Hot 'n Now facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Fast food |
| Founded | 1984 in Kalamazoo, Michigan |
| Founder | William Van Domelen |
| Headquarters | |
| Products | |
| Owner | BTND, LLC |
Hot 'n Now is an American fast-food restaurant chain. It started in 1984 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. At its busiest, Hot 'n Now had over 150 locations across the United States.
Later, the company faced problems. It was owned by PepsiCo for a while. In 2004, it went through a process called bankruptcy. After that, it was sold to STEN Corporation. As of April 2024, there is only one Hot 'n Now restaurant left in Michigan. Most Hot 'n Now places focused on drive-thru service. They had small buildings with a unique slanted roof. Some older locations had seating inside, like regular fast-food spots. Others were even connected to gas stations.
Contents
Hot 'n Now: A Fast Food Story
How It Started
Hot 'n Now was created by William Van Domelen in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1984. Before this, Van Domelen had helped open the first Wendy's restaurants in Michigan. He also owned some Burger Chef restaurants.
By 1990, Hot 'n Now had grown very quickly. It had more than 100 restaurants in 15 different states. People liked it because it was simple and cheap. Hamburgers, fries, and sodas cost only 39 cents each. This was much less than other fast-food places.
Big Changes and Challenges
In 1990, a big company called PepsiCo bought Hot 'n Now. PepsiCo put Hot 'n Now under its Taco Bell business. William Van Domelen, the founder, left the company soon after this sale.
After PepsiCo took over, changes started happening. These changes sometimes made the people who owned Hot 'n Now restaurants (called franchisees) unhappy. The menu was changed in 1992. Support for the franchisees also became less helpful. PepsiCo saw Hot 'n Now as a "test brand." In 1995, the company closed 80 of its own stores. They hoped to sell these locations to franchisees.
What Happened Next
In 1996, Taco Bell sold Hot 'n Now to a company in Connecticut. By 2002, Hot 'n Now was based in Holt, Michigan. It had 53 locations at that time. The company tried new ideas, like adding a Mexican menu called El Toro to some Hot 'n Now places.
In 2003, a company called Proquest Capital Corporation bought Hot 'n Now. Proquest then changed its name to Hot Brands, Inc. At this time, Hot 'n Now had 44 locations. These were in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
In 2004, the company faced financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy. This means they needed help to manage their debts. After this, Hot 'n Now was sold to STEN Corporation. STEN Corporation also owns another restaurant chain called Burger Time. Later, Burger Time was sold to BTND, LLC, which now owns the Hot 'n Now name.
Today's Hot 'n Now
One of the last two Hot 'n Now locations was in Bay City, Michigan. It had a fire in September 2016. Now, only one Hot 'n Now restaurant remains. It is located in Sturgis, Michigan.
Even though the Bay City location is now called Burger 81, it still sells some popular Hot 'n Now items. These include the Olive Burger and cheesy tots.
For a short time, Hot 'n Now used characters from Mad magazine in its advertisements. These characters were called "Spy vs. Spy".
See also
- List of hamburger restaurants
