Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for clobbered parameters|check|nested=1|template=Infobox company|cat=Template:Main other|name; company_name|logo; company_logo|logo_alt; alt|trade_name; trading_name|former_names; former_name|type; company_type|predecessors; predecessor|successors; successor|foundation; founded|founders; founder|defunct; dissolved|hq_location; location|hq_location_city; location_city|hq_location_country; location_country|num_locations; locations|areas_served; area_served|net_income; profit|net_income_year; profit_year|owners; owner |homepage; website }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox company with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | ignoreblank=y | alt | area_served | areas_served | assets | assets_year | aum | brands | company_logo | company_name | company_type | defunct | dissolved | divisions | embed | equity | equity_year | fate | footnotes | former_name | former_names | foundation | founded | founder | founders | genre | homepage | hq_location | hq_location_city | hq_location_country | incorporated | image | image_alt | image_caption | image_size | image_upright | income_year | industry | ISIN | key_people | location | location_city | location_country | locations | logo | logo_alt | logo_caption | logo_class | logo_size | logo_upright | members | members_year | module | name | native_name | native_name_lang | net_income | net_income_year | num_employees | num_employees_year | num_locations | num_locations_year | operating_income | owner | owners | parent | predecessor | predecessors | production | production_year | products | profit | profit_year | rating | ratio | revenue | revenue_year | romanized_name | services | subsid | successor | successors | traded_as | trade_name | trading_name | type | website| qid | fetchwikidata | suppressfields | noicon | nocat | demo | categories }} Burger Chef was an American fast-food restaurant chain. It began operating in 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana, expanded throughout the United States, and at its peak in 1973 had 1,050 locations, including some in Canada.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The chain featured several signature items, such as the Big Shef and Super Shef hamburgers.
In 1982, the General Foods Corporation, owners of the Burger Chef trademark and name, divested itself of the restaurant chain, gradually selling to the owners of Hardee's.
The final restaurant to use Burger Chef's branding and signage closed in 1996.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Three former locations (in Cleveland, Tennessee, South Charleston, West Virginia, and Reidsville, North Carolina) continue to sell Burger Chef menu items, but no longer operate under that name.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HistoryEdit
In 1954, Frank and Donald Thomas patented the flame broiler in their parent company General Equipment Corporation and started their restaurant in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1957, they opened their first Burger Chef.<ref name="Sanders2009"/>
Burger Chef spread across the United States, following a strategy of opening outlets in smaller towns.<ref name="Sanders2009">Template:Cite book</ref>
By 1972, its number of locations (1,200) was surpassed only by McDonald's (1,600).<ref name="Shefrin2015">Template:Cite book</ref> They offered a double burger, called the Big Shef, and later the quarter-pound (113 gram) hamburger, Super Shef. Subsequently, they added the Works Bar, where customers added their own toppings to hamburgers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1968, General Foods Corporation purchased the chain and continued its rapid expansion. At the time of the purchase by General Foods, Burger Chef had 600 locations in 39 states.<ref name="wsj-1967oct16">Template:Cite news</ref>
By 1969, international expansion was underway with General Foods building ten Burger Chef outlets in Australia. The expansion ended in 1975 with a US$1.3 million loss (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation/year). It was stated that Australians disliked the limited burger menu compared to varied options available from milk bars.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The chain had two mascots: Burger Chef, voiced by Paul Winchell, and Jeff (the chef's juvenile sidekick).<ref name="RetroIndy"/><ref name="winchell_voice">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1972, the chain introduced the Funburger, a hamburger with packaging that included puzzles and a small toy. The following year, the chain introduced the Funmeal, the first kid’s meal that included a burger, french fries, a drink, a cookie, and a small toy; with expanded packaging that included stories about Burger Chef and Jeff's adventures and friends (including the magician Burgerini, vampire Count Fangburger, talking ape Burgerilla, and Cackleburger the witch), with riddles and puzzles. When McDonald's introduced their Happy Meal in 1979, the chain sued, but ultimately lost.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1982, General Foods sold Burger Chef to the Canadian company Imasco, which also owned Hardee's, for US$44 million (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation/year).<ref name="nyt-1981dec10">Template:Cite news</ref> Imasco converted many locations to Hardee's restaurants and let franchises and locations near existing Hardee's locations convert to other brands.<ref name="RetroIndy">Template:Cite news</ref> Remaining restaurants that did not convert to Hardee's or new names and branding simply closed.
Hardee's brought back the Big Shef hamburger for a limited time in 2001, 2007, and 2014 at some Midwestern locations.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Trademark suitEdit
In January 2007, River West Brands LLC, of Chicago, Illinois, sued Hardee's Food Systems in the US Patents and Trademarks Office, claiming abandonment of the Burger Chef trademark.<ref name="uspto"/> In 2009, River West Brands dropped its petition for cancellation. Both parties agreed to pay their own attorneys' fees.<ref name="uspto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
SlogansEdit
- 1970–1971: "There's more to like at Burger Chef."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> and "Burger Chef goes all out to please your family."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- 1971–1976: "You get more to like at Burger Chef."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- 1976–1980: "We really give you the works."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> and "Open wide America, you never can forget. You get more to like at Burger Chef."
- 1980–1996: "Nowhere else but Burger Chef."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
- Template:Cite book Self published.
External linksEdit
- Hardee's trademark trial on the US Patent and Trademark Office
- Burger Chef Memories Template:Webarchive
- JFS' tribute site
- Burger Chef former locations at Waymarking.com
Template:General Foods Template:Fast-food chains of the United States Template:Authority control