Tim Hortons is known as the king of Canadian donuts. Founded in 1964, the company became a multi-million-dollar company within less than half a decade and as of today, is Canada’s leading restaurant chain with 4,478 establishments worldwide. The first Tim Hortons was located on 65 Ottawa St N at Dunsmure in Hamilton, Ontario, an industrial…
If you grew up in America, you were probably brought up on the concept of the American Dream – the idea that anything you put your mind to you can achieve. In a list of The 30 most American things ever… the American Dream is number two, beaten for the number one spot only by the Constitution…
Everybody knows her face. The fire-red pigtails, the blue bows, the dusting of freckles. Wendy, the namesake and iconic logo of the fast food hamburger giant, is a genuine piece of Americana, spotted on nearly every highway and in every city across the country. Though the story of how Wendy’s got its name is simple,…
Carl’s Jr. finds its origins in the purchase of a hot dog cart in 1941. Carl Karcher and his wife, Margaret, invested all they had and successfully opened Carl’s Drive-in Barbeque. Less than 5 years later. Carl’s Jr. came along when the couple opened smaller locations of the original barbeque restaurant during the 1950s. Corporate…
Take one look at the black-and-white spotted Chick-fil-A mascot and you’d probably never guess that the original name of founder Samuel Truett Cathy’s first restaurant was the Dwarf Grill. Opened in 1946 in Hapeville, Georgia, the Dwarf Grill transformed into the Dwarf House and then became the popular “Eat Mor Chikin” chain of today. Image…
Home of the “Pizza! Pizza!” Little Caesars ranks third in the big pizza pie race, trailing Domino’s and Pizza Hut. Little Caesars is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. Why is it Called Little Caesars? Mike and Marian Ilitch opened the first location of Little Caesars in 1959 in Garden City, Michigan. Marion’s nickname for Mike was “Little…
Panera Bread Company is a chain of bakery-café fast-casual restaurants found throughout the U.S. and Canada. What many do not know is that it was the first of its kind – the first upscale bakery-café, at a time when the only the fastest, most convenient restaurants dominated the market. Since it was first opened 35…
SONIC Drive-In’s website says, “Our vision is simple: to become America’s most loved restaurant brand.” Whew. Pretty lofty goal right there. But with its fast service, fun menu, constant deals, kitschy drive-in concept, and lovably wacky commercials, Sonic Drive-In is doing what it can. SONIC-Drive In is an American drive-in fast-food restaurant chain based in…
Many historians mis-credit James McLamore and David Edgerton with founding what was then called, Insta Burger King, but it was really Keith Kramer and Matthew Burns who came up with the idea. In fact, the latter two men were so impressed by McDonald’s, that in 1953, they began their own incarnation in Jacksonville, Florida. Unfortunately, 6 years…
After opening Bell’s Drive-In and Taco Tia in San Bernardino, California, in 1954, Glen Bell might not have realized he created what would become the huge Taco Bell empire of today. In fact, Bell’s Drive-In originally sold hot dogs. However, even at 23, Bell realized that if he was able to get tacos out to…