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Nation's Giant Hamburgers facts for kids

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Nation's Foodservice, Inc.
Trade name
Nation's Giant Hamburgers
Private company
Industry Fast food restaurant, Diner
Founded San Pablo, California, USA (1952; 73 years ago (1952))
Headquarters 11090 San Pablo Avenue, Suite 200
El Cerrito, California, 94530-2365
Area served
Northern California
Nationsoutside
Outside of Nation's in El Cerrito, California

Nation's Foodservice, Inc., known as Nation's Giant Hamburgers or just Nation's, is a popular fast-food restaurant chain. It's a private company based in El Cerrito, California. Nation's is famous for its big hamburgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches. They also serve breakfast meals and delicious pies! This restaurant chain started in 1952. Most Nation's restaurants are found in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially the East Bay. You can also find some locations in the Sacramento and Stockton areas of California.

History of Nation's

How Nation's Started

In 1952, a man named Russ Harvey bought a small hot dog stand. It had only six stools! He bought it near San Pablo, California, using money from selling his 1948 Buick car. Soon, he added hamburgers to the menu. He made sure the portions were very big. The restaurant became very popular. Because of its success, he changed the name to Harvey's Giant Hamburgers.

A New Partner and Name

In 1960, a local teenager named Dale Power started working there as a janitor. He kept working at the restaurant even while studying at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1970, Dale bought his very own restaurant. It was in the Jack London Square District in Oakland, California. He decided to call his new restaurant Nation's. He chose this name because he believed they sold the best hamburgers in the entire nation! At this point, Russ Harvey also changed the name of his original restaurant to Nation's. The two men became partners, working together under the same brand.

Over time, Nation's added more items to its menu. They started serving breakfast, lunch, and other dinner items. They also became well-known for their tasty pies.

Growth and Expansion

In 1994, Dale Power became the company's president. This happened after Russ Harvey retired. At first, Nation's restaurants were only in the San Francisco Bay Area. But since then, the company has grown. It has expanded eastward into Sacramento and San Joaquin counties.

Nation's Locations

As of 2024, Nation's has 29 restaurants in total. You can find them across the San Francisco Bay Area, the Sacramento area, and the Stockton area.

Bay Area Locations

Nine Nation's restaurants are in Contra Costa County. These cities include Brentwood, Concord, El Cerrito, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Pittsburg, San Pablo, and Tara Hills. The first San Pablo location is no longer there. However, the current San Pablo Nation's is on the same site as the original restaurant.

There are also nine Nation's locations in Alameda County. These are in Alameda, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Oakland, Pleasanton, and San Leandro. The Oakland location is still in the Jack London Square District.

Four Nation's restaurants are in Solano County. You can find them in Benicia, Fairfield, Vacaville, and Vallejo. There are also single Nation's stores in two other Bay Area counties. One is in Daly City in San Mateo County. This is the only Nation's on the San Francisco Peninsula. Another is in Napa in Napa County.

Central Valley Locations

Three Nation's restaurants are in the Central Valley. These cities are Modesto, Stockton, and Tracy. All three are in San Joaquin County. In 2011, Nation's also expanded into Sacramento County. Locations there include Citrus Heights and Sacramento.

See also

  • List of hamburger restaurants
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