker (owned by Ralston Purina)led the Jack in the Box chain toward prolific growth with many new franchised.

In 1985,Ralston Purina sold off Foodmaker,to management.By 1987 sales reached $655 million, the chain boasted 897 restaurants, and Foodmaker became a publicly traded company.

Today there are more than 2,200 Jack in the Box restaurants in 19 states.

Jack in the Box Website: www.jackinthebox.com

Official Jack in the Box Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Jack in the Box menu: here

Find your local Jack in the Box: here

Jack in the Box Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Name: Johnny Rockets

Type of Food: Burgers, fries and milkshakes

Interesting Fact: Each year, Johnny Rockets serves more than 13 million hamburgers.

History: Johnny Rockets was founded on June 6, 1986, by Ronn Teitelbaum of Los Angeles, California. The first restaurant was established in the Melrose District of L.A. Every  Johnny Rockets restaurant core menu has classic items including  hamburgers, sandwiches, and milkshakes. Guests also enjoy an all-American look and feel, tabletop jukeboxes and authentic décor. To date, Johnny Rockets has 274 corporate and franchise-owned restaurants in 29 states and 11 countries, including locations found in Six Flags amusement parks and aboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

Johnny Rockets Website: www.johnnyrockets.com

Official Johnny Rockets Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Johnny Rockets menu: here

Find your local Johnny Rockets: here

Johnny Rockets Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Name: Krystal

Type of Food: Burgers and Fries

Interesting Fact: Krystal is often described as the Southern equivalent of the older Midwest American hamburger chain White Castle. Also, every year, Krystal announces inductees to the Krystal Lovers Hall Of Fame. The inductees are chosen from e-mails and letters received by The Krystal Company and represent the dedicated and diehard customers who have helped make Krystal a cultural icon. To commemorate the win, Krystal will feature each inductee on his or her very own Famous Krystal Hamburger box or Cheese Krystal box, for a limited time. Along with their likeness on the the box  it include a quote from the inductee that describes his or her passion for Krystal. They will also be officially honored with a special plaque during an induction ceremony to be held at the inductee’s favorite Krystal restaurant and celebrated at the Krystal website.

History: Krystal is the seventh or eighth-oldest hamburger chain in the United States (the oldest being White Castle) and the oldest in the South. The first Krystal restaurant opened in 1932 on the corner of Seventh and Cherry Streets in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn., amid harsh financial times of the Great Depression. But founders Rody Davenport Jr. and J. Glenn Sherrill knew that even in these hard times, people would patronize a restaurant that was kept spotlessly clean, where they could get a good meal with courteous service at the lowest possible price.

Designed by Chattanooga architect Gordon Smith, the first Krystal restaurant measured 10 feet by 25 feet and was constructed in what, at the time, was a revolutionary and expensive method of building. Made of gleaming white porcelain and stainless steel, the building was prefabricated in a metal shop in Chicago and assembled on site in Chattanooga.

The restaurant was an overnight success. Customers flocked to the small building with the spotless chrome and tile fittings to perch upon the six stools, savor hot-off-the-grill Krystals and sip freshly brewed coffee from thick china mugs. Those not lucky enough to snag a stool would order sacks full of Krystals to take with them, making Krystal a pioneer in the business of food “to go.” Based on the success of their first location, Davenport and Sherrill began opening Krystals all over the Southeast – creating one of the first fast food restaurant chains in the United States. Krystal’s product line  also still centers on  small, square hamburgers served on a square steamed bun called, simply enough, a “Krystal”. Small hot dogs, named “pups” are also featured menu items.

Krystal restaurants, both company-owned and franchised, operate in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. There is also a single Krystal in Bristol, Virginia (which lies on the Tennessee-Virginia border), and two in Arkansas, one in West Memphis (directly across the Mississippi River from Memphis), and one on the other side of the state in Springdale (which is in the Fayetteville, Arkansas metropolitan area). Krystal is often compared to a similar Midwest restaurant chain White Castle, but other than Nashville and several Kentucky markets, the two restaurants seem to have drawn their own Mason-Dixon line when it comes to competition. Krystal still maintains corporate headquarters in Chattanooga, and has been owned by Port Royal Holdings, Inc. since 1997. Krystal has more than 400 locations across the South. More history here.

As for the origins of the Krystal name, company legend states that the name was conceived by Mrs. Mary McGee Davenport. She selected the company name after noticing a crystal ball on a neighbor’s lawn. The name she chose, “Krystal Klean,” reflected the cleanliness of the restaurant; the name was later shortened to Krystal. A crystal ball became a symbol outside all Krystal restaurants.

Krystal Website: www.krystal.com

Official Krystal Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Krystal menu: here

Find your local Krystal: here

Krystal Specials: -Newsletter - Gift Card – Coupons

Type of Food:Burgers, Fries

Interesting Fact: Lick’s is the first “fast food” chain (to our knowledge) to introduce the exclusive use of pasteurized beef.

History: Lick’s is a privately-owned Canadian company founded by Denise Meehan, the President and sole shareholder. Ms. Meehan, a native of Sturgeon Falls, Northern Ontario, grew up in a tourist resort operated by her parents. From an early age, Denise absorbed many of the finer points of running a business and developed an attitude toward hospitality and service that has drawn praise from countless customers. Equipped with a $5,000 loan, unlimited energy and ambition, Ms. Meehan launched the Lick’s phenomenon in 1980. When asked why she established Lick’s, Denise responded by saying: “There are very few people that share my standards for service and quality in this industry. Too often, vast sums of money are spent on decor and advertising while neglecting staff development and customer concern.”

Licks Homeburgers & Ice-Cream Website: www.lickshomeburgers.com

Official Licks Homeburgers Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Licks Homeburgers menu: here

Find your local Licks Homeburgers: here

Licks Homeburgers & Ice-Cream Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card (get in-store only)- Coupons

Name: McDonald’s

Type of Food: Burgers, Fries

Interesting Fact: McDonald’s operates over 31,000 restaurants in more than 119 countries on six continents, employing more than 1.5 million people.

History: Ray Kroc, at 52 years old, invested his entire life savings to become the exclusive distributor of a milk shake maker called the Multimixer. Hearing about the McDonald’s hamburger stand in California owned by Dick & Mac McDonald running eight Multimixers at a time, he packed up his car and headed West. It was 1954. Ray Kroc had never seen so many people served so quickly. He pitched the idea of opening up several restaurants to the McDonald brothers, convinced that he could sell eight of his Multimixers to each and every one. “Who could we get to open them for us?” Dick McDonald said. Well,” Kroc answered, “what about me?”

Ray Kroc opened the Des Plaines, Illinois restaurant in 1955 and never looked back. In 1965 McDonald’s went public with the company’s first offering on the stock exchange. In 1967, the first McDonald’s restaurant outside the United States opened in Richmond, British Columbia. In 1968, the Big Mac® sandwich was introduced, followed by the Egg McMuffin® breakfast sandwich in 1973. Milestones and accomplishments have followed ever since.

McDonald’s Website: www.mcdonalds.com

Official McDonald’s Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the McDonald’s menu: here

Find your local McDonald’s: here

McDonald’s Specials:
-Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons (USA)
-Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons (Canada)

Type of Food: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Wraps

Interesting Fact: When required by lawyers to change their name from the Top Hat Drive-In, Sonic was chosen to reflect the first slogan “Service With the Speed of Sound”. (A nod to the intercom system used by patrons to order food to their cars.)

History: Originally named Top Hat Drive-In, Sonic was founded in 1953 by Troy Smith in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The name was changed to Sonic in 1959. One of the unique features of Sonic is the Carhop, a member of the Sonic crew who delivers food directly to customers’ cars. Today’s Sonic Drive-In menu harkens back to its beginning, featuring made-to-order favorites such as hamburgers, french fries, malts and shakes. Today, SONIC has more than 3,000 SONIC® Drive-Ins from coast to coast and in Mexico, SONIC is the nation’s largest drive-in chain.

Sonic- America’s Drive-In Website: www.sonicdrivein.com

Official Sonic- America’s Drive-In Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Sonic- America’s Drive-In menu: here

Find your local Sonic- America’s Drive-In: here

Sonic- America’s Drive-In Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Name: South St. Burger Co.

Type of Food: Burgers and Fries

Interesting Fact: The name South St. Burger Co. comes from the name South Street Seaport, in New York City where the brothers founded the original New York Fries.

History: In 2005, Jay and Hal Gould, the brothers behind New York Fries,  opened a chain of stores called South St. Burger Co.  Each South St. Burger Co. makes the same fries as New York Fries but also sells hamburgers and salads. South St. Burger Co. has 13 locations across Canada.

Website: www.southstburger.com

Official South St. Burger Co. Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the menu: here

Find your local South St. Burger Co.: here

Type of Food: Hamburgers, Chicken Burgers, Chili

Interesting Fact: Wendy’s hamburgers are square, because founder Dave Thomas claimed he didn’t want to “cut corners”.

History: Wendy’s was founded by Dave Thomas and Robert Barney in 1969 and named after Dave’s 8-year old daughter, Melinda, who had the nickname of “Wendy” (originally “Winda”, stemming from the child’s initial difficulty saying her own name). The corporate headquarters is located in Dublin, Ohio. The first Wendy’s restaurant was opened in Columbus, Ohio on November 15, 1969, and grew rapidly. Today there are over 6700 locations in 33 countries.

Wendy’s Website: www.wendys.com

Official Wendy’s Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Wendy’s menu: here

Find your local Wendy’s: here

Wendy’s Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Type of Food: Burgers

Interesting Facts: Whataburger is not to be confused with What-A-Burger, a chain of restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina that predated the first Texas Whataburger restaurant. The Texas Whataburger sued the Virginia What-A-Burger in 2003 over trademark infringement. The decision was they would coexist as Whataburger was not interested in the same regional locations as What-A-Burger.

History: In 1950, an entrepreneur named Harmon Dobson opened up the world’s first Whataburger on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, Texas. The small, wooden kiosk sold the enormous 5-inch burgers for 25 cents each. On August 8, 1950, company founder Harmon Dobson opened his first Whataburger restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas. The small, wooden kiosk sold the enormous 5-inch burgers for 25 cents each, and before the first week was out, lines stretched down the street.

In 1952, Joe Andrews, Sr. brought his family to the newly opened Whataburger in Kingsville, Texas. After one bite, he knew Whataburger was something he wanted to be a part of. Joe was awarded the first franchise location shortly thereafter (the fifth Whataburger restaurant) which opened in Alice, Texas in 1953. The company began expansion outside of Texas in 1959, when Whataburger #21 opened in Pensacola, Florida.

By 1960, there were over 17 Whataburger locations in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. The familiar orange- and white-striped Whataburger A-frame started as a back-of-the-napkin sketch for Harmon Dobson. That sketch led to the opening of the very first A-frame Whataburger at the twenty-fourth Whataburger location in Odessa, Texas in 1961. In 1962, the menu grew with the addition of hot fried pies and French fries. In 1966, Whataburger added inside dining rooms to the A-frames establishment and in 1967, the official company logo, the familiar “Flying W,” was commissioned.

Later in 1967, an airplane crash took the life of company founder Harmon Dobson. Dobson’s wife, Grace, took control of the business. By the end of the decade, there would be 60 Whataburgers completely finished and six more under construction. Whataburger doubled its number of restaurants from 1971 to 1979. The first drive-through was installed in 1971, and in 1972 the company opened its 100th restaurant. Whataburger kept expanding. In the 1990′s Tom Dobson, Harmon’s son, oversaw expansion to over 500 units (and beyond), making Whataburger the country’s eighth largest hamburger chain. Today, there are more than 700 locations in 10 states.

Whataburger Website: www.whataburger.com

Official Whataburger Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Whataburger menu: here

Find your local Whataburger: here

Whataburger Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Type of Food: Hamburgers

Interesting Fact: White Castle was the first fast-food hamburger chain ever.

History: The company was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, when entrepreneur Billy Ingram partnered with cook Walter Anderson, who had developed an efficient way of cooking hamburgers quickly. Anderson’s original method used freshly ground beef and fresh onions. In 1933, Ingram bought out Anderson, and the following year the company moved corporate headquarters to Columbus, Ohio. The company remains privately held and its restaurants are company-owned; they are not franchised in the United States. Today there are more than 380 restaurants which are strictly limited to the eastern/southeastern sections of the Midwest, with the major exception of the greater New York area.

White Castle Website: www.whitecastle.com

Official White Castle Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the White Castle menu: here

Find your local White Castle: here

White Castle Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Name: Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Type of Food: Burgers and Fries

Interesting Facts: There are lots of facts about Five Guys Burgers. There are over 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at Five Guys. There are no freezers in Five Guys locations, just coolers, so nothing is ever frozen. For the health conscious, its good to know that their menu is trans-fat free. For the coupon hunters, note Five Guys does not offer any coupons or discounts. And for those with peanut allergies, note the following: They use Peanut oil.

History: Five Guys was founded in 1986 by Janie and Jerry Murrell and their four (now five) sons. The first Five Guys location opened in Arlington, VA no longer exists. It was located in the Westmont Shopping Center on Columbia Pike at Glebe Road.

In 2002, there were six locations in Northern Virginia run by the family. And then the Murrells decided to franchise Five Guys in Virginia and Maryland. With the help of Fransmart, a franchise sales organization Five Guys sells out of franchise territory within 18 months and starts to open the rest of the country for franchise rights

As of August 2010, there are more than 625 locations across 40 states and in five Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries Website: www.fiveguys.com

Official Five Guys Burgers and Fries Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Five Guys Burgers and Fries menu: here

Find your local Five Guys Burgers and Fries: here

Five Guys Burgers and Fries Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Name: Red Robin

Type of Food: Burgers and Fries

Interesting Fact: Red Robin has an extraordinary approach to Guest service known as Unbridled Acts. There are thousands of stories of Red Robin Team Members who have performed Unbridled Acts (also known as random acts of kindness) which they bestow upon restaurant Guests and other Team Members. You can read them here.

History: Red Robin started as a tavern in 1940 at the corner of Furhman and Eastlake Avenues E. in Seattle, at the southern end of the University Bridge. It was called Sam’s Tavern. Sam sang in a barber shop quartet and loved to sing the song “When the red robin goes bob bob bobbin along…” Sam eventually changed the name of his tavern to Sam’s Red Robin. Over the years Sam’s Red Robin simply became Red Robin. In 1969, it was transformed from the tavern into the first Red Robin restaurant that opened in a 1,200 square-foot building perched on a Seattle hilltop. In 1973  Red Robin expands the menu from jumbo beers, cellophane-wrapped sandwiches and popcorn to include Red Robin’s most popular burgers – the Red Robin Gourmet Cheeseburger, the Red Robin Bacon Cheeseburger and the Royal Red Robin Burger™, which is crowned with fresh fried egg. In 1980, Red Robin expands beyond Washington by opening a restaurant in Portland, Oregon. As of November 2008, there are over 400 locations across the United States and 18 in Canada.

Website: www.redrobin.com/

Official Red Robin Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Red Robin menu: here

Find your local Red Robin: here

Red Robin Specials: -Newsletter - Gift Card – Coupons