Nation's Giant Hamburgers facts for kids
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Trade name
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Nation's Giant Hamburgers |
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| Private company | |
| Industry | Fast food restaurant, Diner |
| Founded | San Pablo, California, USA (1952) |
| Headquarters | 11090 San Pablo Avenue, Suite 200 El Cerrito, California, 94530-2365 |
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Area served
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Northern California |
Nation's Giant Hamburgers, often just called Nation's, is a popular fast food restaurant chain. It is a private company based in El Cerrito, California. Nation's is known for its tasty hamburgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches. They also serve breakfast items and delicious pies.
The first Nation's restaurant opened in 1952. Most of its locations are in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. You can also find Nation's restaurants in the Sacramento and Stockton areas.
Contents
The Story of Nation's Giant Hamburgers
How It All Started
The story of Nation's began in 1952. A man named Russ Harvey bought a small hot dog stand. It had only six stools and was located in San Pablo, California. He used money from selling his 1948 Buick car to buy it.
Soon after, Russ Harvey added hamburgers to the menu. He made sure the portions were very large. His restaurant became very popular. Because of its success, he changed the name to Harvey's Giant Hamburgers.
A New Partner and a New Name
In 1960, a teenager named Dale Power started working there as a janitor. He continued working at the restaurant while he went to high school and college. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, Dale Power bought his own restaurant in 1970. This new restaurant was in Oakland, California.
Dale Power decided to name his restaurant Nation's. He believed they sold the best hamburgers in the entire nation. Russ Harvey then changed the name of his original restaurant to Nation's as well. The two men became partners, working together under the same brand name.
Over time, Nation's added more items to its menu. They started serving breakfast, lunch, and other dinner options. Their famous pies also became a big hit.
Growing the Business
In 1994, Russ Harvey retired. Dale Power then became the president of the company. Nation's started by only having restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since then, the company has grown. It has expanded eastward into Sacramento and San Joaquin counties.
Where You Can Find Nation's
As of 2025, Nation's has 31 restaurants in total. Most are in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Sacramento area, and the Stockton area.
California Locations
Nine Nation's restaurants are in Contra Costa County. These cities include Brentwood, Concord, and El Cerrito. The original San Pablo location is no longer there. However, the current San Pablo Nation's is on the same site.
There are also nine Nation's in Alameda County. You can find them in cities like Alameda, Berkeley, and Oakland. The Oakland restaurant is still in the Jack London Square District.
Four locations are in Solano County, including Fairfield and Vacaville. Two are in San Mateo County, in Daly City and South San Francisco. There is one Nation's in Napa.
Four restaurants are in California's Central Valley. These are in cities like Lodi and Stockton in San Joaquin County. In 2011, Nation's expanded into Sacramento County. Locations there include Citrus Heights and the city of Sacramento.
Expansion to Texas
Nation's has also opened its first restaurants outside of California. These are in Texas, in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. You can find them in Arlington, Denton, and Sunnyvale.
Future Plans
Two new Nation's locations are planned to open in the latter half of 2025. One will be in Pacifica, which will be the third location in San Mateo County. The other will be in San Jose, marking the first Nation's in Santa Clara County.
See also
- List of hamburger restaurants
