Fuddruckers

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

Hardee’s

Name: Hardee’s

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

Hooters

Name: Hooters

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

In-N-Out Burger

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

Jack in the Box

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