Sandy's Hamburgers has been a favorite topic on this blog since its beginning.
Why? Because it was very likely the first fast food my family ever had, since it was only a few minutes away on Oberlin Avenue. The burgers tasted very much like McDonald's, which isn't surprising since the chain was founded by some ex-McDonald's executives.
But all good things come to an end. Seemingly after only a few years in Lorain, Sandy's was taken over by Hardee's – and it just wasn't the same.
Maybe it was the loss of Sandy's cute Scottish lassie with the tam o'shanter, which lent a friendly face to the proceedings. Or perhaps it was the name change. "Sandy's" sounds much more friendly and personal than the nondescript "Hardee's."
Nevertheless, the change happened – and here's how the company notified the customers in the Lorain area. The ad below appeared in the Journal on May 3, 1973.
But it really didn't matter that much to my family, since we weren't eating there anyway. For years, Dad grilled out hamburgers almost every Saturday night, so we didn't eat fast food burgers very often. The only exception were the occasional Whoppers from Burger King on Leavitt Road.
The Hardee's on Meister Road lasted until the end of the 1980s. Today, the closest Hardee's is down on State Route 83 near beautiful downtown Burbank, Ohio.
Anyway, you know you're getting old when you talk about something like Sandy's that almost nobody else remembers.
