Kewpee facts for kids
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| Private corporation | |
| Industry | Fast Food |
| Founded | Flint, Michigan, U.S., (1923) |
| Founder | Samuel V. Blair |
| Headquarters |
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United States
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Number of locations
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5 Restaurants (2022) 3 corporate 2 franchises |
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Area served
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Midwest United States |
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Key people
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| Products | Fast food, including hamburgers, french fries, pies, and Frozen Malts |
| Services | franchising |
| Revenue | $6+ million (2009) |
| Owner | Harrison E. Shutt |
Kewpee Hamburgers is a famous chain of fast-food restaurants known for its hamburgers. It started way back in 1923 in Flint, Michigan. This makes it one of the oldest hamburger chains still around! The company's main office is now in Lima, Ohio.
The name "Kewpee" comes from the cute Kewpie doll. Kewpee was also one of the first restaurants to offer "curbside service." This meant you could get your food delivered right to your car! Over time, this changed into drive-in service and then the drive-thru service we use today. In Lima, Ohio, the Kewpee restaurants even get fresh, local beef every day. The downtown Kewpee Restaurant in Lima is considered a historic place.
The Story of Kewpee Hamburgers
Kewpee Hamburgers began in 1923 in Flint, Michigan. A person named Samuel V. Blair opened the first "Kewpee Hotel" as a small food stand. In 1926, Blair sold the rights to the Kewpee name to Ed Adams, who ran a Kewpee Hotel in Toledo, Ohio.
In Lansing, Michigan, the Weston family has owned and run their Kewpee restaurant since it first opened in 1923. They have even had two Kewpee restaurants open at the same time in Lansing. The Weston family is now in its fourth generation of running the business! In the early days, Kewpee restaurants often avoided big cities. After a time called Prohibition ended, some Kewpee places even started selling real beer along with their root beer and coffee.
In 1928, a Kewpee restaurant opened in Lima, Ohio, owned by Hoyt “Stub” Wilson. By 1929, there were about 200 Kewpee locations. Just before World War II, the number of Kewpee restaurants grew to more than 400!
When Samuel Blair retired in 1944, he rented out his original restaurant location. After Blair passed away in 1945, other restaurant owners continued to pay fees to Ed Adams to use the Kewpee name. In 1958, the original location was sold to William "Bill" V. Thomas, who continued to pay fees to Adams. Around 1958, Harrison "Harry" E. Shutt started working for Stub Wilson at his Lima restaurant. In 1963, some Kewpee locations in Grand Rapids, Michigan were sold and became a new restaurant chain called Mr. Fables.
In 1965, the Kewpee trademark was transferred to a new company called Kewpee Hotel Systems, Inc. The number of Kewpee locations dropped a lot in 1967. This happened because Kewpee Hotel Systems, Inc. wanted all locations to become full franchises and share a percentage of their profits. Many locations that didn't agree either closed or changed their names. The original Flint location changed its name to Bill Thomas' Halo Burger. This business is still successful today, though not at the very first spot, which was torn down in 1979.
After Edwin Adams died in 1974, his wife, Hortense M. Adams, became the president of Kewpee Hotel System, Inc. In 1969, a new group called Kewpee International (later Kewpee of Toledo) bought the Kewpee rights. Also in 1969, Kewpee, Inc. was formed in Lima, Ohio. In 1985, the owner of Kewpee in Lima bought the Kewpee trademarks when the Toledo operations closed. Harrison Shutt became president of Kewpee, Inc. in 1970 and bought Wilson's Lima restaurant after Wilson passed away in 1980. Harrison Shutt himself passed away in 2024.
Did you know that Dave Thomas, who started Wendy's restaurants, was inspired by Kewpee? As a child, he loved eating at a Kewpee restaurant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He said it made him want to go into the restaurant business. Kewpee's sold square hamburgers and thick malt shakes, just like the famous restaurant Thomas later opened in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969.
In January 2010, Kewpee was recognized as one of the "All-American Icons" by National Restaurant News. The Lima City Council even congratulated the company! A book about Kewpee's history, called Kewpee Hamburgers: A Mity Nice History, was released on July 24, 2023.
Kewpee Slogans
Kewpee has had some fun advertising slogans over the years!
- Hamburg pickle on top, makes your heart go flippity-flop!
- "Mity Nice Hamburger"
- "Your Granpappy ate here"
- "We cater to all the folks"
Kewpee Locations Today
Today, there are five Kewpee restaurants still open.
- Three of these are in Lima, Ohio:
- Kewpee Hamburgers Downtown – This location opened in 1928. Its building has a cool, old-fashioned design called Streamline Moderne, with shiny porcelain and stainless steel. It was even considered for listing on the National Register of Historic Places!
- Kewpee Hamburgers West
- Kewpee Hamburgers East
- Besides Lima, there is one Kewpee restaurant in Racine, Wisconsin and one in Lansing, Michigan. The Lansing location is called Weston's Kewpee Sandwich Shop.
See also
- List of hamburger restaurants
