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Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries facts for kids
Logo used since February of 2019.
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast casual restaurant |
| Founded |
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| Founder | Kenney Moore |
| Headquarters | 102 Commercial Ave Mount Olive, North Carolina, United States |
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Number of locations
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108 (2022) |
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Area served
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United States |
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Key people
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| Products | |
Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries is a popular fast casual restaurant chain. It started in North Carolina and has grown to other states along the east coast.
The first restaurant opened in 1991 in Goldsboro, North Carolina. It was founded by Kenney Moore and was first called Andy's Cheesesteaks and Cheeseburgers. In 2012, the company changed its name to Hwy 55. This new name helped them expand outside of North Carolina.
As of 2022, Hwy 55 has 108 locations across the United States. Most are in North Carolina (81) and South Carolina (12). You can also find them in Florida, Georgia, Montana, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The restaurants serve tasty food like hamburgers, cheesesteaks, sandwiches, salads, and delicious hand-dipped ice cream and milkshakes.
Contents
The Story of Hwy 55 Restaurants
Kenney Moore started his restaurant business in 1991. He opened his first place in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He didn't have much money, only $500. So, he asked the people who sold him kitchen equipment to let him pay later.
Moore quickly took over three more closed restaurants. This meant he owed a lot of money to his food suppliers. He learned about a leadership idea called "servant leadership." This means a leader focuses on helping others. After he started using this idea, things got better for his business.
Growing the Restaurant Chain
Moore decided to let other people open restaurants using his brand. This is called a "franchisee style" of ownership. It helped Andy's Cheesesteaks and Cheeseburgers grow across Eastern North Carolina.
In February 2012, the company changed its name to Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries. They did this to avoid problems with other restaurants that had similar names. This change also helped them grow outside of North Carolina. The name "Hwy 55" is a tribute to North Carolina Highway 55. Many restaurants in North Carolina have a map mural of this highway.
The restaurants have a fun 1950s diner style. They use pink and teal colors in their decorations. In May 2012, the first franchised store outside North Carolina opened in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The company even tried opening restaurants in Abu Dhabi in 2014, but those locations later closed.
In 2013, Hwy 55 was recognized as one of the top 40 food franchises by Franchise Business Review. By February 2022, the chain had 108 locations in nine U.S. states.
What Hwy 55 Restaurants Look Like
A Hwy 55 restaurant usually has a cool 1950s theme. You'll see pink and teal colors everywhere. There are also decorations from the 1950s on the walls.
One special thing is that the kitchens are open. This means you can watch the cooks prepare your food right in front of you!
Giving Back to the Community
In 2006, Kenney Moore started the Andy's Charitable Foundation, Inc. This foundation is a non-profit group. Its goal is to help people in the towns where the restaurants are located.
Now, it's known as the Hwy 55 Foundation. By 2021, the foundation had raised over $1,900,000 for local charities. They are a big supporter of the Miracle League of the Triangle. This group helps kids with special needs play baseball. There's even a Miracle League field in Cary, North Carolina, named after the foundation.
Images for kids
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Former logo, still seen at multiple locations