Burger Chef is another largely forgotten burger chain that was big in Lorain County before eventually meeting the same fate as Sandy's – that is, being gobbled up by Hardees like a hot, crispy golden brown French fry.
The Burger Chef at 28th and Broadway first appeared in the Lorain phone book in 1970, making the chain a relative latecomer to the fast food burger scene in Lorain County. There were also stores at 2115 N. Ridge Road, as well as 4835 Liberty in Vermilion.
Even though one would think that having "burger" in the name might be an advantage, it didn't seem to help this chain. A possible disadvantage would be its lack of a memorable spokesperson or mascot like Ronald McDonald. There was a cartoon chef on the sign out front, but I don't recall any commercials featuring him. I do remember commercials with Burger Chef and Jeff, two of the most forgettable advertising mascots ever created. The chain also used a smiley face with a chef's hat as its logo for a while, literally putting a happy face on the situation.
Burger Chef managed to hold on at the 113 28th Street location until around 1990, when it became Hardees. Today, it's just an empty building.
Although the chain is long gone, a quick search on the Internet reveals that there are a lot of die-hard Burger Chef fans out there with websites. JSF's Burger Chef Tribute website is one of them. And don't miss the NEW Images of America publication featuring Burger Chef, which you can order from Amazon by clicking here!
Worked there summer 1977. Pay was bad but did not notice it so much back then. Remember lunch time always being very busy, dinner a little on the slow side. We had a fun crew most of the time. Hey, it was spending money. The worst part was going home smelling like french fries!!
ReplyDeleteMy friends and I used to hang out there, around the time Debi was working there; coffee was cheap, with unlimited refills.
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