Burger Chef’s History Brings a Smile to My Face, What About You?

When remembering Burger Chef, you need to take into consideration what they were able to accomplish in such a short time. I had never even heard of Burger Chef until my friend Jim Winters ended up gifting me with an old Burger Chef sign.

One week later, I was well versed in it. The burger steward side of me had been awakened. It would be the start of my collection that would culminate with the opening of my Burger Museum.

Who remembers Burger Chef?
Who remembers Burger Chef?
Burger Chef Building 1973
Burger Chef Building 1973

Year Founded: 1957
City Founded: Indianapolis, Indiana
Type: Nationwide
Founders: brothers Donald and Frank Thomas
Number of Locations at the chain’s peak: 1,200
Locations still in operation: None
Signature Burgers: Big Chef and Super Chef
Slogan: “There’s more to like at Burger Chef

The Beginning

Ad in Indianapolis News 5-24-57
Ad in Indianapolis News 5-24-57

Burger King had hired the General Restaurant Equipment company to build a broiler for them. Inspired by BK, General Restaurant Equipment saw the potential in starting its own burger chain.

The first step was to design and create a broiler to cook burgers. They even went so far as to advertise their first location as “Indianapolis’ first Florida-style self-service drive-in!” in the Indianapolis News on March 24, 1957.

In just ten years, Burger Chef became the second-largest burger chain, with only about one hundred fewer locations than McDonald’s. General Foods Corporation purchased the Burger Chef chain in 1968, which helped to fund its rapid expansion.

Under General Foods, they reached their peak of 1,200 locations in 1972.

Grand Opening Ad in the Indianapolis Star 8-28-58
Grand Opening Ad in the Indianapolis Star 8-28-58
Burger Chef Lawson Garbage Can
Lawson Garbage Can
Grand Opening ad in Journal & Courier 6-3-59
Grand Opening ad in Journal & Courier 6-3-59

The Decline

The late 1970s and early 1980s were not kind to Burger Chef as they struggled financially. In 1982, the 679 locations of Burger Chef (420 of which were franchised) were purchased by Hardee’s for forty-four million dollars.

Many Burger Chef locations were converted to Hardee’s, while franchises or restaurants near pre-existing Hardee’s were allowed to switch to a different brand altogether. Some independent Burger Chefs continued to operate for years after the Hardee’s purchase.

The last Burger Chef restaurant in Cookeville, Tennessee, closed when its franchise agreement expired in 1996. For those of you still longing for a Burger Chef fix, Hardee’s has been known to bring back the Big Chef from time to time at some of their Midwestern locations.

Journal & Courier 6-16-82
Journal & Courier 6-16-82
Burger Chef becomes Hardee's in the Berkshire Eagle 5-22-84
The Berkshire Eagle 5-22-84

Burger Chef Funmeal

Burger Chef in The Jackson Sun 06-11-74
The Jackson Sun 6-11-74

Burger Chef’s Funmeal, which debuted in 1973, featured Burger Chef and Jeff as well as Burgerini, Count Fangburger, Burgerilla, and Cackleburger. Their mascots were Burger Chef and his younger sidekick Jeff. Each Funmeal cardboard box included riddles and puzzles galore and a small toy.

McDonald’s later introduced their Happy Meal, a similar concept. Burger Chef sued them in 1979 but ultimately lost the $5.5 million lawsuit

St. Louis Post Dispatch 4-27-79
St. Louis Post Dispatch 4-27-79
St. Louis Post Dispatch 5-23-79
St. Louis Post Dispatch 5-23-79

Star Wars & Empire Strikes Back Burger Chef Posters

Burger Chef Star Wars Posters
Burger Chef 1977 Star Wars Posters Ad

During Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back’s original theatrical releases in 1977 and 1980, Burger Chef gave away posters with the purchase of a soft drink. The original posters are highly collectible and can be found on eBay.

Be careful; there are now reprints out there, so make sure to ask the seller where they got the posters before you buy them.

Burger Chef 1980 Empire Strikes Back Posters Ad
Burger Chef 1980 Empire Strikes Back Posters Ad

Burger Chef Commercial Collection

I found this collection of Burger Chef commercials on youtube and knew instantly that you needed to see them.

Burger Chef on Mad Men

You can see a Burger Chef restaurant in action on season seven of the TV show Mad Men. Burger Chef was one of the clients of the program’s fictional advertising firm, Sterling Cooper.

The production crew took Jim’s Burgers (now Chris’s Burgers) in Rialto, California, a former Burger Chef building, and painstakingly brought it back to its former glory inside and out.

Former Burger Chef Restaurant Locations

Vicki’s Lunch Van in Montgomery, Alabama, and Jack’s Old Fashion Hamburger House in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are both located in former Burger Chef buildings. They have one other thing in common; both serve awesome old-school burgers.

Most locations below still have the original building structure and sign outside. In some cases, the building may have been modified, or a repurposed sign is all that is left.

Can you think of anyone I’ve left out? Please leave a comment below so I can keep this list updated.

STATECURRENT BUSINESSADDRESSCITY
AlabamaPlum’s Lounge1186 Montgomery HighwayDothan
AlabamaVicki’s Lunch Van2520 Fairground RoadMontgomery
ArizonaCar Wash El Beto916 N 35th AvenuePhoenix
ArkansasCar Connection5404 S University AvenueLittle Rock
CaliforniaAngelo’s Hamburgers511 S State College BlvdAnaheim
CaliforniaWienerschnitzel200 E 18th StreetAntioch
CaliforniaSpeedy Zapatos Mexican Food5225 N Blackstone AvenueFresno
CaliforniaB&B Donuts925 Harbor BoulevardFullerton
CaliforniaSamo’s Hamburgers1701 S Garey AvenuePomona
CaliforniaCL Auto Group619 El Camino RealRedwood City
California*Chris’s Burgers765 Foothill BlvdRialto
CaliforniaAntonio’s Quick Lunch716 Colusa AvenueYuba City
ColoradoEl Fogon621 W 84th AvenueThornton
FloridaJack’s Old Fashion Hamburger House4201 N Federal HighwayFt. Lauderdale
FloridaUmpa’s Diner1115 N Courtenay ParkwayMerritt Island
FloridaDarrell’s Diner1031 S Pine AvenueOcala
FloridaKingfisher Sandwiches1500 Barrancas AvenuePensacola
FloridaFray’s Donut House5236 16th St NSt. Petersburg
IllinoisVacant433 N Gilbert StreetDanville
IndianaMr and Mrs Tire1094 Sagamore Parkway W West Lafayette
MarylandVacant5281 Reisterstown RdBaltimore
MassachusettsKwik Pik590 Boston RoadSpringfield
MichiganA-1 Wyoming Outlet3261 Division Ave SGrand Rapids
MichiganChina Cafe319 Broadway StreetSouth Haven
New JerseyNino’s Pizzarama182 N White Horse PikeHammonton
New MexicoCentral Grill and Coffee House2056 Central Avenue SWAlbuquerque
New MexicoClovis Mower Repair501 W 7th StreetClovis
New MexicoAlanberto’s Mexican Food1495 S Solano DriveLas Cruces
North CarolinaSan Luis Restaurant1503 W Gate City BoulevardGreensboro
North CarolinaChar’s Hamburgers400 N Main Street #3556Lexington
North CarolinaPete’s Burgers747 S Scales StreetReidsville
OhioAnn’s Place1604 S Hawkins AveAkron
Oklahoma**Vacant824 N 8th StreetCache
OklahomaTacos La Tia604 Eastside BoulevardMuskogee
OklahomaCaspian Auto Sales4600 NW 39th StreetOklahoma City
OregonKenny’s Noodle House8305 SE Powell BoulevardPortland
OregonMak’s Mini Mart626 SW College StreetPortland
OregonPacific Gold Cannabis2367 SE 122nd AvenuePortland
PennsylvaniaVacant2807 College AvenueBeaver Falls
South CarolinaLot Two Auto Sales417 Wright BoulevardConway
TennesseeThe Chef126 Keith Street SWCleveland
TexasVacant2509 E Amarillo BoulevardAmarillo
TexasP. Terry’s Burger Stand3303 N Lamar BoulevardAustin
Texas$25 Optical545 S 11th StreetBeaumont
TexasBenno’s Cajun Seafood1200 Seawall BoulevardGalveston
TexasVacant3818 TX-35Houston
TexasLas Morenitas2728 S Richey StreetHouston
TexasVacant701 Highland AvenueKilleen
TexasFish Place925 Texas AvenueLa Marque
TexasChen’s302 S Timberland DriveLufkin
VirginiaLong River Restaurant2835 Riverside Drive Danville
VirginiaBoost Mobile1654 Virginia AvenueMartinsville
VirginiaWrap Pack and Mail806 Memorial Boulevard NMartinsville
VirginiaSal’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant2017 S Sycamore StreetPetersburg
WashingtonNew Harbour1830 N Division StreetSpokane
West VirginiaStewarts Original Hot Dog1025 Oak StreetKenova
West VirginiaMartinsburg Tobacco & Vape Outlet305 N Queen StreetMartinsburg
WisconsinAmelia’s724 E Layton AvenueMilwaukee

*Where the Mad Men episode was filmed.
**Not the original Burger Chef restaurant location, but a refurbished signed was moved there

What Happened to Burger Chef? Video

My friend Troy at Restaurant Rewind did a great job on this What Happened to Burger Chef? video.

There is more Burger Chef information if you dig a little, I’d suggest you check out the links below.

https://www.freewebs.com/burgerchef/

http://jsfburgerchef.homestead.com/

https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/bchef.html

https://www.waymarking.com/cat/details.aspx?f=1&guid=65766bda-9049-4276-9ee6-1fe3ed9e6d1f

http://web.archive.org/web/20030425145203/http://www.burgerchef.com/

https://jsfburgerchef.homestead.com/BurgerChefBuildingDesign.html

53 thoughts on “Burger Chef’s History Brings a Smile to My Face, What About You?”

  1. Don’t forget my home town. Eunice Louisiana, 1968 Burger Chef at the corner of U.S. Hwy 190 and Charlotte Street. (Now Bobcat Drive)

    Reply
  2. Yes, managed a Burger Chef in Sumter, SC after training in Indianapolis at Hamburger U in 1970s ! Graduated to steaks with Hungry Bull Restaurant out of Spartanburg,SC !!!!

    Reply
  3. Burger Chef in Mobile, Alabama on Airport Blvd close to Azalea. I believe it is now a pool supply company. Worked there for a while before going into the navy’

    Reply
  4. The current “El Tapatio of Dexter” Mexican restaurant occupies a former Burger Chef location at 1612 W Business U.S. 60, Dexter, MO 63841.

    Reply
  5. There were at least 2 in Vermont located in Bennington and Brattleboro. There were locations in Massachusetts Greenfield, Pittsfield, and North Adams. There were also locations in Keene,NH and Seabrook NH . With the exception with Seabrook all were owned by Charles C Rice Senior. The location in Keene, NH was at 400 West Street and Is now a Walpole bank. I worked at 3 of these locations and had a connection to the 4th. My parents were Partners with my Uncle Charlie in the Keene location.

    Reply
  6. Great site!

    There was a Burger Chef in Richmond, VA at 5020 Brook Road that you can add to the list. It was in front of a large shopping center at the time, but that center is long gone and there is one reallllly big empty concrete lot in its place. It sat empty for a while after closing and then became Richmond Coin Laundry, which it still is to this day. The store had its exterior modernized along the way, and one of the incredibly uncomfortable stone tables and “seats” that were added are still outside the restaurant. No classic trash can, though.

    I have a few pics I’d be glad to share, or you can look the address up on Google Earth.

    Reply
  7. There was a burger chef on Rt 88 in Brick, NJ, which is now Sundaes Ice Cream. I loved going there back in the days.

    Reply
  8. There was a Burger Chef in Michigan City, Indiana in the 70’s. I used to eat there in the morning before going to work. They had the most delicious fine sugar doughnuts with jelly in the middle. Wish I could them somewhere.

    Reply
  9. My first job while in high school, there was a Burger Chef located at about 4000 East 10th street in Indianapolis in 1966 or ’67. We had large bags of potatoes near the back of the store, and when they hired someone who couldn’t do anything else, they made french fries. Most people quit pretty quickly, but one guy was there for a few years. I don’t think he could get a job anywhere else.

    All he did for 2 years was make fries.

    Reply
  10. There used to be a Burger Chef in Glasgow KY back in the 1960s and maybe early 1970s. Besides A&W, this was the first fast food chain to be o. Glasgow, long before there was ever a McDonalds, Burger Queen, Hardee’s or Burger King.
    We would love to see if anyone has a picture of this building on Happy Valley Rd, Glasgow, KY.

    Reply
  11. There was a Burger Chef at 144 Black Horse Pike, Audubon, NJ 08106. My dad’s gas station was two doors down at 140. I enjoyed many a burger there. Burger Chef was VERY good! There is a vacant builder there at this time.

    Reply
  12. I worked for Burger Chef of Asheville NC from 71 – 78 through High School & College. Worked my way up to Assistant Manager. We had 2 stores, 807 Merrimon Ave and 61 Hendersonville Rd. We were the last stores that served fresh fries. Best Job I ever had in many ways!

    Reply
  13. 2 Burger Chefs in massachusetts: Salem, MA(North St.) and Peabody, MA(Central St.). Both closed approx. 1975-76 and both structures still standing. Salem, MA became HMA car wash and Peabody, a Bill & Bobs Roast Beef. 9/14/2021

    Reply
  14. I ran across your site as I was reminiscing about the “good old days”. I worked for Burger Chef from late 1968 until 1977, here in NJ and in VA, MD, and IN., both franchised and corporate locations. I’ve managed to keep some memorabilia all these years and would like to share the pictures with you and your readers. I have a few photos, but I didn’t see a way to post them here. If you would get back to me and let me know how to do so, I’d love to share them.

    Reply
    • There was a Burger Chef at 35th avenue & W. Roosevelt in Phoenix. The teens from Carl Hayden High School, would gather there for luch or after school. It was where I got my first job as a cashier/server. The building is still there on the corner discised as a used car dealership. Memories both good and bad for me, no fault of the company or food.

      Reply
  15. There was a burger chef in Absecon New Jersey on the corner of white horse pike and route 9 they converted it into a Burger King

    Reply
  16. The old building on ( Rt 23 ) South High Street in Columbus Ohio is not a restaurant now but looks the same on the front. It’s just south of Rt 104. It’s KNE Motors car lot .

    Reply
  17. Troy, Ohio had a Burger Chef in the mid to late 70’s.Not sure whatever happened to it. I remember being around 10ish and seeing the big Chef beside the railroad tracks as we went thru town. Then it was just gone a Godfathers pizza was there maybe another, Noble romans? It is now a Vets/small pets office

    Reply
  18. In Indiana, Burger Chef had locations in Indianapolis (the very first Burger Chef restaurant was in Indianapolis 1300 West 16th Street, Indianapolis) 12 locations, Valparaiso, Decatur, Evansville, Noblesville, Terre Haute, Carmel, Speedway (very close to Indianapolis,) Burger Chef #1 – 1300 West 16th Street – Indianapolis

    Reply
  19. Mission Burrito at 2161 Tapo St, Simi Valley, CA. 93063 was a Burger Chef Location. It became Taco Tree with the original building structure then when it became Mission Burrito, they remodeled it and it would be hard to tell now, but it is the same original building. When I moved to Simi in 1977, it was already Taco Tree.

    Reply
  20. There was a Burger Chef at the corner of Pine avenue and Layton avenue, in Milwaukee, WI. After that it became a couple of casual fast food type restaurants. Today the building, with its original kite design, is a bar restaurant called Amelia’s.

    Reply
  21. there is a former Burger Chef in Reidsville NC .Now Petes burgers and more.Still Burger Chef menu with different names ex Big Shef now Big Burger exc. Even still has the works bar. . Is in a kite building that was remodeled. There is also an ex Burger Chef in Lexington NC called Chars.Burger Chef was not strong in NC most likely because of Hardees

    Reply
  22. Hello! When my Dad was stationed at Scott AFB we used to eat at the Burger Chef next to the Community Park on 110 E Hwy 50 in O’Fallon, IL. My Mom liked it because they had a 70’s-style salad bar (think Wendy’s stole that idea like McDonald’s stole the Fun Meal). Looks like the building is now a Hardee’s. Don’t think there was a McDonald’s across the street back then. There’s a reference to it on the O’Fallon Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/groups/171453042927313/

    Reply
  23. I heard that the reason General Foods sold Burger Chef was that they were not getting a big enough cut of the profits from the francise owners, and that forced them to sell out to Hardies.

    Reply
  24. Was there ever a Burger Chef located on Bainbridge Blvd in Chesapeake, Va in around the 1960s?
    Did it become Jackson’s after that?

    Reply
  25. There was a Burger Chef at Nichol’s Plaza in Maple Shade, NJ and also in the Tilton Shopping Center in Northfield, NJ

    Reply
    • The Burger Chef in Northfield NJ in the Tilton Shopping Center is the one my family always went to and do you know if there are any photos of the Northfield NJ location.

      Reply
  26. I worked at the Burger Chef in Gainesville while attending U of F, in the early 60s. At the time, we were the second largest chain of fast-food restaurants in the country, second only to McDonalds. My main take-away is my ability to run the ’15 times’ multiplication tables quicker than anyone in town. When everything being sold is 15¢, that tends to happen! I worked both the front windows and the back line.

    Reply

Leave a Comment