Maid-Rite facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founder | Fred Angell |
| Headquarters | Urbandale, Iowa |
Maid-Rite is a famous American restaurant chain. It's known for its unique sandwiches. The first Maid-Rite restaurant opened in 1926. Fred Angell started it. By 1929, four more restaurants had opened. These first four are still serving customers today!
The main office for Maid-Rite is in Des Moines, Iowa. Bradley L. Burt is the company's leader. As of 2019, you could find Maid-Rite restaurants in six states. These included Ohio, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri. One Maid-Rite in Quincy, Illinois, was even on a TV show called Feasting on Asphalt.
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The Maid-Rite Story
Fred Angell was a butcher in Muscatine, Iowa. He created a special sandwich. He used a unique way to cut and grind meat. Then he added a secret mix of spices. This created the famous Maid-Rite sandwich.
What is a Maid-Rite Sandwich?
The Maid-Rite sandwich is not like a regular hamburger. It's called a "loose meat" sandwich. This means the meat is not pressed into a patty. It's more like a sloppy joe, but without the tomato sauce. It's a very unique and tasty meal!
First Restaurants and Drive-Ins
Fred Angell opened his first restaurant in Muscatine. You could only walk up to order there. Later, a new building opened where people could sit inside. Fred and his son, Francis Angell, then opened a second restaurant. This one had "car hop" or drive-in service.
This was the first drive-in restaurant of its kind in the United States! Other big restaurant chains like A&W Restaurants and White Castle Restaurants soon copied this idea.
The very first Maid-Rite restaurant that was a franchise opened in Durant, Iowa. A franchise means someone pays to use a company's name and ideas to open their own store. That Durant restaurant is still open today! William Angell, Fred's grandson, helped Maid-Rite grow even more across the United States.
Changes in Ownership
The Angell family owned most of the Maid-Rite company until 1984. Then, they sold it to two new owners. These were Clayton Blue and John Gillotti. The original Maid-Rite restaurants in Muscatine were sold to a local businessman named Gary Kopf.
Clayton Blue had big plans for Maid-Rite. He wanted it to become a worldwide company. But things didn't go as planned. John Gillotti bought the entire chain in 1988. Sadly, Gillotti passed away in 1991. This led to some disagreements over who owned the company next.
After some time, a court decided that the Gillotti family would own the company in 1995. At that time, there were 138 Maid-Rite stores. However, some stores closed over the years. By 2002, there were 83 Maid-Rite locations left.
New Leadership and Growth
In 2002, a group of investors bought most of Maid-Rite. Bradley Burt, a banker, led this group. The Gillotti family still kept some ownership. Even though some longtime owners left, Maid-Rite started to improve.
They began using computer systems to help manage costs. They also started offering special classes. New franchise owners could learn how to prepare Maid-Rite food perfectly. The company also created a new look for its restaurants. This new look kept the classic Maid-Rite feel.
In 2006, Maid-Rite had a big plan. They wanted to open over 1,000 new restaurants across the United States in the next ten years. In 2007, Maid-Rite made a deal with Hy-Vee Food Stores. Hy-Vee is a large grocery store chain. This agreement meant Maid-Rite restaurants would open inside Hy-Vee stores.
As of April 2021, there are 21 Maid-Rite locations in Iowa. There are also 11 locations in other states.
