Webers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Webers |
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Webers Hamburgers on Highway 11
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | July 11, 1963 |
| Current owner(s) | Tom Rennie |
| Street address | 8844 11 Hwy S |
| City | 15 Kilometres north of Orillia, Ontario |
| Postal/ZIP code | L3V 6H3 |
| Country | Canada |
Webers is a famous hamburger restaurant in Ontario, Canada. It is often called Webers Hamburgers. This popular spot opened in July 1963. It is located on Ontario Highway 11, about 15 kilometres north of Orillia.
Webers is known for grilling its burgers over charcoal. People say a grill cook can flip up to 800 burger patties in just one hour! You will often see long lines of people waiting for their food. To help customers get there safely, Webers even built a special footbridge over the highway. This bridge lets people cross from the other side of the road. You can also buy Webers' hamburger patties frozen at Loblaws stores.
In 2009, Webers was selling around 8,000 hamburgers on a busy Friday. The restaurant is open on weekends from Thanksgiving until Christmas. It closes for the winter, usually from January until March break.
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The Story of Webers: A Famous Burger Spot
Webers first opened its doors on July 11, 1963. It was started by Paul Weber Sr. He wanted to serve people traveling to their cottages. By the 1970s, the restaurant became very popular. So many people wanted to eat there that they would sometimes run across the busy highway! This was very dangerous.
In 1981, the government built a traffic barrier in the middle of the highway. This was to stop people from running across the road. But even with the barrier, travelers heading towards Toronto would still climb over it to get their burgers. The next year, the government put a fence on top of the barrier to make it even harder to cross.
The Famous Footbridge
In 1983, Paul Weber Jr., the founder's son, found a solution. He bought a footbridge that was once part of the CN Tower's SkyWalk in Toronto. He moved it to Webers to create a safe way for customers to cross the highway. This bridge is special because it is the only privately owned bridge that goes over a public highway in Ontario.
Train Cars and Expansion
In 1987, Webers added three old CN train cars. They changed these cars to hold their own meat processing area. Later, they added five more train cars. One of these is now used as a dining area for customers.
Paul Weber Sr.'s sons eventually took over the business. After their father passed away in 1994, they continued to grow the brand. Webers opened more restaurants in Barrie in the late 1980s. An outlet in Orillia opened in 1995. They even had two locations at Toronto Pearson International Airport in the late 1990s. However, all these other locations have since closed. Now, the original restaurant on Highway 11 is the only one left. In 2005, Webers started selling their frozen hamburgers in Loblaws grocery stores.
New Ownership and a Special Visitor
In 2004, Paul Weber Jr. sold the company to Tom Rennie, a businessman from Guelph. Paul wanted to spend more time with his family. Tom Rennie gained the rights to the Webers name and the main Highway 11 location. He also controlled the airport outlets at that time. John Weber, the founder's other son, kept control of the Orillia and Barrie locations. Since those other restaurants closed, Tom Rennie became the sole owner of Webers.
On July 19, 2018, a very important person visited Webers. Justin Trudeau, who was the Prime Minister of Canada at the time, stopped by after visiting the Tim Horton Memorial Camp.
